Swim England launch exciting water polo initiative to drive development of talent
An exciting new water polo initiative which aims to improve the performance of England and Great Britain sides in international competition, has been launched by Swim England.
The first goal is to improve the frequency of high-quality training and coaching that is available to the younger talent of water polo players.
The Swim England Water Polo Talent Centre initiative will offer elite coaching to players born from 2007 to 2010, and those selected will receive weekly or fortnightly coaching from a team of experienced international coaches.
Talent centres will follow an agreed national syllabus which is designed to equip players with everything they need to thrive on the international stage.
The first four talent centres will be located in Bolton, Hucknall, Croydon and Bristol, with open trials to be held in January 2023.
All will aspire to offer 10 weekly sessions per school term. However, Bolton and Hucknall will begin by offering five fortnightly sessions per school term.
South Centre - Bristol
Hengrove Park Leisure Centre, Hengrove Promenade, Bristol, BS14 0DE.
This centre will train weekly on Sunday afternoons. Each term will consist of 2 x 10 week blocks between January and July 2023.
U14 and U16 trials: Sunday 8 January – Register at 13:00, meeting in café at 13:15, land session 13:30-14:00, pool session 14:00-15:30
Bristol Talent Centre Fees
£390 paid as £65 per month by standing order January – June 2023 (inclusive)
For this fee all players will receive:
- Starter kit pack including branded costume / trunks as well as a branded t-shirt
- 20 water polo sessions, January – July, by paid internationally experienced coaches
- Access to sports science and sports medicine education
- Attendance at Talent Games (see below)
- For U16 only attendance at a national training camp (see below)
Fees will be reviewed annually.
How to trial
Each talent centre will host an open trial in early January 2023 for players born in 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007. Please take care to make sure you select the location you wish to trial for when making payment.
The trial will cost £25 per player. The link to the payment for the open trials is here. Once you have paid you will be sent registration details. You must complete both payment and registration to confirm your trial place.
The closing date for registering on the open trials is midnight on Monday 2 January 2023. Head over to the Swim England web shop for more.
Positive influence on future of the sport
As part of the initiative, a ‘Talent Games’ will also be established. This will provide a new opportunity for players to play at the highest level possible, across those age groups, in England.
Each talent centre will select a team to represent them and compete at the Talent Games, fighting to be crowned talent centre national champions.
This will allow aspiring international players the chance to experience full games, face some of the best players in the country and provide them with an early taste of international standard water polo.
At the Talent Games weekends in addition to their fixtures players will also take part in both pool and classroom education workshops with invited deliverers.
Dates for Talent Games:
- 25 and 26 March 2023
- 8 and 9 July 2023
There will also be an opportunity to attend two U16 national training weekends, alongside those from the former national academy program that are not able to travel to a talent centre. Remaining places will be selected fully at the discretion of our scouting team.
Dates for U16 national training camps:
- 25 and 26 February 2023 (To be confirmed)
- 22 and 23 April 2023 (To be confirmed)
Andy McGinty, Swim England water polo talent and inclusion officer, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to launch this initiative. We hope it will have a positive influence on the future of the sport in this country and lead to improved performances at international level.
“The water polo talent team and talent centre coaches are looking forward to welcoming athletes to the centres and helping them to achieve their full potential in our amazing sport.”
More information is available on the new talent centre information page, including details of fees and dates for sessions.
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| Published 12:45:00 23.12.2022 |