Huntington Beach, CA - December 20 - USA Water Polo and Mikasa, the Official Ball of USA Water Polo, are pleased to announce the completion of a project over a year in the making. Beginning January 2011, and effective for the 2011 National Championship season, a new ball size program will be introduced for USA Water Polo. This program includes a simplified numbering system for ball sizes that will ultimately replace all other name designations. As we transition to this new system of 1 through 5 numbering, we will continue to use some of the previous designations as we work through inventory of the older models.
You will notice this program also introduces a new ball size. The new ball size, called Intermediate Size 3 fills in a gap and completes the progression of ball sizes. With this introduce introduction there will now be five ball sizes:
Size 1: Splashball
Size 2: Junior
Size 3: Intermediate *NEW*
Size 4: Compact (previously Women's)
Size 5; Men's (also called Official)
Mikasa has put together a visual guide of "What ball size is right for me" that illustrates the sizes, age groups, and current designations for which each will be used. That guide is available at our website and can be found by clicking here.
The new Intermediate Size 3 provides a logical transition from the red, Junior Ball (size 2) to the Compact (size 4). It was designed and engineered volumetrically to provide smooth transition to the Size 4 ball, improve skill development, and increase quality of play. This new size has been piloted at our recent Southern California ODP Regional Championships and the USA Water Polo Holiday Camp with great results and positive reaction from both players and coaches.
"For some of those specific skills, even just passing, faking, or shooting, learning how to do those things with a ball that is an appropriate size to the hand will help athletes in the long run be better overall water polo players. When they transition to the bigger ball, the skill has been learned properly so the size of the ball will be irrelevant," said Kim Everist, ODP Girls Technical Director.
"I like it, it's growing on me more now, it's easier to shoot," said Paige Virgil a ninth grade athlete from the Southern Pacific Zone.
"With the ball, the athletes are able to focus on their fundamentals and not be concerned with whether or not they can pick up a ball. They can concentrate and apply the skill set needed to play our system of play," said Kyle Kopp, Olympian and Head Coach of the Women's Youth National Team.
"It's going to create positive habits for them moving forward, unlike maybe the larger ball creating negative habits. Once they get to the collegiate age and certainly national team age it is very hard to try and change those habits that are formed at a very young age," added Adam Krikorian, Women's Senior National Team Head Coach.
As mentioned previously, this new size designation will apply to our 2011 National Championship events and will be outlined in the 2011 Conduct of Championships, also found on www.usawaterpolo.org on the Rules and ethics tab.
