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2600 E Southlake Blvd #120 – 156, Southlake, TX 76092www.ThunderPolo.com
April 2019
North Texas Thunder Water polo is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
FEEL THE
Alayna Ickert Olivia Jones Kylee Noble
Spencer Shelley
The Olympic Development Program serves as a forum to identify and develop athletes to represent USA Water Polo throughout domestic and international competitions. The foundation of the program is a systematic approach to athletic development through a training program that focuses on both the technical and tactical components of water polo while placing a premium on overall physical fitness.
Thunder Water Polo joined other athletes from across the Southwest Zone competing at the Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Championship in Riverside, CA this past month. We had 23 athletes from Thunder across the Development, Cadet, Youth and All Star divisions, playing highly competitive games against the other USAWP Zones. Athletes participate in ODP Training Camps across the state of Texas, where they are selected by Southwest Zone coaches to represent the zone at the National Championships. While at the National Championship ODP program coaches evaluate each athlete and provide individualized feedback to allow the athletes to continue to grow and develop. In addition, select athletes receive an invitation to participate in the National Training Selection Camp (NTSC), where they tryout for inclusion on a national roster to represent USA Water Polo at the National and International level. Thunder had three athletes selected to advance to NTSC: JoJo Walters, Development SWZ Team, Sadie Sallas, Cadet SWZ Team, and Spencer Shelley, Youth SWZ Team.
Honors were also awarded for the USA Water Polo Nick Johnson Inspiration Award. This award recognizes athletes that fully embody the vision and values of the Olympic Development program. The values of the program are based on the Olympic movement, defined as “Olympism.” Thunder Water Polo swept these awards for females bringing home all three awards for SWZ. Recipients included: Alayna Ickert, Development SWZ Team, Olivia Jones, Cadet SWZ Team, and Kylee Noble, Youth SWZ Team.
Congratulations to all of our Thunder athletes who participated in ODP!
USAWP Olympic Development Program
JoJo Walters Sadie Sallas
Southlake @ Bent Creek Clubhouse - Registration Opens April 2nd Timarron Tigersharks 2019 https://timarrontigersharks.swimtopia.com/
www.ThunderPolo.com
It didn’t take long for Sophia to convince her friend Gianna (also an eighth-grader at Dawson,) to give it a try. Gianna had done an NTN swim camp with Coach Murphy and loves swimming but hadn’t really heard about water polo until moving to Southlake two years ago from New York. “I was happy my friend joined, because it was a good time to start a new sport since most school sports are ending.” Both agree it was definitely fun to experience it with a friend but the team has been very inclusive. “Even if I didn’t have a friend, I would still feel comfortable”, says Sophia.
When asked what she enjoys about practice, aside from carpooling with her friend, Gianna says “my favorite parts are the offensive drills and shooting the balls.” In addition to learning the rules, mastering the eggbeater and figuring out which is the ‘weak side’, the girls are eager to improve their stamina so they can be ready for their first Game Day!
Sophia and Gianna clearly have the right mindset when it comes to fundamentals, which are critical to an athlete’s success in water polo. Swim conditioning plays is a key factor in building stamina for those 5, 6 or 7 minute quarters and summer is the perfect time to focus on conditioning. Several local swim teams offer summer programs perfect for our athletes! Check out the links below to find a program that fits your needs.
locally grownsouthlake ~ denton ~ flower mound
Swimming on over to Water Polo
Swimmers and friends, Sophia Rhodes and Gianna Mollica, both 14, joined our local Southlake team this spring and are already hooked!
Sophia, an eighth-grader at Dawson and recent transplant from Northern California, joined because her best friend in CA started playing. Once Sophia found out she was moving, she started searching for teams and her mom reached out to Coach Lowery via the TWPC Facebook page. “So far, I really like everything about water polo. I have been swimming for a team since I was 5 so this is really fun to be in the water and put together the other sports I have played, especially because the workouts are new and challenging for me. There is something exciting about hopping into a pool during wintertime too!”
Summer Swim ConditioningUp your water polo game and SWIM this summer! Checkout some options below in Flower Mound and Southlake to help condition your athlete
Flower Mound @ LISD Westside Aquatic Center – Registration Opens April 1st
Westside Aquatic Club: www.westsideaquaticclub.org
Q: How old were you when you started playing water polo?A: 12Q: Why did you choose to play water polo? A: I wanted to try something new and different from other sports I had played in the past.Q: How has the national team made you a better athlete?A: It has given me the opportunity to play in many different tournaments and travel as well as push myself to work hard and set new goals.Q: What occupation do you want to have as an adult? A: International BusinessQ: Who in your life has inspired you the most and why? A: My mom because she pushes me to achieve my goals and beyond.Q: What is your favorite subject in school? A: FrenchQ: What do you enjoy doing when you have free time?A: Hanging with friends, travelling, and watching movies.
www.ThunderPolo.com
Travel Center: Summer Camps
TWPTWPNational Team
NEWS
Our National athletes have been working on defensive fundamentals, preaching effort and competition and making sure each athlete knows that it’s ok to make a mistake as long as they are trying their best. Troy Goddard, FM Head Coach & Head Age Group National Coach
Summer camps give athlete’s the opportunity to have fun, meet new people, learn new skills, and gain experience. Continuously working on skills and mechanics will increase an athlete’s skill level and give them more confidence. Summer camps can be a fun time for beginners to learn basic skills, all the way to fine tuning skills for more advanced players. Camps can have many benefits including; exercise, independence, responsibility, building relationships, problem-solving skills, self-confidence, strategic thinking, and teamwork.
Camp experience can vary slightly, but for the most part, camps are very similar. Camps usually cost anywhere from $350-$1000 for a multi-day camp. Most colleges that hold camps are to attract top athletes that may be interested in attending their school. As a player you should want to attend a camp to try to get the attention of college recruiters, while to improve your water polo skills. Athletes, no matter what their age or skill level can benefit from camps and clinics.
AJ Wilkinson ~ 16U Alyssa Lougee ~ 18U
Q: How old were you when you started playing water polo?A: 14Q: Why did you choose to play water polo? A: I was a competitive swimmer, and when I joined GuyerCoach Cullen invited me to play.Q: How has the national team made you a better athlete?A: It made me a strong and harder working player and fall in love with the sport.Q: What occupation do you want to have as an adult? A: Global business or Peace CorpsQ: Who in your life has inspired you the most and why? A: Couch Cullen because he showed me what I’m capable of and has pushed me into the person I am today.Q: What is your favorite subject in school? A: HistoryQ: What do you enjoy doing when you have free time?A: Hanging with friends, playing sports and community service
• Pepperdine University Water Polo• Brown University Water Polo• USC Water Polo Camp
• UC Santa Barbara• UCLA Azevedo Camp• Aquatics Games
• Stanford Water Polo • Naval Academy • UC Irvine
Check out the links below for more information on each camp…
Born and raised in North Dallas Coach Cullen started competing in swim meets when he was 4 and was scuba diving with his dad by the age of 8. He was on the swim team at Lewisville High School and graduated in 1986. Because of his love for all sports it was an easy decision to follow in his father’s footsteps and go to college with the plan to become a coach and teacher. He attended SMU in Dallas majoring in Kinesiology with a minor in Chemistry. He was the swim team manager and trainer and worked as lifeguard and pool manager at SMU. In the summer on 1988, he was hired as the summer swim coach for the Pearland YMCA as his first coaching job. The summers of 1989 and 1990 he coached and was pool manager for the Lewisville YMCA. Graduating in the spring of 1990, he did student teaching in swimming and chemistry at Highland Park High School. In the fall of 1991, he was hired to teach chemistry and coach swimming for Denton high school. In 1995, Denton ISD open its second high school ( Denton Ryan ) and he was asked to coach both swim teams. His teams had state qualifiers in swimming for the first 8 years of his career. In 28 years with Denton ISD, he has had swimmers at the state championship 25 times with 3 swimmers earning individual medals. He was voted district swim coach of the year 15 times and region swim coach of the year 3 times.
In 1999, Frank Connor of Dallas Water Polo contacted him about trying water polo at his high school. He loved the sport from the start but realized he needed more experience understanding the rules and what to coach, so he decided to learn to play the game by joining Dallas water polo as a player. He played and learned to coach from Mihai Oprea and other experienced members of Dallas Water Polo. After playing in many tournaments and trips with the Dallas Water Polo club in 2004, Mihai asked him to be his assistant coach for the Southwest Zone boys team (precursor to ODP) which started his coaching career with USA Water polo. He worked as an assistant or head coach on the boys ODP until 2010. He began coaching with the girls ODP 2013 and has been the head Southwest Zone coach for Girls ODP since 2015.
Coach Cullen has been selected as the Southwest Zone Coach of the year for various age groups 8 times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018) and the National Development Coach of the Year in 2016. He was voted TISCA (high school) state coach of the year in 2018 and Region coach of the year 10 times since 1999. His high school teams have made the TISCA state championship every year since 2009 with teams finishing in top 5 for last 5 years. He has coached many All Region, Region MVP, All State, State MVP’s and NISCA All American Water Polo Players and proudly has many who continue to play in college around the country. Including his daughter who plays for Pomona/Pitzer in California currently with a 6-0 conference record. The best part of coaching is be able to enjoy your players success.
In 2009 he worked with Joe Linehan to start a youth club under Dallas Water Polo. This club started with less than 20 kids but grew quickly and was fractioned off from Dallas Water polo into North Texas Thunder Water Polo. 10 years later Thunder is training over 300 athletes a year!
Thank you Coach Cullen for your continued dedication to the athletes and the sport of water polo.
Chris CullenCoaching
www.ThunderPolo.com
The more positive you can be with your players, the better they’re going to play. ~ Doc Rivers
TISCA North Texas Regional Tournament – April 26 – 27Lewisville, TX - LISD Westside Aquatic Center 1750 Duncan Lane, Lewisville, TX 75067
High school water polo is in full swing. For the latest on schedules and team standings visit http://tiscanorthwaterpolo.com/ Cheer on your fellow Thunder Water Polo Athletes as the compete at the Texas Regional and State level.
2019 High School Water Polo
www.ThunderPolo.com
Dear Club Admin…“Do National Athletes have to attend local practice?”
As we look ahead to the school year ending and Summer practices for National Team Athletes ramping up in preparation for Southwest Zones and National Junior Olympics, “Which practices should I be attending?” is a common question; with age group specific answers.
- Throughout the Summer Season, our 18/16U National Team Athletes will not attend any local practices as they will attend National Only Practices in Flower Mound every night Monday through Thursday.
- The 14U/12U National Team Athletes will also have four opportunities to practice each week of the summer as they will attend their local location specific practice on Mondays and Wednesdays and then come together in Flower Mound for National Only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Brandon Dion, Club Administrator
TISCA Texas State Championship – May 3-4Austin, TX – UT Austin1900 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78712
Join us on Social Media…
www.Instagram.com/thunderpolo
www.Facebook.com/thunderpolo
www.Twitter.com/thunderpolo
For important updates, athlete shout-outs, and much more!!!
www.ThunderPolo.com
COLLEGE BOUND - - - - - - - -
College Athlete Advice…
“The two most important skills to help you be prepared for playing in college are awareness
and defense. Awareness is a huge part of offense, defense, and getting better as a player. The
level of water polo is so much higher in NCAA Water polo, and there is an even more
extreme difference in Division 1 water polo in California. Awareness also means being
aware of every aspect of the game. Having a ‘high water polo IQ’ is essential to getting play
time and growing as a player in college. The game is much more aggressive and faced
paced, so a thorough understanding of the game offensively and defensively is essential.
Defense in particular is another crucial part of playing water polo. Colleges coaches expect
players who are new to their program to know how to play defense and then be able to
improve on offense as they learn the team plays. As a freshman you are usually not the goal
scorer so you have to be able to play defense extremely well and not turn over the ball.”
Sophomore Loyola Marymount University Division I Water Polo
For a full list of NCAA Water Polo progams visit the USA Water Polo College Directory
What’s the difference between Division I, II, III Water Polo Programs?and competitive and those in
Division I, but schools in DII have
fewer financial resources to devote
to their athletics programs. Division
II offers partial scholarships for
financial aid. Students can cover
their tuition through a mixture of
athletics scholarships, academic
scholarships, and need based
financial aid.
Division III (DIII) programs offer
a more well-rounded college
experience where academics take
more of the lead. Just like their DI
and DII counterparts, DIII athletes
also must learn to manage playing
their sport while pursuing their
education. The time commitment,
however, for DIII athletes is not
nearly as intense which gives them
nearly as intense which gives them
more opportunity to explore life
outside of the classroom and
outside of their sport. DIII athletes
often feel they are more a part of
the general college community
where DI and DII athletes feel a little
more separated from the rest of the
college or university. Division III
schools don't offer scholarships or
financial aid to athletes for athletic
participation, though athletes are still
eligible for scholarships offered to
any students who apply. While DIII
schools do not offer any type of
athletic scholarships, parents will be
pleased to know that 80% of DIII
athletes receive non-athletics aid,
often in the form of grants or need-
based scholarships to academically
qualified athletes. Another big plus
for both parents and student-athletes
is that 87% of all DIII athletes
graduate from college. Although the
other two divisions are not that far
behind, that’s the highest percentage
of any NCAA Division.
Rylan Russell
Division I (DI) is the highest level
of intercollegiate athletics overseen
by the NCAA in the U.S. Division I
schools comprise the major athletic
powers in the college ranks and have
larger budgets, more advanced
facilities, and more athletic
scholarships than Divisions II and
III or smaller schools, even those
that are competitive in athletics.
Student-athletes who want a high
level of competition but a more
balanced approach to sports and
academics are giving serious
consideration to Division II (DII)
schools. It’s also perfect for those
who may prefer a smaller campus,
or the opportunity to get playing
time all four years. As one recruit
put it, “I’d rather be a big fish in a
smaller pond.” There are still the
demands all student-athletes face,
but it is not as intense and rigorous
as the year-round total commitment
of a DI athlete. Their student
athletes might be just as skilled Source: NCSAsports.com
7 Reasons Why You Should Hire A Water Polo Player
www.ThunderPolo.com
Practically all the jobs require being in contact with
other people, holding meetings, taking care of tasks
that depend on several people, etc. In the same way,
water polo is a team sport in which individual success
is not contemplated without the help of teammates. In
addition, in a minority sport such as water polo,
everyone knows each other better and the teams end
up forming a large family that goes beyond the limits
of the pools. Players know how to deal with people,
cheer their teammates up when it’s required and
experience the feeling of collective success.
5. Water polo players know how to tackle a tedious
task and make it interesting
After endless pre-seasons in which swimming with T-
shirt and the dryland workouts are part of the daily
routine, most tasks in the adult world may seem a lot
more interesting. Water polo players, after getting
used to hours of exhausting swimming specially in the
start of the week, will know how to make from a
monotonous task something entertaining and, more
importantly, they will have already developed a lot of
tricks to keep themselves focused.
6. Water polo players know how to perform under
pressure
From a penalty shootout to playing the final of a
national competition. The pressure is constant in the
day to day of a water polo player: games against direct
rivals, man-up situations in which scoring a goal is the
only option etc. Applied to the workplace, all this
effort under pressure is very good practice for any
presentations or public speaking that may come their
way, or to deal with deadlines.
7. Water polo players are intrinsically motivated
The most important thing that water polo players learn
from their years of training is how to stay motivated at
both the fun times and the hard times. The moments
before a major clash or the coach speech before
jumping into the water are clear examples that will
make the players feel motivated and fired-up before a
challenge. Water polo athletes know how to work at
what may seem to be a thankless task in order to
improve themselves and benefit the team as a whole.
Cristina Marin Cerezo, Founder and General Manager of Barcelona International Waterpolo Academy, S.L.
What type of employee are companies
currently seeking? Education and studies are obviously
essential to opt for the vast majority of jobs, but they
are not usually enough. Beyond a degree or a title,
companies look for team players, flexible,
autonomous, ambitious, and confident employees, just
to name a few. Here are the 7 reasons why water polo
players are the best employees.
1. Water polo players are detail-oriented
Endless workouts and hours and hours of pool to
perfect the shooting technique, passing or other skills.
The great water polo players know that success often
depends on correcting the details, like egg-beater, leg
positioning or faking technique. The details are key in
water polo and are what will make one player superior
to another. That kind of dedication to the particulars
can give the competitive edge in the office as well as
in the pool.
2. Water polo players can manage their time
effectively
In order to be a student athlete in any sport you have to
be able to effectively balance your work and school.
Water polo players train five days a week and they
have at least one game every the weekend. That’s why
water polo takes time management to another level.
Players have to be capable of keeping up with school,
give everything in training, find time to rest and eat
and, also very important, find moments for social life.
These skills translated into the labor world increase
employee efficiency and productivity.
3. Water polo players can set challenging, yet
realistic, goals
National championships, being called-up for the
national team, play with the older category, dream of
reaching the senior team, winning MVP awards…
Every water polo player trains to achieve goals like
these. Working with medium and long-term objectives
is always more stimulating. Water polo players
understand that the most effective goals are ambitious,
but reachable, and once they have a goal, they work
tirelessly to achieve it.
4. Water polo players know how to be good
teammates
The Connor Cup is a yearly award given to teams based on participation and placing in USA Water Polo sanctioned weekend tournaments throughout the Southwest Zone. The Connor Cup originally started in 2005, added a Women’s Division in 2011, and an Age Group Division in 2014.
The Connor Cup is named for Frank Connor of Dallas Water Polo Club who is a USA Water Polo Hall of Fame goalie. Frank also helped start the Dallas Water Polo Club in the mid 1980’s (while the Dean of Mathematics at North Texas). Up until the early 2000’s, the only USA Water Polo sanctioned events in the Southwest Zone were the three Dallas Water Polo Club hosted events: Dutton Tournament in the Spring, Dallas Summer Classic, and Dallas Fall Invite. Thunder was born out of the Dallas Water Polo Club and took over hosting these tournaments. Additionally, Dallas also hosted many Winter Nationals for USA Water Polo in the Dallas area in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Frank was the primary organizer of all Dallas Water Polo Club events until the late 2000’s and can still be found on deck reffing at the Dallas Water Polo Club practices while in his upper 80’s.
Frank Connor – USA Water Polo Hall of Fame
Elected to Hall of Fame: 1989
Club: Illinois Athletic Club
College: California Institute of Tech., Illinois Institute of Tech.
High School: Hyde Park H.S. Chi.
Playing Record: College 1949 - 51, IIT 1952, Club 1952 – 64
Participation:AAU Sr. National Championship Team 1955, 56, 58, 59, 60US Pan American Trials Team 1959 1st PlaceUS Pan American Team 1959 (gold)US Olympic Trials Team 1956 (tied for 1st), 1960 5th, 1964 5thChicago W/P Association Champions 1953, 54CIT Division Champions 1950AAU Sr. National Championship Team outdoor 1955, 58
Honors:AAU All American 1958, 59Pan American All Star Team 1959 (goalie)
Current Standings and Past Connor Cup Recipients can be
found at: http://www.southwestwaterpolo.org/?page_id=16.
Please join USA Water Polo as they host a North Texas Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, April 14th at the Southlake Carroll ISD Aquatic Center. Everyone is welcome to attend Parents, Athletes, Coaches, Referees. There are a lot of great sessions that cover the growth of Water Polo in the Southwest Zone, Education for Parent/Athletes, and session on College Water Polo. In addition Thunder Water Polo will host a FREEShooting & Skills clinic for High School and Age Group athletes!
Date/Time: Sunday, April 14thLocation: Southlake Carroll ISD Aquatic Center
12:00 – 2:00 FREE Shooting & Skills Clinic: High school Athletes
12:00 – 1:15 USAWP Sports Growth: USAWP Southwest Zone, UIL Status, Sports Growth in Texas, New USAWP Rules v. High School Rules, Q&A Session
1:15 – 2:30 Parent/Athlete Education: History of Water Polo, Basic Terms/Team Tactics, Simplified Version of Rules & Regulations, Q&A Session
2:00 – 4:00 FREE Shooting & Skills Clinic: Age Group Athletes
2:30 – 4:00 Playing Water Polo in College: Different Opportunities to Play in College; Steps, Benefits, Levels, Processes, etc. to Play NCAA Water Polo, Recruiting Ins/Outs
Important LinksThunder Water Polo Website
Thunder Water Polo Calendar
USA Water Polo Website
USA Water Polo Events Page
USA Water Polo High Performance YouTube
Positive Coaching Alliance Website
www.ThunderPolo.com
Southwest ZoneThe Connor Cup
Date Event Location Program
April 6-7 Southside Tournament Pearland, TX Age Group Only
April 14th Shooting & Skills Clinic Southlake, TX All Thunder Athletes
April 28 Spring Champs SMU - Dallas, TX Age Group Only
May 3-4 State HS Champs Austin, TX High School Athletes
May 11-12 TAGS Keller, TX Age Group Only
May 25-26 Welcome to Texas San Antonio, TX All Thunder Athletes
June 1 UCLA Camp Flower Mound, TX Age Group Only
June 2 UCLA Camp Flower Mound, TX High School Athletes
June 1 Game Day High School Denton, TX High School Athletes
June 2 Game Day Age Group Denton, TX Age Group Only
June 7-9 Southwest Zones - Age Group Pearland, TX National Age Group Only
June 9 Team Scrimage High School Keller, TX National High School Only
June 14-16 Southwest Zones - High School CyFair, Tx National High School Only
June 16 Game Day #2 Keller, TX All Thunder Athletes
June 22-23 Dallas Summer Classic Southlake, TX All Thunder Athletes
July 6-7 Soutside SOGO Pearland, TX All Thunder Athletes
July 13 National Team Tryouts Denton, Tx New Athletes
July 14 Summer Champs Southlake, TX All Thunder Athletes
July 20-28 National Jr. Olympics Irvine, CA National Athletes
Thunder Coaches Board of DirectorsKristy Winkler, President
Charlie Perham, Vice [email protected]
Elizabeth Chand, [email protected]
Gabby Pena, [email protected]
Jason Ickert, Communications [email protected]
Scott Stearns, Volunteer [email protected]
Chris Cullen, Club [email protected]
Chris CullenClub [email protected]
Brandon DionClub [email protected]
Sabrina CarlileDenton Head [email protected]
Troy GoddardFlower Mound Head CoachHead Age Group National [email protected]
Keeley LowerySouthlake Head [email protected]
www.ThunderPolo.com
Mark Your Calendars for these important Events!!!