2009 OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
“ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE”
Coastal California Zone
OVERVIEW
USA Water Polo operates the Olympic Development Program Championships to identify the best water polo players in both the junior age group (18 & Under, born 1991-92) and the youth age group (16 & Under, born in 1993 or later). The championships are offered to both men and women, or four (4) separate events.
The process not only decides who has the best zone team, but more importantly provides a way for USA Water Polo to select players for the National Teams. Coaches observe the players at the National Zone Championships and select the National training team based on each player’s performance.
THE PROCESS
There are 11 USA Water Polo zones that participate in this process. Each zone supplies a team comprised of its best players. This year the 12th zone team will be made up of athletes from the Coastal, Southern Pacific and Pacific Southwest Zones. If some zones do not send full squads, other zones may also supply additional players. In all 12 teams compete in the championship tournament, held over Memorial Day weekend in the following locations:
ODP Championships
All four 2009 ODP Championships will be held on May 22-25.
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Category |
Zone |
Location
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• Males Born in 1991-92 (Junior) |
Southern Pacific |
J. Serra High School, Capistrano |
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• Females Born in 1991-92 (Junior) |
Central California |
UC Davis |
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• Males Born in 1993-94 (Youth) |
Southern Pacific |
Capo Valley High School |
|
• Females Born in 1993-94 (Youth) |
Mountain |
Kearns, Utah |
This year our zone (Coastal California Zone) will field one team for each age group and gender. Athletes interested in earning a spot will attend a two-day tryout/clinic as follows:
2009 Coastal California Zone Team Tryout/Clinics
Category |
Dates |
Locations |
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| Men's Cadet | TBD | TBD |
| Women's Cadet | May 9, 9am-4pm | TBD |
**If you are attending the Junior Men’s tryout at LA Valley College you must park in Parking Lot E which is accessible off of Ethel Ave., directly across from the pool.**
These two-day events are both tryouts and clinics. The athletes will be asked to perform a variety of assessment drills in swimming and water polo skills as well as play in scrimmages. The coaches will work with the athletes and provide feedback as the weekend progresses.
At the end of the weekend the coaches will select a Zone Training Team. This team will then practice and train (Phase I), from which coaches will select 12 field players and 2 goalkeepers, a final squad of 14 for the ODP Championships. The ODP Championship selections will then travel to their respective venue for their ODP Championship. This year up to four or more athletes in addition to the 14 already mentioned will also be selected to go to their respective ODP Championship on a team made up of athletes from the Coastal, Southern Pacific and Pacific Southwest Zones.
Participants in the ODP Championships are the pool of athletes from which the United Sates National Junior and National Youth Training Teams will be selected.
On completion of the ODP Championships, Phase I ends and athletes born:
1991 NOT selected to the National Training Team will phase out of the Olympic Development Program based on age.
1992-1994, continue to ODP Phase II whether selected to their 2009 Zone ODP Championship team or not, becoming the Zone Junior Training Team following the 2009 ODP Championships.
1995-Later, begin their participation in ODP with Phase II, becoming the Zone Youth Training team. (Tryouts for these athletes will be announced at a later date.)
WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE
This process is highly competitive, for athletes dedicated to reaching the highest level in water polo. That said, athletes should talk with their coaches to see if it makes sense to try out. Athletes benefit from the tryout/clinic process whether finally selected to the zone team or not.
ATHLETE REQUIREMENTS
All athletes must complete all paperwork and payment before tryouts. This can be completed online to simplify and speed entry to the program. If you wish to register at the tryout site, you may do so by paying $25 for special handling and processing.
Requirements
Things to bring to the tryout:
COACHES
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JUNIOR TEAM STAFF |
YOUTH TEAM STAFF |
CADET TEAM STAFF |
|
WOMEN |
Head Coach: Danielle Altman
Assistant: John Reichardt, Team Leader: Andy Walsh |
Head Coach: Anthony Vela, Assistant: Todd Jacobsen |
Coach: Anthony Vela, COACH: Adam Roth
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|
MEN |
Head Coach: Dusty Litvak, Assistant: German
Lopez, Team Leader: Stephen
Lang, |
Head Coach: Rich
Griguoli, Assistant: Albert Garcia, Team Leader: Bobby
Contreras, |
Coach: TBD Coach: TBD |
PROGRAM FEES
Payments for Phase I and II may be made in $200 installments.
Cost by Age Group
A valuable part of the experience is immersion in the Championship environment. Parents and supporters are welcome to attend the Championships, but players must travel and lodge as a team, under direct supervision of assigned team staff.
The USA Water Polo is committed to making sure every athlete who wishes to make a team can participate. We offer the Coastal California Zone scholarship program. We have allotted scholarship funds to support our athletes with initial ODP tryouts. Scholarship awards are made based on need. Applicants must submit a copy of the page 1 of their 2008 tax return as well as indicate how many people are in the household. The application process is confidential. Full and partial scholarships are available.
For Phase I and Phase II ODP Training, USA Water Polo Olympic Development Department has created and manages a Grant in Aid program for athletes who are unable to afford the training fee program. The Grant in Aid information and application is included in the ODP Handbook and posted on the USA Water Polo website at www.usawaterpolo.org. These funds are to aid in the $400 Phase I and/or $800 Phase II fees.
OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PRINCIPLES
Mission
The mission of USA Water Polo’s Olympic Development Program is to truly nationalize our sport by unifying our system of play and dramatically increasing the number of select athletes in training at age group levels. The program will offer incentives for USAWP athletes, coaches and referees to compete for inclusion and advancement. Once accepted into the Olympic Development Program, athletes, coaches and referees will be taught the American System of Water Polo, with a strong emphasis on fundamentals, and will be in purview for positions through the National Team Pipelines for FINA competition and assignments up to and including the Olympic Games.
Purpose
The purpose of the Olympic Development Program is to serve as the primary feeder system for USA Water Polo’s National Teams. The foundation of the program is a systematic approach to athlete, coach and referee development through a year round training program that focuses on long term development.
Objective
Change from a short term focus on competition to a long term emphasis on improvement through year round training that will increase the development and performance of athletes, coaches and referees.
Goal
An international coach watching an ODP Championships or training would see the teams executing the same system as the Senior National Team.
Introduction
Overseen by former three- time Olympic Coach Guy Baker, one of the most successful coaches in international water polo history, the Olympic Development Program (ODP) is the entry point for USA Water Polo (USAWP) Male and Female Youth National Teams (15/16 & under) and Junior National Teams (17/18 & under). There are 12 ODP Training Zones. Ten of the eleven USAWP Zones remain intact as ODP Training Zones; Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Mountain, Pacific, Central CA, Coastal CA, Southern Pacific and Pacific Southwest. The Pacific Northwest and Hawaii Zone is divided into two ODP Training Zones; Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. The Pacific Northwest and Hawaii Zone is divided for training purposes only; it competes as a Zone at the ODP Championships.
For more information on the United States Water Polo Olympic Development Program please visit – www.usawaterpolo.org and follow the links for the ODP Program.