Jan. 14, 2014
By Greg Mescall
It was only a few years ago that the Virginia Military Institute added women's water polo to the collegiate game while Ball Under Water Polo helped bolster the age-group ranks of the Northeast Zone.
In the interim, Master's water polo clubs from Baltimore down to Georgia have banded together to offer a competition opportunity for the veteran water polo player—the South Atlantic League.
Formed last March the league consists of a North and Central Division that competed in two weekends of divisional play before meeting for the championship in Greensboro, NC. When all was said and done, Dynamo, an established team from Atlanta took first place, the Charlotte Sharks finished second, and the Washington Wetskins grabbed third.
While the Triangle Team from North Carolina didn't finish among the top teams, its president Scott Ennis is happy to see the league up and running. A former collegiate water polo player at North Carolina State, Ennis has been instrumental not only in running his own club but also getting the league started by being in charge of the Central Division.
Along with Triangle, the Central Division consists of Triad, Charlotte, and Dynamo. Ennis coordinates with Heather Walenga, another former collegiate water polo player and head of the Washington Wetskins. Walenga, who played at George Washington University, leads the Northern Division, which includes the Wetskins, Richmond, Baltimore, and Hampton Roads.
Together the two divisions have been key in offering an outlet and organized competition for these clubs where the status quo was generally a host of annual tournaments. While the teams still compete in those tournaments, it helps some clubs maintain their athletes' interest by offering more consistent playing opportunities.
"Everybody seems excited," said Ennis, "I did a conference call (recently) and we had 12-14 people on the phone, which speaks to the interest of each club. Now we just need a mission statement."
With one season of the South Atlantic League in the books, Ennis looks toward 2014 hoping to make things even bigger. "We are trying to figure out different options for the championship tournament, and we are trying to get as many teams in the league as possible, maybe 12 to 16 teams," said Ennis. "We are looking at adding something else, perhaps inviting international teams, including women's teams (the league is currently co-ed), or bringing in youth teams to compete."
While Ennis works in an area that can at times be starved for competition save for a handful of tournaments, the teams in the Baltimore, Washington D.C., Northern Virginia areas often have many opportunities to play in tournaments. Walenga notes that while the tourney her Wetskins runs doesn't struggle to fill each year, it's important for area clubs' growth to offer more playing opportunities—competitive ones, at that.
"My team doesn't always get the opportunity to play in some more challenging tournaments, they are always looking for a more competitive avenue," she added.
Many among the league were pitched to join on the premise of improving the quality of water polo on the east coast, something Walenga noticed early on. "The first year there is always the learning curve, and then it gets better from there," she said. "I know my team definitely appreciated a competitive line of play, and it was nice to be able to have more official refereeing."
International referees such as Humberto Navarro, Alex Stankevitch, and Val Valsilchikov worked the championship tournament in 2013, which speaks to the league's high level of action.
Walenga hopes the league will keep more teams interested for longer: "The fact that we have five working teams in the DC area is amazing. There have always been only three teams, and they struggled for players."
Marcio Soza is the head coach of one of those growing clubs, Hampton Roads. It finds itself south of the DC quintet but somewhat north of the Carolina group. Regardless the league has helped his club. "The league provides players in our area with a clear goal for them to have which increases their commitment to our club and to the sport," he said. "It has helped us recruit some athletes and retain players as well."
Soza, who hopes to increase his membership from 25 to between 50 to 75 athletes, also hopes his club can help jump start age-group and high school water polo in the area.
Plans are currently underway for the 2014 edition of the South Atlantic League. The divisional dates are set for February 8 and April 6, when each of the divisions will play each other. The championship will follow on June 14. Still, important details need ironing out. As Ennis mentioned the league is still looking into tweaking the championship format while some clubs are hoping for even more playing opportunities beyond the three weekends. Walenga noted the hope to add clubs from New York and Connecticut while Ennis cited the work of USA Water Polo's Nick Gaffey in bringing Florida clubs into the fold.
Regardless the South Atlantic League is a step in the right direction for Master's water polo on the east coast, and if organizers succeed in their mission, it could end up being a pivotal step in establishing a high-quality league throughout the eastern seaboard. If you are involved with a masters program on the east coast and would like to get involved with the South Atlantic League, contact Scott Ennis at Scott.Ennis@sacwaterpolo.com.
This article orginally appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of SkipShot magazine
Dynamo Water Polo celebrates their 2013 South Atlantic League title
