Huntington Beach, CA - November 7 - Some areas of the country go through a rigorous process to qualify for the Speedo Cup. It can involve weekend long tournaments matching up with some of the top teams in the area just for a shot at one or two berths to the big event. In other parts of the country sometimes it's a just little easier for clubs to qualify, as was the case for the Houston Storm of Houston, Texas.
With water polo at the middle school age level still very much in a growing stage in Texas and the Southwest Zone in general, there wasn't a great deal of competition for the Storm and they were able to claim the entry spot to the Speedo Cup. While they may not have had to face a gauntlet of teams to earn entry they are no less excited about their first trip to the Speedo Cup, set for November 14-16 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Formed in 2008 the Houston Storm also known as North Houston Water Polo are based out of the brand new Conroe ISD Natatorium. They draw players from The Woodlands, Oak Ridge, Tomball and Atascocita areas and in just a short period of time have grown to 75 athletes.
The squad headed to Ann Arbor is largely compromised of 13 year olds so the team hopes this is a building block for competition next year as well. That said much of the group does have prior experience in the Junior Olympics under the direction of coach Mitch Halquist. "We expect that this will be a great learning experience for the athletes who will have an opportunity to compete against top notch teams from around the country. Everyone knows that Speedo Cup is a very competitive event, so we are looking to use every game as an opportunity to get better," said Halquist.
With any club heading to Speedo Cup half the fun is playing the water polo while the other half might just be the experience of a legitimate road trip. This is not lost on the parents and athletes of the Houston Storm as Halquist notes, "The athletes and families are looking forward to soaking in the atmosphere that surrounds the USA Water Polo National events, maybe we will get lucky and see some snow as well," he added.
This is the first USA Water Polo National Championship for the Houston Storm but they don't plan it on being their last. The team has hopes of bringing a girls team next year and of competing in other tourneys throughout the year. For 2009 the Storm will rely on some veterans that have been to JOs in the past with other clubs such as Daniel LaVerne and Cole Pollina to guide them. Even with that mix, anybody is capable of leading this squad to victory.
Texas will get a good dose of California on the first day of action as the Houston Storm will tangle with San Diego and Long Beach respectively on their first day of action. No matter the finish in these matches or at the end of the tourney this new club knows they are building on a future. One that sees the Speedo Cup as an annual event and creates hype that continues to keep their club growing. The 2009 Speedo Cup in Ann Arbor, Michigan is not a bad start.
