ThereB次元官网网址檚 a new water polo club in town.
The Vancouver Island Water Polo Association is based out of the University of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 McKinnon pool and is the second club of its kind in Greater Victoria.
Colette Baty is one of the original five parents who started the club, now in its second year.
Baty and the other parents all had kids at the Saanich Waterpolo School at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
Baty says the experience at Saanich Waterpolo was a positive one, but adds that she saw there was room, and a need, for another club in Greater Victoria.
B次元官网网址�(The Vancouver Island Water Polo Association) started as a girls club only, but over the last year grew into both genders and various ages,B次元官网网址� Baty said.
B次元官网网址淲e just want kids to reach their personal goals. If itB次元官网网址檚 just recreational, thatB次元官网网址檚 great, if they want to play competitively, thatB次元官网网址檚 great too.B次元官网网址�
The original team was the girls 15-and-under VI Sirens and a team of younger girls. The organization now has dozens of players aged 12 to 19.
Members can play three times a week, Sunday afternoons, and Tuesday and Thursday nights, and be of any skill level. UVic has a non-varsity water polo club which some of the VI members join on Saturdays.
Getting regular pool space for the new club was a full time job for about two weeks, but UVic came through.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a tricky thing, it wasnB次元官网网址檛 impossible but it did take some work,B次元官网网址� Baty said. B次元官网网址淪ome kids have played before and want to stay with the sport recreationally, others are there because they want to try it out, and some are competitive.B次元官网网址�
The majority of the new club is made up of players from Victoria, Esquimalt, Saanich and the Peninsula, she said.
Despite its cachet as an Olympic sport, there isnB次元官网网址檛 a water polo league for youths in Victoria. Mostly, the players train and enter tournaments.
B次元官网网址淲ater polo is not as set as soccer or hockey. We did have two teams (co-ed under 16 and 18) play in the Lower Mainland Water Polo League this past fall, but essentially thereB次元官网网址檚 no season for Victoria players.B次元官网网址�
The U16 team won silver and the U18 team finished fourth in the mainland leagueB次元官网网址檚 end of the season tournament.
Last year, the Sirens girls team went to nationals in Winnipeg and is hoping to do so again at Quebec City this year.
The club runs September to May and youths can still join. Visit vancouverislandwaterpolo.ca or email viwaterpolo@gmail.com.
For information about the Saanich Waterpolo school, visit waterpoloschool.com or email waterpoloschool@shaw.ca.
sports@vicnews.com
