Age-Group Water Polo

[LABertocci]

I just returned from the 2009 Dallas Summer Open (one of my increasingly rare weekends where I whistled). I was astounded at the depth and breadth of the age-group water polo talent in Texas. This event was able to sustain one entire course, over two days, of age-group teams from greater Houston and greater Dallas. For those out there who have some history in Texas age-group water polo, the event this weekend could have been described as little short of a miracle.

Kudos are deserved for the efforts of Scott Slay and his co-coaches in greater Houston, Mihai Oprea and his co-coaches (mostly from the Dallas Water Polo Club), and more centrally to ALL these successes, to Joe Linehan who has been the driving force for the successes in both areas of the state. Joe, who now lives in greater Dallas, has created an environment where he can devote full-time attention to creating a potent and broad-based program of age-group and HS teams all over north-central Texas.

If Joe Linehan is not one of the most important resources in all of USAWP, I would love to see a list of more deserving names. BRAVO to Scott, Mihai, and most importantly to Joe. And BRAVO to the Dallas Water Polo Club (a club I started more years ago than I care to admit) for being able and willing to host Joe and his efforts as part of THEIR efforts to make water polo a region-wide sport.

[Torchbearer]

Very encouraging. I remember my YMCA girls teams competing against the Dads Club YMCA of Houston, coached by Don Atwood, way back in 1968 and continuing to play against various Texas teams up through 1977, when a team representing the San Jacinto A.C. of Houston came here to Asheville for an international tourney we were conducting that also featured entries from Florida, Quebec, etc. Hey, isn't Doc from Texas ... and didn't he play a very important role in water polo there at one time?

[Moderator]

I believe that the Republic of Texas disowned Doc when he became a Steelers fan

[Doc]

In the early 60's I coached the first boys high school team in Texas at SP Waltrip High School. We had to play college and club teams. When Texans watched us play they thought it was the Alamo over again and that's when they disowned me.

Doc