Interested In Water Polo? Here’s How To Get Started

Water polo can be a very exciting experience for a beginner. It offers a lot of opportunities for those looking to make friends, learn a new sport, get better at swimming, or a team that is dedicated to winning the World Cup someday. Regardless of the reason for wanting to start water polo, assuming you are completely new to the sport, the steps to being a good player are similar. In this article, we delve into how to get started in water polo for those interested.

Swimming Skills

In water polo, the main activity is swimming, as it is a sport done in the water. Increasing your swimming skills will make you a better player and accelerate your learning curve significantly. Instead of learning how to swim and play simultaneously, it would be wiser to first enroll in swimming classes. 

You do not have to be the best at swimming, but make sure your skill set is good enough to keep you from drowning mid-game. If you read more about the sport, you will find out that, like in any game, accidents are expected to happen; you might get pushed underwater, or someone might step on you amidst the activities around you. Good experience and skill will help you navigate the depths and find your way to the surface.

Find A Team

Water polo is a group activity that will require you to be part of a team if you are interested in playing. There are many ways to join a team if you still need one. The best would be to join a local club with a water polo team, and you can tag along with them or create a team of your own. You are bound to find others who share your interest in these clubs, and you can start with them. 

Equipment

In every sport, equipment is essential to have a good experience. In water polo, you will need to have the right equipment; this will include a good swimsuit that is appropriate to play polo, goggles for protection against chlorine in water and better visibility, a swim cap to protect your hair and also keep it out of your face, a mouth guard to protect your teeth and lips against expected collisions and a water polo ball. 

Learn The Rules

It is important to familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to water polo before or as you begin practicing. Learn what constitutes a foul or rough play, the positions, how the game is played, and the hierarchy of scores. This information is readily available online in blogs and on YouTube if you do not have a coach or a more experienced player on your team.

Practice

Practice is the only thing that will make you a better water polo player in the long run. Exercise your swimming skills, endurance, and speed to ensure you are swifter than your opposing team. Your ball-handling skills will also need some tuning since you are required to have good passes, shoots, and dribbles. It is a good way to improve your skills as well as help your team work better together.

Team work

Water polo is a team sport, and learning how to work together is mandatory. You will need to formulate strategies for offense and defense with your team. It is crucial to learn how to communicate well with your team members during a match. A well-coordinated team stands a better chance of winning than a disorganized one. All the team members must build endurance and strength since water Polo requires much of your energy to be pro at it. The workouts must be conducted in the water and outside as well. You should also emphasize the need for safety in the water by all the members.

Fitness Training

A lot of sports are physically demanding, and water polo is no exception. It requires a lot of strength, especially at your core and lower body. This strength will help you have better endurance and increase your agility in the water. Long periods of swimming require a lot of energy and strength. As you focus more on training, ensure your diet is per the strength required in training. Failure to have a balanced diet and stay hydrated can reduce your productivity as much as you are training.

Attend Practices

It is important to attend all assigned practices by your team or club. The coaches will teach you the important things that are required of you during the matches, and they can assess your progress over time and give important feedback. They can highlight areas that you are supposed to emphasize, and this helps you grow in skill as a water polo player. Attending practices is crucial because you won’t fail your team at the main events because you learned a new skill that could grant you the win. This would also show that you are in line with the team’s winning and improving their performance goals and objectives.

Water Polo is one of the games that highly enhance social skills, independence, and self-esteem as it does not discriminate against even the physically challenged, or amateur players. Even though it can be very physical, it acts as a fitness activity that requires high coordination as you are required to swim and play at the same time. Remember that it takes time and effort to master, just like any other sport, so you are not getting it from the start. but getting started will require you to practice more on swimming. You must be a swimmer and be able to take the necessary safety measures when playing in the water.