How To Coach College Water Polo

If you have recently come into a spot coaching college water polo, you need to know some pointers on how to coach college water polo! The ideas are not intended as a complete guide to what you need to coach water polo, but just some tips you should be sure to cover before jumping into the wonderful world of college water polo.

1. Know about college water polo before you begin coaching. Chances are that if you were picked to coach a college water polo team, you probably know something about the sport. The basics are pretty simple. There are usually twelve people on a college team. Seven people are in the water per team at any time. Six of the players are field players and the other one is the goalie. The object is to get the ball into the other team's goal. You can only hold the ball with one hand—it is a turnover if you grip the ball with both hands. There is a two and four meter line in front of the goals; the four meter line is used for foul shots and the two meter line can only be crossed by the defense and the offensive player with the ball.
2. Know how to train your players. The exercises should focus heavily on arm and leg strength. The best exercise for water polo is doing laps in the pool because the activity will up their endurance and get them used to the limitations of water. There is no better training for water polo than swimming laps in a pool, but you should include some running outside the water and some weight training.
3. Develop plays with your team. This is something only you and your team can come up with. Your first plays probably won’t be the best, but you will eventually learn how your water polo team operates!