A perhaps unexpected sport is gaining ground in the USA: water polo. Combining the intensity of basketball, the strategy of soccer, and the endurance of swimming, water polo offers a unique and challenging competitive experience, attracting an ever-growing number of athletes and fans. With its fast-paced gameplay, demanding physicality, and the thrill of teamwork in a high-energy aquatic environment, it’s no wonder that water polo is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
Hitting a record high in participation
For the first time, USA Water Polo, the national governing body for the sport, exceeded 50,000 members in 2019. Though numbers did take a hit during the pandemic—just like in practically every sport—the organization currently maintains 450 clubs nationally, with consistent growth coming at the 10-and-under and 12-and-under levels, both with males and females, explains Ryan Cunnane, chief growth officer for USA Water Polo. “There is an increased interest in the sport, with that curiosity around competitive play leading to new clubs around the country,” he says. “California is where many members are, along with Texas and Florida. But we’re seeing exponential growth in the Midwest, along with an uptick in membership in Pennsylvania and along the East Coast. We’re also seeing a massive uptick in growth in Georgia as well. What’s been great to see is that as these clubs come on board, there’s a better network so teams can find competition closer to home, removing the need for as much travel.”
USA Water Polo pushes several initiatives to encourage that growth to continue. Various programs target youth-aged players nationwide, including Splash Ball, an intro to water polo that uses inflatable goals and easy-to-throw balls to help kids get used to playing the sport before they begin playing competitively. Swim to Score is another program that teaches kids the basics of water safety in an interactive environment where they also learn to swim and play simultaneously. “We modified the rules a few years ago for 10-and-under and 12-and-under, making the course shorter and taking the number of players down so the sport would not be as hard on the swimming side,” Cunnane explains. “Doing so reduces the number of yards kids have to swim and increases their touches of the ball, which is the fun part of the game, while they are building swimming stamina. Our 10-and-under numbers now are twice as large than they were at this point last year.”
Growing up in collegiate play
Those changes are making the sport more enjoyable for the young age groups and leading to more significant retention numbers as the players age. Collegiate water polo around the U.S. has increased as well. According to USA Water Polo, the reinstatement of the sport at some programs in recent years and the announcement of new programs being started are driving some of that growth. That collegiate growth is not only at Division I universities but also at Division III and junior college levels. There has been enough growth that USA Water Polo launched the first National Division III Collegiate Championships for both men and women just a few years ago.
Another foundational aspect of water polo’s rise among collegiate teams is the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA), established in 1991 under the guidance of Dan Sharadin, who still serves as commissioner today. “Dan worked for USA Water Polo and wanted to grow the sport at the varsity level,” says Edward Haas, director of communications for the CWPA. “His efforts were pivotal in establishing varsity teams at major universities, including UCLA, USC, Stanford, and Cal. His vision has borne fruit, as these programs have become powerhouses in the sport, setting the stage for further expansion.”
Today, the CWPA continues working with varsity and collegiate club programs. The nonprofit organization is comprised of 100 varsity teams—approximately 40 men’s teams and 50 women’s teams—as well as approximately 200-plus collegiate club teams. Just like USA Water Polo, the CWPA runs clinics across the country to help grow the sport among youth and keep the collegiate pipeline flowing.
Olympic fame
Yet, perhaps nothing plays as crucial of a role in elevating the profile of water polo as the Olympic Games. The U.S. Women’s National Team has been particularly dominant, winning gold medals in the last three Olympic Games. This success has inspired a new generation of athletes and increased visibility for the sport. “During Olympic years, every sport gets attention, and water polo is no exception,” Haas explains. “The exposure from the Paris Olympics is expected to boost interest and participation further.”
In the lead-up to the Paris Olympic Games, USA Water Polo hosts numerous water polo teams worldwide to play in exhibition matches against the USA National Teams. “We’ve had over 15 games over the last two months between the men’s and women’s teams,” says Cunnane. “The goal is to allow people to see the teams before the Olympics, many of whom came through the club system before making the national team. That in itself is inspiring to many athletes.”
As water polo rides the wave of popularity, its growth presents exciting opportunities for communities interested in hosting the sport—and several events are to be hosted. The CWPA manages championships on the collegiate club level, rotating the events around the country, the two most significant events being the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship and the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship. Each event draws 16 teams from around the country, with the men’s typically hosted in November and the women’s in May. USA Water Polo sanctions close to 700 tournaments each year hosted through their clubs while running the National Junior Olympics, typically hosted through three different sessions each July. “Collectively, it’s more than 1,000 teams and more than 15,000 athletes,” Cunnane explains. “Approximately 4,000 games are played across the three sessions, and it all occurs in about 12 days.”
Though there are a number of hosting opportunities, water polo events do present unique challenges, primarily due to the need for specialized aquatic facilities. However, the specific needs of various organizations change. The CWPA typically needs an all-deep pool to create an unfair advantage for athletes or teams. USA Water Polo seeks out destinations with many pools, though it’s no problem if the city doesn’t have an existing water polo presence. “We can bring in the staff and the equipment,” Cunnane says. “We just need the CVB or DMO to help us get as many pools as possible, and we can build the event around those pools. We’re all for taking events to places that don’t have water polo yet. The way we look at it is we can help bring water polo to a city or state in the country by hosting our events there and giving it more exposure.”
