May 15, 2014
By James Smith - Totalwaterpolo.com
The record for most goals scored in a single NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship Tournament match is nine. In 1972, UC Santa Barbara's Greg Carey did so against Yale in an opening-round contest. Four years later, Blake Hinman hoisted the same number in his initial game.
For which sun-baked Golden State squad did Hinman play? National champions Stanford? Defending title-holders Cal?
Try Texas A&M University. Gig 'em!
In two glorious years, 1976 and 1978, the Aggies compiled a 2-4 record as Texas' first and only representative at the NCAA Championship Tournament. And though Hinman and many of his talented squadmates were California imports, plenty of others arrived via Texas clubs and high schools.
Thirty-six years have passed since the legendary, late Dennis Fosdick led that squad to its pinnacle. And beyond the state borders its mark was lightly left. But within, it's difficult find someone in the community who wasn't somehow touched by "Foz" or the Aggies. The sport is finding fertile ground for growth here in the Lone Star State, and much credit can be given to those who emerged from that unlikely College Station program.
I am writing this letter to offer my support for the UIL's consideration of water polo as an official high school sport in the great state of Texas. I am also offering you the support of USA Water Polo, our sport's governing body by U.S. Olympic Committee charter, in virtually any area you and your colleagues believe that we may be of service…
- Christopher Ramsey, Chief Executive Officer, USA Water Polo, Inc. to UIL Assistant AD Traci Neely
Fosdick is credited with boosting high school water polo in the state by launching its first championships. In 1972 the A&M Consolidated boys and the Clear Lake girls (24 years before California's first sanctioned girls' event) won the first state titles. Since then the Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (TISCA) has managed the annual title tournament, with a few interesting exceptions. But now the UIL is making positive noises about sanctioning the sport, potentially adding it to the 13 already under its purview.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) "has grown into the largest inter-school organization of its kind in the world," according to its own website. Its oversight includes high school football championships in this pigskin-crazy state. Last season more than 50,000 fans attended those games held at the Dallas Cowboys' billion-dollar stadium (California's high school football championships hosted fewer than 20k).
A UIL stamp of approval would alter the scene markedly, not only providing water polo more legitimacy, but also codifying the payment of high school coaches now often compensated via booster clubs or, in some cases, not at all.
USA Water Polo participation is growing significantly in Texas: In 2013 USAWP ended the year with 940 members in the Southwest zone—920 of those members reside in Texas. The zone continues to show growth at the local club level...
- Ramsey letter
"Significant" growth of amateur club membership is a positive measure of the sport's health, obviously. More importantly the UIL is being presented, I'm told, with rosy growth figures for high school teams. Just three years ago the total number in the state hovered around 90. This season, which loosely began at the end of February, that figure has risen to more than 100 with new teams often emerging out of the blue. A boys' team from McAllen, 20 minutes from the Mexican border, entered its first tournament just last week.
Unheard of in well-developed markets such as California. Here, such spontaneity is encouraged with a nearly blindered interest in growth. If you can cobble together seven high schoolers with a vague ability to swim, you got yourself a high school team. An exaggeration? Maybe, but not by much.
That freewheeling attitude is most strongly encouraged in TISCA's West Region. Draw a line northward from McAllen, not far from the southernmost tail of the state, through San Antonio, Austin, and up to Waco (a mere 400 miles). Every high school along that corridor and in the cosmically vast area toward New Mexico is theoretically included.
During the 1980s, teams from San Antonio, formerly the regional power, dominated the state championships. The Alamo-area high schools, save one, dropped out of TISCA competition altogether at the end of the 2012 season, disheartened by declining success at state championships.
The power vacated by San Antonio leadership has now shifted to Austin-area coaches (myself included, full disclosure). Rules that had made it difficult for new teams outside of San Antonio to participate have been dropped. Coed and consolidated teams are encouraged. Even club teams can compete until the regional championships, when only single-school and -gender squads can qualify for the states. With four automatic bids to the finals at stake, enthusiasm has been high, growth has been steady if unspectacular, and quality is understandably low.
Not so in Houston. That area alone boasts two of the four TISCA regions: East and South. Teams from there have won every girls' state championship since the late 80s, and all but one boys' title. Its squads face few obstacles this spring toward earning another title.
The exception being Dallas' St. Mark's School, 2009 boys' state champions [see Mescall]. Their prep program is headed by Romanian import Mihai Oprea, who has helped elevate the quality of training in the area with his strict focus on European technique. They also recently added former U.S. Men's National Team member Spencer Dornin to the coaching roster. The Lions are anchored by Senior Timothy Simenc, a talented lefty who trains with California powerhouse club Lamorinda during the summers. Their coach, Trent Calder, says the Dallas youngster, who may surpass former Ross Sterling and USC standout Zayne Belal as Texas' finest export, is already being strongly recruited by the best Division I schools.
Dallas is also home to the godfather of water polo in Texas, Joe Linehan. He and colleague Chris Cullen, also TISCA Water Polo Board Chair, not only feed talent in to the Dallas interscholastic scene via North Texas Thunder, but also are deeply involved in persuading the UIL to sanction the game. A decision on the matter may come as early as November of this year.
With that energy, a laser-point focus on growth, improved coaching, and the lure of official UIL sponsorship, the future appears promising for water polo in Texas.
This article appeared in the Spring 2014 issue of SkipShot magazine
