Report – Central Coast Junior Water Polo

Under 14 NSW Water Polo State Club Championships

13 – 15 February 2009.

Last weekend, 13th,14th & 15th February 2009 Central Coast Junior Water Polo hosted the New South Wales Under 14 State Club Championships.

The tournament drew 14 entries in the Boys which was held at the Peninsula Leisure Centre Woy Woy and 14 entries in the Girls which was held at Wyong Olympic Pool.

Over 400 players participated.

Even the wet conditions at Wyong during the weekend didn’t interfere with the tournament’s huge success.

Teams came to compete from all over the State including the Sydney Metropolitan area, Tamworth, Alstonville, Wagga Wagga, Newcastle and of course the Central Coast. 

Cronulla Boys (11) beat Newcastle (10) in the boys final in extra time and Sydney Northern Beaches aka Breakers (7) defeated Drummoyne (6) in the girls final.

The Central Coast girl’s team finished outright 5th out of 14 teams beating Cronulla ‘C’, Alstonville, Syd Uni and Balmain along the way, they also gave Cronulla ‘A’ a run for their money only going down 0-4. Their only other loss was to eventual tournament winners Breakers A and they beat Tamworth 6-3 in the play off for 5th spot. Five wins out of 7 games was an awesome effort.

The Boys finished equal 5th with Alstonville out of 14 teams after playing a 7 all draw against the Far North rivals in the play off game. The boys beat Tamworth, Syd Uni, Parramatta and Breakers ‘B’ in round games and certainly made Wests and Cronulla ‘A’ work hard for their wins against us. 4 wins, 1 draw and only 2 losses from seven games, another awesome effort.

This is the best result for the Central Coast teams since the inception of Central Coast Junior Water Polo which is now in it’s seventh year. To be beating the much more fancied Sydney Metro teams in a tournament of this standard is a credit to all involved with these youngsters from the Coast.

Much credit must go the Coaches and Managers of the two Central Coast teams, Paul Rowe and Warwick Jones, respective Coach and Manager of the boys and Kristy Hall and Amanda Tait respective Coach and Manager of the girls for their effort and commitment during the lead up and at the tournament.  

From this tournament Under 14 State Squads and Under 13 State Development squads are selected and the Central Coast is well represented in all categories. Another milestone, the most players selected in its seven-year history.

The 42 Boys and 42 Girls selected overall from the tournament will attend a talented athletes camp at Narrabeen Fitness Camp in May 2009 and from that camp two boys teams (13 in each) and two girls teams (13 in each) will be selected. These NSW Water Polo teams will compete at the East Coast Challenge Tournament in July against the other States. 

The players selected in the Development squads will attend a two weekend training camp in Sydney in October 2009 just prior to the next summer season.

The Central Coast players selected in the squads are as follows;-

NSW State Squad – Girls – Emma Mulligan and Kayla Kingston

NSW State Squad – Boys –  Nathan Crooks, Michael Jones, Nick Hawthorne, Jai McNamara, Daniel Herd and Jake McCarthy

NSW Under 13 Development Squad – Girls – Caitlin Queripel and Eleanor Duell-Ferguson 

NSW Under 13 Development Squad – Boys – Chad Sheyd, James Dezius, Lauchlan Faulder, Sam Patterson and Nicholas Rowe 

As convenor of the tournament I have been receiving many words of congratulations from State body reps, team coaches, players, parents and spectators who attended the tournament and it goes without saying that the success was due to the Central Coast Junior Water Polo Committee and a host of others for their help and assistance over the weekend.

 I don’t like singling people out but Paul & Margaret Stubbs and Ruth Prest battled the elements big time at Wyong all weekend running the girls tournament together with great assistance from Central Coast helpers Doug Kingston, Markus & June Pink, Nathan Pink, Peter & Cathy Martin, Wil Stanton, Brett Mathews & Donna Falzon. Thanks also to Bruce Falson from NSWWPI and a special mention goes to Micheal Bech from Wests for his help also.

 
I was at Woy Woy running the boys tournament with Greg Heathcote from NSWWPI and I would like to make special mention of Coasties – Mark Fuller, Mark & Kellie McNamara, Scott and Vanessa Henderson, Maurice Eames and Trevor Nowak and Greg Heathcote NSWWPI for their help and assistance throughout the weekend.

 A big thanks also goes out to the staff and Management of the Wyong Olympic Pool and the Peninsula Leisure Centre Woy Woy for their support in providing their venues, which enabled us to host this important tournament on the NSW Water Polo calendar.  

The cooperation and assistance from all involved and the amazing achievements of all the Central Coast players makes me one very, very, very proud old constituent of this wonderful sport of Water Polo which continues to grow on the Central Coast.

Yours sincerely

Dono
 
(Sometimes known as Peter Donohue)