There are a lot of water polo camps- search each NCAA teams website and you will see listings for the latest and greatest summer or vacation camp tied to that team. NCAA camps are a great way for promising high school players to see and be seen by the college coach, spend some time on the school’s campus and in some cases even learn a little about water polo.
But what features of a sports camp really make it outstanding particularly for developing players? This is the question we asked when we wnt searching for the 2011 Water Polo Planet Camp of the Year;
The answer is instructors. In short, the type of instructors to be found at the Water Polo Planet 2011 Camp of the Year-Winter in the Tropics to be held December 27-21 in Miami, Florida.
Great players do not always make great teachers and/or coaches. There is a reason that there is an entire degree in college centered on the subject of “Education”…a fact not lost on the directors of the Winter in the Tropics Water Polo camp in Miami where the majority of the coaches are not only exceptional players and coaches but also have degrees in education. Water Polo is a complex game-hey, if it were simple, even football players would play. Winter in the Tropics trained educators take those complex tactics and break them down into simple to learn practices that even the youngest kids can pick up.
The Winter in the Tropics Camp will bring your young players into daily contact with some of the top coaches in the country who are also great teachers-able to teach end encourage your kids to become the very best they can be in a fun atmosphere in a great location.
It is also the very best way for high school players to begin to make the choices about what type of college coach they are looking for. Having so many top coaches in one place is a great way to begin to help them to make those choices based on knowledge rather than speculation and hearsay.
We have seen a lot of water polo camps-but with Winter in the Tropics, Coaches John Abdou, Genai Kerr and Felix Mercado have come up with a winner- one that is certain to bring more sterling accolades from parents and campers alike.
The Winter in the Tropics Camp has the best chance of your kids coming home and saying “Can I go back again next year?”
What age groups and genders can attend winter in the Tropics?
The Camp is open to boys and girls ages 10-18.
What skill level will kids need to be able to benefit from the camp?
All skill levels can benefit from the camp. We have in water instruction from Olympians and current Division 1 College players. Any skill level can learn something from getting in the water with world class athletes. There is a lot of interaction in and out of the water, and campers are encouraged to ask questions and pull coaches aside for one on one instruction.
Every year you seem to have a better camp staff-who can we expect to see there this year?
We undoubtedly have the best coaching staff of any camp in the country, stacked with Olympians, national team coaches, college coaches and athletes. This year current Women's Senior National Team Coach Dan Klatt will be in attendance along with Olympic Goalie Genai Kerr, 2004 Olympic Silver medalist Coralie Simmons, 2004 Olympian Dr. Omar Amr, Brown University Head Coach Felix Mercado and 2008 Silver Medalist and current national team member Adam Wright. All coaches are great instructors and are easily accessible throughout the camp in and out of the water.
This seems like a great opportunity for kids to meet college coaches and get a feel for what playing NCAA Water Polo is like. How many college coaches will be there?
You're right, it is a great opportunity to learn about the college game from coaches and athletes firsthand. Coach Klatt is the head coach at Big West Champion UC Irvine, Coach Coralie Simmons is the Head Coach at Sonoma State University, Coach Mercado and Coach Kerr coach at Brown University together, and Adam Wright is the Head Coach at UCLA. There will also be representation from UC Santa Barbara, Michigan, USC, Bucknell University, San Diego State and several other current college players from all over the country. The staff will also have a college presentation with a question and answer panel discussion with college coaches and players.
What do you anticipate will be the coach to player ratio?
One instructor for each 5 students
My childs high school coach is not the greatest. Will players leave the camp with any drills and/or training to work on throughout the year to help them improve?
We provide college level instruction and drills throughout the camp. It is expected that each student athlete builds upon their existing water polo base after the leave the camp. They are welcome to take any and all the drills that we do back to their high schools and/or clubs.
Does the camp have room and board options for kids out of State? Will they be supervised?
Room and board options are available for all campers that would like to the overnight experience. We also provide non water polo related activities.
The week between Christmas and New Years sounds perfect for kids who are all bored after Christmas. Give us a rundown of what a typical camp day will look like.
We will all have a post birthday celebration for Genai and then the training begins.
- Dry-Land Training
- Pool Session
- Lunch
- Lecture or Goal Setting
- Dry-Land Warm Up
- 2nd Pool Session
- Camp Activity
- Dinner
We highly recommend checking out the camp website and urge you to consider it as a Christmas gift for the young water polo players in your family. It is an experience they will never forget and may be the beginning of a hobby that results in a college scholarship http://www.winterinthetropics.com/
Gulliver Pool
