College Water Polo Scholarship FAQs
It's very important to play on a club water polo team. College coaches coach club teams so if you're already on the team, the coach is evaluating your skills set. Roster spots are limited, it is key to play year round, gain exposure and play on a club team.
Most of the schools with water polo programs are great academic institutions. Grades come first. Second is gaining the right exposure. For women, there are 110 college programs and over 40 are junior colleges. For the men, there are about 80 colleges that offer water polo and of those colleges, around 30 are junior college programs.
How quick are you in the water? Stop and go? What is your game sense? Anticipating the next play? Goalie skills? College coaches are looking for how well you know the game and overall game skills.
Three things: 1. High academics (usually GPA of over a 3.5) 2. Highlight video 3. Play on a club team. Schools with water polo teams have high academic expectations. Playing on a Junior Olympic squad and sending a highlight game video will be helpful for coaches to evaluate you in the recruiting process.
College coaches want actual game video. They’re looking for skills like- how you anticipate plays, make plays, defend and score.
Start getting your name out there your Freshmen and Sophomore years that way college coaches can go watch you at tournaments. The Junior Olympic event in July is a key event in California. College coaches can officially start talking to you on July 1 after your Junior year. But its never too early to start contacting them.
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