Park City Water Polo is recruiting kids 10 and up. Practices for its programs start Tuesday and youth can join in for free to try it out.
Head girls coach and assistant boys coach Heather Flynn said there are 10U, 12U and 14U youth programs for boys and girls. A high school program is available for eighth to twelfth graders.
“We welcome all new players of all levels of experience. We prefer that they know how to swim,” Flynn laughed. “That is helpful, but especially the young ones, they can kind of learn as they go.”
The first week is free. High school practices begin Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 3 p.m. at the Park City Aquatic Center by Ecker Hill Middle School. Practices for youth programs start Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the same pool.
If kids want to continue with the sport, registration for the high school team is $350 for the season and for youth it’s $300. Flynn said scholarships are available for all programs.
Park City High School sophomore Gavin Ziesler is on the water polo team. He used to play football but liked the community better on the water polo team and made the switch.
Ziesler said the sport has taught him to be a team player. For example, he was challenged at a Junior Olympics event in California this summer.
“I was playing really well and scoring a lot, but I got subbed out, and my coach said to me, ‘I know you're scoring a lot, but we need you to play better defense,’’’ he said. “So then I stepped up to that and we were able to tie the game but lost in the buzzer beater, which was very unfortunate, but I was very happy with myself that I was able to adjust and be able to play to what the team needed.”
High school-level students play for Park City High School in the fall and play as a club team in the spring.
Games for the high school team start this September.
