Irvine, CA & Gainesville, FL – September 30, 2025 – USA Water Polo, the National Governing Body for the sport in the United State of America and the Florida High School Athletic Association, supervisor of interscholastic athletics in the Sunshine State, are teaming up to help grow water polo at the high school level.
Florida's passionate water polo community has voiced their support of the oldest Olympic team sport in a major way in recent weeks, leaders of both the FHSAA and USA Water Polo concurred.
"The state of Florida is the perfect place for water polo to grow," said USA Water Polo CEO
Jamie Davis. "365 days of pool weather, outstanding aquatic facilities and a stellar group of existing high school programs are the ideal pillars to build upon. We are thrilled to collaborate with the FHSAA and the Florida water polo community to help bring water polo to more high schools throughout the state, increasing exposure to our great game. We know once these new schools try water polo, they'll be hooked on an extremely fun sport that is built on teamwork and camaraderie while also fostering strong swimming skills and water safety."
"The FHSAA is proud to partner with USA Water Polo to strengthen and grow the sport across Florida," said FHSAA Executive Director Craig Damon. "This collaboration represents our shared commitment to creating new opportunities for student-athletes while supporting the growth of a sport that fosters teamwork, discipline, and excellence across our great state."
The state of Florida is already no stranger to excellence in water polo as high school programs have sent countless athletes on to the collegiate ranks, National Team competitions and international play. USA Water Polo club teams hailing from Florida are also regular participants at all national competitions and routinely earn medals including the most recent Junior Olympics that saw Gladiators WP and Orlando Thunder on the podium.
There's no better example than Miami native and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Ashleigh Johnson. Before she became the best goalkeeper on earth, her water polo journey started in Florida at Ransom Everglades in Miami.
"Without high school water polo I never would have accomplished some of my biggest dreams," said Johnson. "The foundation for winning two Olympic Gold Medals with Team USA and playing for Princeton University was built because of my high school water polo experience at Ransom Everglades. I'm thrilled to see the FHSAA and USA Water Polo working together not just to save high school water polo in Florida but to make it grow!"
For more information on high school water polo in Florida, click here. The 2025 season saw Westminster claim the boys state championship and Gulliver Prep earn the girls state championship. The 2026 Championship will be held in April next year.
About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc., is the national governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic program as well as 20 championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters National Championships. With more than 50,000 members, USAWP also is the sanctioning authority for more than 500 member clubs and more than 400 tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport throughout the U.S., fostering grass-roots expansion while providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches, and officials. For more information, visit
www.usawaterpolo.org.
About FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association supervises and regulates interscholastic athletic programs for high school students at member public, private and charter schools. The organization also recognizes and honors academic achievement among student-athletes at over 850 middle, junior and senior high schools statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, it is the official governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida.
