Polominos program becoming a great building block

Justin Seward
Times Reporter

 

Strathmore Polominos water polo club is nearing the end of their first season, which proved to be a year of development and progression for players, while giving others the chance to move on and compete with provincial level teams.
“We’re growing as a club, which is great,” said coach Brooke Zimmerman.
“The more games we’ve played, the more they’re enjoying and the more they’re improving. They come motivated to practice to learn new skills, new tactics so they can do well in our city games that we play on Sunday nights and as well the teams they’re playing for provincially league wise.”
She mentioned that many players have grasped the water polo basics such as man-to-man coverage, knowing where the ball is at all times, looking at the net to see where the goalie is and making good passes.
However, there are some players who have stepped it up to more advanced skills including spinning their defenders, shooting from the hole, setting up in the hole and checking from the hole.
On the provincial team front, the club saw members Payton Jensen, Reanna Thiessen and Julianna Hill bring home the bronze medal with the Calgary Mako 14U girls team during the John Csikos Alberta Open from March 17-20 at the Talisman Centre, and silver at the Alberta Provincial Winter League Finals in Edmonton on April 2 and 3.
Greyden Smith captured silver with both the Calgary Seawolves Silver 12U boys at the John Csikos Alberta Open and the Seawolves Grey at the winter league provincials, while Ethan Merrold won bronze with the Calgary Destroyers at the winter league provincials as well.
Zimmerman said this was a great opportunity for those players to play with or against experienced players and get different coaching tactics.
“The more feedback they get from their fellow teammates and different coaches, the more experience they’re going to get, which means they’re going to learn more skills, which is a huge bonus for them,” said Zimmerman.
“The fact they’re playing with girls that have been playing for a good six years already. It helps them to get perspective as to where they’re at and where they could be, which is huge motivation for them.”
Merrold, Jensen, Thiessen and Hill have all qualified for the Western Nationals in Surrey, B.C. from April 29 to May 1.