Application period opens in April and closes early August after the Junior Olympics tournament. There are no exceptions or extensions to the application period.

For those that have applied, there is a secondary transcript deadline that falls in late September.

2024-2025 Application deadline: Friday, August 15th, 2025

2024-2025 Transcript deadline: Friday, September 19th, 2025

1. Must have completed the 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade during Spring of current year
2. Be a current USA Water Polo athlete member (gold) for the current membership season
3.* Competed in a USA Water Polo National Event or National Event Qualifier*
4.Must have a 3.50 grade point average on a 4.00 scale (unweighted) for entire academic year (fall-spring) - we do not round up to a 3.5 or a 4.0 rather only accept a 3.50 or higher.
5. Weighted GPA is calculated on a 5 point scale. Weighted v. non weighted is determined based on what the transcript key states.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING...
- AP courses are weighted.
- Honors courses are only weighted IF the transcript states.
- IB courses are not weighted.
- Additional advanced placement courses will only be weighted if the transcript states weighted in the key.
6. GPA is calculated using the following academic subjects: History, English, Mathematics, Laboratory Science, Foreign Language, and Computer Science
7. We do not accept Fine Arts, Electives, Health, Physical Education or Sport ex. (Music, Journalism, Photography, Culinary Arts, Drivers Education, etc.)
8. We do not accept any College courses or credits.
9. Application and fee of $45 MUST be completed online by deadline listed above
10. Incomplete or Late Applications will not be reviewed and/or accepted

*The 2024-2025 application, the program will be extended to accommodate ALL GOLD members (coach/referee accepted) who meet the other criteria, regardless of specific event participation.

1.) Completed application - Application and fee due by deadline
>Online application available.
To Apply:
>Login to your membership account
> Scroll down and select the "Academic All-American" tab then "Add Academic All-American".

Click Here (PDF: How To Submit an Application Through our New USAWP Site)

2.) Participate in a National Event

2024-2025 Qualified National Events Include*:

2024 Junior Olympics
2025 Junior Olympics Qualifier
2025 ODP National Championships

*For the 2024-2025 application, the program will be extended to accommodate ALL GOLD members who meet the other criteria, regardless of specific event participation.

We require an Official Transcript from the school with the official school seal for the entire academic school year (fall-spring). Transcripts must be POSTMARKED BY transcript deadline, this is different from the application deadline. This must be mailed in a sealed envelope or sent directly from the school's online transcript system, if applicable (ex: Parchment). Online transcript systems should use the following email address for submission: AAA@usawaterpolo.org. Faxes,emailed, opened envelopes, or forwarded email transcripts WILL NOT be accepted. To be considered "official" mailed transcripts must remain sealed as issued by the school. Send these documents directly USA Water Polo as-is; please do not open the envelope as this will void the transcripts. Application and fee MUST be completed prior to application deadline to qualify for this extended transcript deadline. You can log on to your Membership Account to check the status of your application.

Please note: Due to such a high volume of transcripts ober the summer, we may not be able to verify if we have received your official documents. Please contact your school first to see if the transcript was sent before reaching out to USA Water Polo. If you send your transcipt via mail, please ensure that it DOES NOT require signature as we are not at the office during normal business hours.

Mail to:

USA Water Polo, Inc.
Attn: AAA
6 Morgan, Suite #150
Irvine, CA 92618
Email: AAA@usawaterpolo.org

There is a non-refundable application fee of $45 due upon application submission online. Applications are not complete until fee and transcript have been received.

Official award notification will be sent out in September. As transcripts are received and processed, members may login to his/her online membership account to see the status. There will be a notification in the "Academic All-American" tab of the member's profile indicating qualification status. Please note summer is a very busy month, so while the transcript may have been received, it may not be processed right away. Please allow additional time for us to process the transcripts. As noted above, to guarantee delivery of your transcript, we recommend you send it certified mail, following additional requirements listed above. Click Here (PDF: How To Submit an Application Through our USAWP Site)

2023-24
2022-23
2021-22
2020-21
2019-20
2018-19
2017-18
2016-17
2015-16
2014-15
2013-14
2012-13
2011-12
2010-11
2009-10
2008-09
2007-08

Established in 2010, these annual awards have each been named in honor of a person or persons who have made an extraordinary contribution to the sport of water polo. Winners are chosen through a zone nomination process and then reviewed by a national selection panel.

The USA Water Polo Chairman's Cup for Male Championships, for Female Championships and for Overall Championships shall be awarded each calendar year determined by points earned by clubs in Championships during that calendar year; provided that: (a) no points shall be awarded for placements in the: (i) Female 10 and under, (ii) mixed gender 10 and under divisions of the National Junior Olympics and (iii) Women's U.S. Open of Water Polo and (b) if a Championship is played twice in the same calendar year (e.g., January and December), the points earned in the Championship played the earliest in the year shall be used to determine the USA Water Polo Chairman's Cup awards in that year and the points earned in the Championship latest in the year shall be used to determine the USA Water Polo Chairman's Cup awards in the following year. In cases where water polo clubs are tied, co-champions shall be declared.

USAWP Chairman's Cup Rankings | USAWP Boy's Club Rankings | USAWP Girl's Club Rankings

The Legacy Award recognizes a sustained commitment to the advancement of water polo and service to its constituents, leadership and inspiration within the community, embodiment of the values of fair and safe play, and paying it forward through generosity and selflessness.

2018 Inaugural Legacy Award Recipients:
Maureen O'Toole Purcell
Doug Peabody

H2Oldies 70+ Masters Team
Dennis Belli, Dick Douglas, Dan Drown, Mike Garibaldi, Steve Hoberg, Don Laster, Bill Leach, Bob Likins, Chick McIlroy, Bob Owens, George Stransky

More information coming soon.

Monte Nitzkowski is synonymous with men's water polo in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s serving as head coach of Men's Olympic Team in 1972, 1980, and 1984, leading Team USA to a bronze medal in 1972 and a silver medal in 1984. Nitzkowski also served as an assistant coach with the 1968 and 2000 Men's Olympic Team. Sandy Nitta is a pioneer for women's water polo. An Olympic swimmer as a teenager, Nitta segued to water polo and held the post as head coach of the Women's National Team during large parts of the 80s and 90s---leading Team USA to bronze medals at the 1986 and 1991 World Championships. She was also instrumental in the creation of Commerce Aquatics, a groundbreaking program.

Bill Barnett, an outstanding high school coach at Newport Harbor High School, with 10 CIF boys championships and five girls championships, initiated and coached the first USA Men's Junior National Team, then picked up where Nitzkowski left off in the 1980s, guiding the men's program to a silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games and a gold medal at the 1991 World Cup. Meanwhile "Doc" Hunkler, three-times named National Collegiate Coach of the Year, was a visionary for women's water polo who fought to have a true national women's collegiate championship and helped guide the programs at Slippery Rock University to unprecedented heights spanning three decades, including ten top-three finishes and a national women's collegiate championship in 1995. Hunkler also holds the distinction as the only coach to win both a men's and women's Olympic Festival Gold Medal.

Few have groomed more men for Olympic competition than Ted Newland. Entering the coaching scene in the late 1960s Newland turned the University of California-Irvine into a tenacious competitor, earning three NCAA titles as he coached well into the new millennium. Called by some the ""godfather"" of high school water polo in Northern California, Brent Bohlender's Women's Junior National Teams captured two bronze medals from 1984 to 1999; Bohlender amassed over 1,000 career victories on the scholastic circuit in his time at Johansen High School. Lastly, on the club circuit, Bohlender's Modesto-Stanislaus club won 18 National Championships over 34 years.

Bret Bernard, Tom Hermstad, and Aaron Chaney took US officiating to unparalleled heights during their time in the whites. As a past president of USA Water Polo, Bernard also whistled the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and was the preeminent collegiate official for many years. Hermstad was a fixture at several Olympic Games whistling the 1972, 1976, 1984, and 1988 Olympic Games in addition to four World Championships and has worked tirelessly on behalf of water polo officials, helping to form the USA Water Polo National Referee Committee. Last but not least, Chaney capped an outstanding officiating career serving as the United States referee at the most recent Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 as well as 2004 in Athens.

Long-time manager of the Men's National Team and holder of various offices since the incorporation of USA Water Polo, Barbara Kalbus gave back to the sport for decades, providing critical history for the USA Water Polo program and overseeing the official scoring table at various competitions in addition to numerous other roles. Current Masters Committee Chair Bryan Weaver works tirelessly for more playing opportunities while also piloting the boy's team at Brentwood High School.

Andy Burke and George Ratkovic fittingly serve as the namesake for the Zone Service Award; few have represented regional water polo with more dedication and compassion. Ratkovic, stalwart of Southern California and longtime Southern Pacific Zone chair oversaw unprecedented growth in his zone. Burke, a beacon of Northern California's famed Olympic Club, has remained active in USA Water Polo Premier League and the National Tryout Series; he also served as the team manager at the 1964 Olympic Games.