2600 E Southlake Blvd #120 – 156, Southlake, TX 76092www.ThunderPolo.com

April 2019

North Texas Thunder Water polo is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

FEEL THE

Alayna Ickert Olivia Jones Kylee Noble

Spencer Shelley

The Olympic Development Program serves as a forum to identify and develop athletes to represent USA Water Polo throughout domestic and international competitions. The foundation of the program is a systematic approach to athletic development through a training program that focuses on both the technical and tactical components of water polo while placing a premium on overall physical fitness.

Thunder Water Polo joined other athletes from across the Southwest Zone competing at the Olympic Development Program (ODP) National Championship in Riverside, CA this past month. We had 23 athletes from Thunder across the Development, Cadet, Youth and All Star divisions, playing highly competitive games against the other USAWP Zones. Athletes participate in ODP Training Camps across the state of Texas, where they are selected by Southwest Zone coaches to represent the zone at the National Championships. While at the National Championship ODP program coaches evaluate each athlete and provide individualized feedback to allow the athletes to continue to grow and develop. In addition, select athletes receive an invitation to participate in the National Training Selection Camp (NTSC), where they tryout for inclusion on a national roster to represent USA Water Polo at the National and International level. Thunder had three athletes selected to advance to NTSC: JoJo Walters, Development SWZ Team, Sadie Sallas, Cadet SWZ Team, and Spencer Shelley, Youth SWZ Team.

Honors were also awarded for the USA Water Polo Nick Johnson Inspiration Award. This award recognizes athletes that fully embody the vision and values of the Olympic Development program. The values of the program are based on the Olympic movement, defined as “Olympism.” Thunder Water Polo swept these awards for females bringing home all three awards for SWZ. Recipients included: Alayna Ickert, Development SWZ Team, Olivia Jones, Cadet SWZ Team, and Kylee Noble, Youth SWZ Team.

Congratulations to all of our Thunder athletes who participated in ODP!

USAWP Olympic Development Program

JoJo Walters Sadie Sallas

Southlake @ Bent Creek Clubhouse - Registration Opens April 2nd Timarron Tigersharks 2019 https://timarrontigersharks.swimtopia.com/

www.ThunderPolo.com

It didn’t take long for Sophia to convince her friend Gianna (also an eighth-grader at Dawson,) to give it a try. Gianna had done an NTN swim camp with Coach Murphy and loves swimming but hadn’t really heard about water polo until moving to Southlake two years ago from New York. “I was happy my friend joined, because it was a good time to start a new sport since most school sports are ending.” Both agree it was definitely fun to experience it with a friend but the team has been very inclusive. “Even if I didn’t have a friend, I would still feel comfortable”, says Sophia.

When asked what she enjoys about practice, aside from carpooling with her friend, Gianna says “my favorite parts are the offensive drills and shooting the balls.” In addition to learning the rules, mastering the eggbeater and figuring out which is the ‘weak side’, the girls are eager to improve their stamina so they can be ready for their first Game Day!

Sophia and Gianna clearly have the right mindset when it comes to fundamentals, which are critical to an athlete’s success in water polo. Swim conditioning plays is a key factor in building stamina for those 5, 6 or 7 minute quarters and summer is the perfect time to focus on conditioning. Several local swim teams offer summer programs perfect for our athletes! Check out the links below to find a program that fits your needs.

locally grownsouthlake ~ denton ~ flower mound

Swimming on over to Water Polo

Swimmers and friends, Sophia Rhodes and Gianna Mollica, both 14, joined our local Southlake team this spring and are already hooked!

Sophia, an eighth-grader at Dawson and recent transplant from Northern California, joined because her best friend in CA started playing. Once Sophia found out she was moving, she started searching for teams and her mom reached out to Coach Lowery via the TWPC Facebook page. “So far, I really like everything about water polo. I have been swimming for a team since I was 5 so this is really fun to be in the water and put together the other sports I have played, especially because the workouts are new and challenging for me. There is something exciting about hopping into a pool during wintertime too!”

Summer Swim ConditioningUp your water polo game and SWIM this summer! Checkout some options below in Flower Mound and Southlake to help condition your athlete

Flower Mound @ LISD Westside Aquatic Center – Registration Opens April 1st

Westside Aquatic Club: www.westsideaquaticclub.org

Q: How old were you when you started playing water polo?A: 12Q: Why did you choose to play water polo? A: I wanted to try something new and different from other sports I had played in the past.Q: How has the national team made you a better athlete?A: It has given me the opportunity to play in many different tournaments and travel as well as push myself to work hard and set new goals.Q: What occupation do you want to have as an adult? A: International BusinessQ: Who in your life has inspired you the most and why? A: My mom because she pushes me to achieve my goals and beyond.Q: What is your favorite subject in school? A: FrenchQ: What do you enjoy doing when you have free time?A: Hanging with friends, travelling, and watching movies.

www.ThunderPolo.com

Travel Center: Summer Camps

TWPTWPNational Team

NEWS

Our National athletes have been working on defensive fundamentals, preaching effort and competition and making sure each athlete knows that it’s ok to make a mistake as long as they are trying their best. Troy Goddard, FM Head Coach & Head Age Group National Coach

Summer camps give athlete’s the opportunity to have fun, meet new people, learn new skills, and gain experience. Continuously working on skills and mechanics will increase an athlete’s skill level and give them more confidence. Summer camps can be a fun time for beginners to learn basic skills, all the way to fine tuning skills for more advanced players. Camps can have many benefits including; exercise, independence, responsibility, building relationships, problem-solving skills, self-confidence, strategic thinking, and teamwork.

Camp experience can vary slightly, but for the most part, camps are very similar. Camps usually cost anywhere from $350-$1000 for a multi-day camp. Most colleges that hold camps are to attract top athletes that may be interested in attending their school. As a player you should want to attend a camp to try to get the attention of college recruiters, while to improve your water polo skills. Athletes, no matter what their age or skill level can benefit from camps and clinics.

AJ Wilkinson ~ 16U Alyssa Lougee ~ 18U

Q: How old were you when you started playing water polo?A: 14Q: Why did you choose to play water polo? A: I was a competitive swimmer, and when I joined GuyerCoach Cullen invited me to play.Q: How has the national team made you a better athlete?A: It made me a strong and harder working player and fall in love with the sport.Q: What occupation do you want to have as an adult? A: Global business or Peace CorpsQ: Who in your life has inspired you the most and why? A: Couch Cullen because he showed me what I’m capable of and has pushed me into the person I am today.Q: What is your favorite subject in school? A: HistoryQ: What do you enjoy doing when you have free time?A: Hanging with friends, playing sports and community service

• Pepperdine University Water Polo• Brown University Water Polo• USC Water Polo Camp

• UC Santa Barbara• UCLA Azevedo Camp• Aquatics Games

• Stanford Water Polo • Naval Academy • UC Irvine

Check out the links below for more information on each camp…

Born and raised in North Dallas Coach Cullen started competing in swim meets when he was 4 and was scuba diving with his dad by the age of 8. He was on the swim team at Lewisville High School and graduated in 1986. Because of his love for all sports it was an easy decision to follow in his father’s footsteps and go to college with the plan to become a coach and teacher. He attended SMU in Dallas majoring in Kinesiology with a minor in Chemistry. He was the swim team manager and trainer and worked as lifeguard and pool manager at SMU. In the summer on 1988, he was hired as the summer swim coach for the Pearland YMCA as his first coaching job. The summers of 1989 and 1990 he coached and was pool manager for the Lewisville YMCA. Graduating in the spring of 1990, he did student teaching in swimming and chemistry at Highland Park High School. In the fall of 1991, he was hired to teach chemistry and coach swimming for Denton high school. In 1995, Denton ISD open its second high school ( Denton Ryan ) and he was asked to coach both swim teams. His teams had state qualifiers in swimming for the first 8 years of his career. In 28 years with Denton ISD, he has had swimmers at the state championship 25 times with 3 swimmers earning individual medals. He was voted district swim coach of the year 15 times and region swim coach of the year 3 times.

In 1999, Frank Connor of Dallas Water Polo contacted him about trying water polo at his high school. He loved the sport from the start but realized he needed more experience understanding the rules and what to coach, so he decided to learn to play the game by joining Dallas water polo as a player. He played and learned to coach from Mihai Oprea and other experienced members of Dallas Water Polo. After playing in many tournaments and trips with the Dallas Water Polo club in 2004, Mihai asked him to be his assistant coach for the Southwest Zone boys team (precursor to ODP) which started his coaching career with USA Water polo. He worked as an assistant or head coach on the boys ODP until 2010. He began coaching with the girls ODP 2013 and has been the head Southwest Zone coach for Girls ODP since 2015.

Coach Cullen has been selected as the Southwest Zone Coach of the year for various age groups 8 times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018) and the National Development Coach of the Year in 2016. He was voted TISCA (high school) state coach of the year in 2018 and Region coach of the year 10 times since 1999. His high school teams have made the TISCA state championship every year since 2009 with teams finishing in top 5 for last 5 years. He has coached many All Region, Region MVP, All State, State MVP’s and NISCA All American Water Polo Players and proudly has many who continue to play in college around the country. Including his daughter who plays for Pomona/Pitzer in California currently with a 6-0 conference record. The best part of coaching is be able to enjoy your players success.

In 2009 he worked with Joe Linehan to start a youth club under Dallas Water Polo. This club started with less than 20 kids but grew quickly and was fractioned off from Dallas Water polo into North Texas Thunder Water Polo. 10 years later Thunder is training over 300 athletes a year!

Thank you Coach Cullen for your continued dedication to the athletes and the sport of water polo.

Chris CullenCoaching

www.ThunderPolo.com

The more positive you can be with your players, the better they’re going to play. ~ Doc Rivers

TISCA North Texas Regional Tournament – April 26 – 27Lewisville, TX - LISD Westside Aquatic Center 1750 Duncan Lane, Lewisville, TX 75067

High school water polo is in full swing. For the latest on schedules and team standings visit http://tiscanorthwaterpolo.com/ Cheer on your fellow Thunder Water Polo Athletes as the compete at the Texas Regional and State level.

2019 High School Water Polo

www.ThunderPolo.com

Dear Club Admin…“Do National Athletes have to attend local practice?”

As we look ahead to the school year ending and Summer practices for National Team Athletes ramping up in preparation for Southwest Zones and National Junior Olympics, “Which practices should I be attending?” is a common question; with age group specific answers.

- Throughout the Summer Season, our 18/16U National Team Athletes will not attend any local practices as they will attend National Only Practices in Flower Mound every night Monday through Thursday.

- The 14U/12U National Team Athletes will also have four opportunities to practice each week of the summer as they will attend their local location specific practice on Mondays and Wednesdays and then come together in Flower Mound for National Only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Brandon Dion, Club Administrator

TISCA Texas State Championship – May 3-4Austin, TX – UT Austin1900 Red River Street, Austin, TX 78712

Join us on Social Media…

www.Instagram.com/thunderpolo

www.Facebook.com/thunderpolo

www.Twitter.com/thunderpolo

For important updates, athlete shout-outs, and much more!!!

www.ThunderPolo.com

COLLEGE BOUND - - - - - - - -

College Athlete Advice…

“The two most important skills to help you be prepared for playing in college are awareness

and defense. Awareness is a huge part of offense, defense, and getting better as a player. The

level of water polo is so much higher in NCAA Water polo, and there is an even more

extreme difference in Division 1 water polo in California. Awareness also means being

aware of every aspect of the game. Having a ‘high water polo IQ’ is essential to getting play

time and growing as a player in college. The game is much more aggressive and faced

paced, so a thorough understanding of the game offensively and defensively is essential.

Defense in particular is another crucial part of playing water polo. Colleges coaches expect

players who are new to their program to know how to play defense and then be able to

improve on offense as they learn the team plays. As a freshman you are usually not the goal

scorer so you have to be able to play defense extremely well and not turn over the ball.”

Sophomore Loyola Marymount University Division I Water Polo

For a full list of NCAA Water Polo progams visit the USA Water Polo College Directory

What’s the difference between Division I, II, III Water Polo Programs?and competitive and those in

Division I, but schools in DII have

fewer financial resources to devote

to their athletics programs. Division

II offers partial scholarships for

financial aid. Students can cover

their tuition through a mixture of

athletics scholarships, academic

scholarships, and need based

financial aid.

Division III (DIII) programs offer

a more well-rounded college

experience where academics take

more of the lead. Just like their DI

and DII counterparts, DIII athletes

also must learn to manage playing

their sport while pursuing their

education. The time commitment,

however, for DIII athletes is not

nearly as intense which gives them

nearly as intense which gives them

more opportunity to explore life

outside of the classroom and

outside of their sport. DIII athletes

often feel they are more a part of

the general college community

where DI and DII athletes feel a little

more separated from the rest of the

college or university. Division III

schools don't offer scholarships or

financial aid to athletes for athletic

participation, though athletes are still

eligible for scholarships offered to

any students who apply. While DIII

schools do not offer any type of

athletic scholarships, parents will be

pleased to know that 80% of DIII

athletes receive non-athletics aid,

often in the form of grants or need-

based scholarships to academically

qualified athletes. Another big plus

for both parents and student-athletes

is that 87% of all DIII athletes

graduate from college. Although the

other two divisions are not that far

behind, that’s the highest percentage

of any NCAA Division.

Rylan Russell

Division I (DI) is the highest level

of intercollegiate athletics overseen

by the NCAA in the U.S. Division I

schools comprise the major athletic

powers in the college ranks and have

larger budgets, more advanced

facilities, and more athletic

scholarships than Divisions II and

III or smaller schools, even those

that are competitive in athletics.

Student-athletes who want a high

level of competition but a more

balanced approach to sports and

academics are giving serious

consideration to Division II (DII)

schools. It’s also perfect for those

who may prefer a smaller campus,

or the opportunity to get playing

time all four years. As one recruit

put it, “I’d rather be a big fish in a

smaller pond.” There are still the

demands all student-athletes face,

but it is not as intense and rigorous

as the year-round total commitment

of a DI athlete. Their student

athletes might be just as skilled Source: NCSAsports.com

7 Reasons Why You Should Hire A Water Polo Player

www.ThunderPolo.com

Practically all the jobs require being in contact with

other people, holding meetings, taking care of tasks

that depend on several people, etc. In the same way,

water polo is a team sport in which individual success

is not contemplated without the help of teammates. In

addition, in a minority sport such as water polo,

everyone knows each other better and the teams end

up forming a large family that goes beyond the limits

of the pools. Players know how to deal with people,

cheer their teammates up when it’s required and

experience the feeling of collective success.

5. Water polo players know how to tackle a tedious

task and make it interesting

After endless pre-seasons in which swimming with T-

shirt and the dryland workouts are part of the daily

routine, most tasks in the adult world may seem a lot

more interesting. Water polo players, after getting

used to hours of exhausting swimming specially in the

start of the week, will know how to make from a

monotonous task something entertaining and, more

importantly, they will have already developed a lot of

tricks to keep themselves focused.

6. Water polo players know how to perform under

pressure

From a penalty shootout to playing the final of a

national competition. The pressure is constant in the

day to day of a water polo player: games against direct

rivals, man-up situations in which scoring a goal is the

only option etc. Applied to the workplace, all this

effort under pressure is very good practice for any

presentations or public speaking that may come their

way, or to deal with deadlines.

7. Water polo players are intrinsically motivated

The most important thing that water polo players learn

from their years of training is how to stay motivated at

both the fun times and the hard times. The moments

before a major clash or the coach speech before

jumping into the water are clear examples that will

make the players feel motivated and fired-up before a

challenge. Water polo athletes know how to work at

what may seem to be a thankless task in order to

improve themselves and benefit the team as a whole.

Cristina Marin Cerezo, Founder and General Manager of Barcelona International Waterpolo Academy, S.L.

What type of employee are companies

currently seeking? Education and studies are obviously

essential to opt for the vast majority of jobs, but they

are not usually enough. Beyond a degree or a title,

companies look for team players, flexible,

autonomous, ambitious, and confident employees, just

to name a few. Here are the 7 reasons why water polo

players are the best employees.

1. Water polo players are detail-oriented

Endless workouts and hours and hours of pool to

perfect the shooting technique, passing or other skills.

The great water polo players know that success often

depends on correcting the details, like egg-beater, leg

positioning or faking technique. The details are key in

water polo and are what will make one player superior

to another. That kind of dedication to the particulars

can give the competitive edge in the office as well as

in the pool.

2. Water polo players can manage their time

effectively

In order to be a student athlete in any sport you have to

be able to effectively balance your work and school.

Water polo players train five days a week and they

have at least one game every the weekend. That’s why

water polo takes time management to another level.

Players have to be capable of keeping up with school,

give everything in training, find time to rest and eat

and, also very important, find moments for social life.

These skills translated into the labor world increase

employee efficiency and productivity.

3. Water polo players can set challenging, yet

realistic, goals

National championships, being called-up for the

national team, play with the older category, dream of

reaching the senior team, winning MVP awards…

Every water polo player trains to achieve goals like

these. Working with medium and long-term objectives

is always more stimulating. Water polo players

understand that the most effective goals are ambitious,

but reachable, and once they have a goal, they work

tirelessly to achieve it.

4. Water polo players know how to be good

teammates

The Connor Cup is a yearly award given to teams based on participation and placing in USA Water Polo sanctioned weekend tournaments throughout the Southwest Zone. The Connor Cup originally started in 2005, added a Women’s Division in 2011, and an Age Group Division in 2014.

The Connor Cup is named for Frank Connor of Dallas Water Polo Club who is a USA Water Polo Hall of Fame goalie. Frank also helped start the Dallas Water Polo Club in the mid 1980’s (while the Dean of Mathematics at North Texas). Up until the early 2000’s, the only USA Water Polo sanctioned events in the Southwest Zone were the three Dallas Water Polo Club hosted events: Dutton Tournament in the Spring, Dallas Summer Classic, and Dallas Fall Invite. Thunder was born out of the Dallas Water Polo Club and took over hosting these tournaments. Additionally, Dallas also hosted many Winter Nationals for USA Water Polo in the Dallas area in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Frank was the primary organizer of all Dallas Water Polo Club events until the late 2000’s and can still be found on deck reffing at the Dallas Water Polo Club practices while in his upper 80’s.

Frank Connor – USA Water Polo Hall of Fame

Elected to Hall of Fame: 1989

Club: Illinois Athletic Club

College: California Institute of Tech., Illinois Institute of Tech.

High School: Hyde Park H.S. Chi.

Playing Record: College 1949 - 51, IIT 1952, Club 1952 – 64

Participation:AAU Sr. National Championship Team 1955, 56, 58, 59, 60US Pan American Trials Team 1959 1st PlaceUS Pan American Team 1959 (gold)US Olympic Trials Team 1956 (tied for 1st), 1960 5th, 1964 5thChicago W/P Association Champions 1953, 54CIT Division Champions 1950AAU Sr. National Championship Team outdoor 1955, 58

Honors:AAU All American 1958, 59Pan American All Star Team 1959 (goalie)

Current Standings and Past Connor Cup Recipients can be

found at: http://www.southwestwaterpolo.org/?page_id=16.

Please join USA Water Polo as they host a North Texas Town Hall Meeting on Sunday, April 14th at the Southlake Carroll ISD Aquatic Center. Everyone is welcome to attend Parents, Athletes, Coaches, Referees. There are a lot of great sessions that cover the growth of Water Polo in the Southwest Zone, Education for Parent/Athletes, and session on College Water Polo. In addition Thunder Water Polo will host a FREEShooting & Skills clinic for High School and Age Group athletes!

Date/Time: Sunday, April 14thLocation: Southlake Carroll ISD Aquatic Center

12:00 – 2:00 FREE Shooting & Skills Clinic: High school Athletes

12:00 – 1:15 USAWP Sports Growth: USAWP Southwest Zone, UIL Status, Sports Growth in Texas, New USAWP Rules v. High School Rules, Q&A Session

1:15 – 2:30 Parent/Athlete Education: History of Water Polo, Basic Terms/Team Tactics, Simplified Version of Rules & Regulations, Q&A Session

2:00 – 4:00 FREE Shooting & Skills Clinic: Age Group Athletes

2:30 – 4:00 Playing Water Polo in College: Different Opportunities to Play in College; Steps, Benefits, Levels, Processes, etc. to Play NCAA Water Polo, Recruiting Ins/Outs

Important LinksThunder Water Polo Website

Thunder Water Polo Calendar

USA Water Polo Website

USA Water Polo Events Page

USA Water Polo High Performance YouTube

Positive Coaching Alliance Website

www.ThunderPolo.com

Southwest ZoneThe Connor Cup

Date Event Location Program

April 6-7 Southside Tournament Pearland, TX Age Group Only

April 14th Shooting & Skills Clinic Southlake, TX All Thunder Athletes

April 28 Spring Champs SMU - Dallas, TX Age Group Only

May 3-4 State HS Champs Austin, TX High School Athletes

May 11-12 TAGS Keller, TX Age Group Only

May 25-26 Welcome to Texas San Antonio, TX All Thunder Athletes

June 1 UCLA Camp Flower Mound, TX Age Group Only

June 2 UCLA Camp Flower Mound, TX High School Athletes

June 1 Game Day High School Denton, TX High School Athletes

June 2 Game Day Age Group Denton, TX Age Group Only

June 7-9 Southwest Zones - Age Group Pearland, TX National Age Group Only

June 9 Team Scrimage High School Keller, TX National High School Only

June 14-16 Southwest Zones - High School CyFair, Tx National High School Only

June 16 Game Day #2 Keller, TX All Thunder Athletes

June 22-23 Dallas Summer Classic Southlake, TX All Thunder Athletes

July 6-7 Soutside SOGO Pearland, TX All Thunder Athletes

July 13 National Team Tryouts Denton, Tx New Athletes

July 14 Summer Champs Southlake, TX All Thunder Athletes

July 20-28 National Jr. Olympics Irvine, CA National Athletes

Thunder Coaches Board of DirectorsKristy Winkler, President

president@ThunderPolo.com

Charlie Perham, Vice Presidentvicepresident@ThunderPolo.com

Elizabeth Chand, Secretarysecretary@ThunderPolo.com

Gabby Pena, Treasurertreasurer@ThunderPolo.com

Jason Ickert, Communications Directorcommunications@ThunderPolo.com

Scott Stearns, Volunteer Directorvolunteerdirector@ThunderPolo.com

Chris Cullen, Club Directorcoachcullen@ThunderPolo.com

Chris CullenClub Directorcoachcullen@ThunderPolo.com

Brandon DionClub Administratorclubadmin@ThunderPolo.com

Sabrina CarlileDenton Head Coachcoachsabrinacarlile@ThunderPolo.com

Troy GoddardFlower Mound Head CoachHead Age Group National Coachcoachgoddard@ThunderPolo.com

Keeley LowerySouthlake Head Coachcoachlowery@ThunderPolo.com

www.ThunderPolo.com

Mark Your Calendars for these important Events!!!

CLASSIFIED ADS

SPONSERS

www.theaquaticgames.com

www.srsport.com