• On January 27, 2021, the IHSA Board of Directors modified the IHSA Water Polo seasons along with all other sport seasons in response to the circumstances surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The modified boys and girls water polo season is as follows:
  • March 15 – Practice May Begin
  • After 7 days of practice – First Contest May be Held
  • May 29 – End of Season (with or without a state series)
• Note: Avoid scheduling regular season games after May 17 in order to allow open dates for potential postseason events.
• If your varsity water polo team has difficulty meeting the 6-contest IHSA By-law requirement due to circumstances surrounding the pandemic, you may contact IHSA Executive Director, Craig Anderson ([email protected]), to inquire about a waiver.
• Currently, schools can compete against other schools within their region with respect to their COVID-19 regional status of Phase 4. In addition, schools may compete against non-conference opponents within a 30-mile radius of their facility and whose region is also in Phase 4. For further guidance refer to https://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/community-guidance/sports-safety-guidance
• Teams still must follow IHSA By-laws 5.160 and 5.330 Contest Limitations https://www.ihsa.org/documents/forms/current/IHSA_Section5.pdf

• All teams must adhere to the guidelines of IHSA Return to Play Phase 4.

•  Handshakes, fist bumps, hugging, etc. are not permissible.

• Refer to the latest IDPH All-Sports Policy Spectator Guidelines chart at www.ihsa.org/Resources/COVID-19.

• Dual contests are most effective at maintaining fewer competitors, school personnel, officials, and spectators. Dual contests make it easier to space those in attendance to the appropriate social distancing. Contests must adhere to the event capacity guidelines outlined in IHSA Return to Play mitigations.

• If schools have scheduled larger meets than a dual, or invitational, hosts must ensure that ALL event attendees are held to the capacity guidelines outlined in IHSA Return to Play Phase 4.

•  Per IDPH guidelines, competition is limited Phase 4 or Tier 1 mitigations. (See IDPH COVID EMS-Region Map link below in resources). 

•  For transportation to and from extracurricular events, schools may adhere to the same guidance provided by ISBE regarding transporting students to and from school.

• Practices are solely intra-team.

• Consider increasing water sanitation level, i.e., keep chlorine closer to 2.0 PPM.

• Teams should be seated on opposite sides of the pool and away from the officials’ table.
• Suspend the protocol of teams changing ends. If possible, place team benches opposite the spectator seating.

• Additional chairs or rows may be added to allow bench personnel to observe social distancing of 6 feet or greater between bench personnel.

• Players not in game must wear a mask and MUST be separated by 6 feet in bench area.

• During time outs, players and coaches should maintain social distance.

• To promote social distancing, substitute players may be in the water behind the goal line outside the re-entry area, at least 2 meters from the goal, provided this is possible on both ends of the field of play.
• Head coaches shall sit or stand behind the goal line in the team area when the team is on defense and shall maintain 6 feet of distance from players and officials.

• Players not in game must wear a mask and MUST be separated by 6 feet in bench area.

• During time outs, players and coaches should maintain social distance.

• Decrease number of participants or hold one conference with officials and coaches and one meeting with officials and captains. The referee can use P.A. system or starting-system microphone to allow participants to hear but keep them properly separated.

• The officials include two referees, a scorekeeper, exclusion secretary, game timer and shot clock timer.

This event will be tailored towards high school and club coaches. USA Water Polo Coach Education Coordinator and Boys Development National Team Coach Ian Davidson will be directing the clinic.

Join us on 3/6/21 from 10:00am – 1:00pm via Zoom.  Click HERE [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_e_PHxUf3ejNU2Y7Z_lC1OLnPVzGdazasOX4SPOdRvhYzdA/viewform] to register.

Zoom information will be sent out on the morning of the event to registered participants only.

Coaches, please forward this information to your assistants!

If you have questions please contact Kyle Perry at [email protected].

There is a college water polo Virtual Meet and Greet event over the weekends of January 16th/17th and January 23rd/24th, 2021 with the purpose of connecting high school water polo recruits with college coaches.

The Virtual Meet and Greet will consist of live, group video calls hosted by Division II and Division III coaches. Each participating college coach will conduct their own 30-minute calls. During the calls, coaches will talk about their schools and water polo programs, then take questions from the athletes. The sessions are interactive and a great way for aspiring athletes to get a feel for coaches and schools. The sessions can also be very beneficial for coaches to engage with athletes of interest. Athletes are welcome to attend any – or all – of the video calls.

We received very positive feedback on the benefits of the virtual event held in early August of 2020, and we are excited to do it again. For the upcoming event, we have lined up coaches from nearly 20 separate universities to participate and that number could grow. There is no charge for participation and this event is for athletes whose high school graduation year is 2022 or later.

POLOVOLO will provide the hosting for this event. Polovolo is a digital platform that provides athlete profiling and social networking tools specific to water polo to help keep everyone in your network, including coaches, up to date on your water polo, academic achievements, and other activities. You will have the option to create a profile on Polovolo for the Meet and Greet Event, but it will not be required to participate.

Here is the schedule of participating schools that have committed to conduct live group sessions so far:

Interested athletes that would like to participate in the Virtual Meet and Greet can pre-register using this Google form. No need to commit to specific calls, pre-registration is just to help us get a read on interest from the athlete community. We will then follow up with additional sign-up information and instructions next week. We look forward to another great event and hope that you will join us. Thank you.

For more information please visit Water Polo Combine Page 

USA Water Polo is proud to announce the 2^nd Annual COACH ACADEMY will be held Virtually this year.

Dates:
Girls’ Academy – December 4th – 6th, 2020
Girls’ Coach Academy Registration
Boys’ Academy – December 11th – 13th, 2020
Boys’ Coach Academy Registration
Continuing to build upon our coaches education platform, the Virtual Coach Academy will provide coaches from around the United States with over 25 hours of Virtual interactions and classroom time. Participating coaches will receive a certificate of completion to provide to supervisors proof of professional development.

Topics of Focus: 
Effective Coaching,  Mental Health of Coaches, Creating a Culture of Excellence Professionalism of Coaching, Age-Group Coaching 12u, 14uPanel Discussion ,Linking Concepts, Art of Creating Drills, College Talk, Nutrition, Strength/Cond, Performance Psych, Analytics .

Registration for this event will be done through our online event portal, where all interested coaches can register their interest for free. Then our High Performance Staff will make selections and send invitations to selected coaches to register for the Coach Academy.

Coach Academy Registrations of Interest will be accepted through 11/6/2020
Coach Academy size is limited to 25 coaches per camp allocated by ODP Zone.
Costs:

Registrations of Interest are free.

If selected Coach Academy – $100

For questions on Coach Academy feel free to contact our Coach Education Manager,
Drew Clute at email [email protected] 

The IHSA has approved twenty fall contact days for water polo for high school boys and girls through October 31.  For more information, please see the official announcement from the IHSA: https://www.ihsa.org/documents/Fall%202020%20Contact%20Days.pdf

Illinois Water Polo is saddened to hear of the passing of Boys Water Polo Coach, Joe Lewandowski. Lockport families have recently set up a go fund me page to support his family during this time: https://gofundme.com/f/The-Passing-of-Joe-Lewandowski-aka-Coach-Lew…

American Water Polo is compiling a list of information about clubs returning to play.  To see more about the rules, regulations, and procedures that clubs are putting in place as they return to the pool, please visit:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-0dHu6XtdLJZkbd4YWxj-97gcf_-EbXcrurgNUn7pEI/edit

Hoping your club has a safe return soon!

IWP is sorry for cutting the zoom call with USA Water Polo’s Matt Farmer short this afternoon.  We apologize for the interruptions and disruptive behavior of some of the participants.  We appreciate Matt’s professionalism and all those active, respectful, and interested participants, but as we were unable to fully curb a few unruly participants, the meeting had to be ended earlier than we had hoped.  While we plan on having more zoom meetings in the future on a variety of topics, we will looking further into the technology and implementing much better controls for when we try this again.

Illinois Water Polo is happy to announce that Matt Farmer (Fenwick HS ’13 / UCLA ’17) will be participating on a zoom meeting open to all interested Illinois Water Polo Fans 3:00pm Central Time on Monday, June 29.  Matt was the Illinois Player of the Year in 2013 and won three IHSA State Championships with Fenwick.  Following Fenwick, Matt attended UCLA and won three NCAA Championships.  Upon graduating from UCLA, Matt has continued to play water polo at the highest level in Australia, Italy, and Spain.  Currently, he is a member of the USA Men’s Senior National Team and is training for the Toyko Olympics.  Matt will speak briefly about his water polo experience over the years as well as answer any questions that the audience may have.

Hope to see you there!

Time – 3:00pm Central Time on Monday, June 29

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 816 3669 5560
Password: 994155
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Please view this video from USA Water Polo for an explaination of the Olympic Development Midwest Zone Team Explained.

The Two Daves tournament which serves as a training tournament for new and veteran Illinois High School Association water polo officials will take place at Fenwick on Saturday, February 15 and Sunday, February 16.  Nine teams will compete including eight teams from Illinois and one team from Wisconsin.

2020MADEJ_OFFICIALS_TOURNEY

On February 23rd and February 24th Naperville Central will be hosting education programs.

February 23rd will be a New Coach Orientation.  For additional information see our event posting – https://illinoiswaterpolo.net/event/new-coach-orientation/

February 24th will be an NCAA Eligibility & Recruiting session for all Coaches, Athletes, and Parent.  For full information see our event posting – https://illinoiswaterpolo.net/event/ncaa-eligibility-recruiting/

Questions about either event can be sent to Jeff Plackett – [email protected]

USA Water Polo is seeking applications for their Olympic Development Program.  The Midwest Zone is seeking quality applicants for all coaching positions.  If you are interested, please see the attachment for the application process.

All resumes and inquiries must be sent to Bryan Lynton at [email protected].

Application Process

Illinois Water Polo will meet on Sunday, January 26 7pm, Sunday, March 8 7pm, Sunday, April 26 7pm, Sunday, September 13 7pm, and Sunday, November 15 7pm.  All meetings will take place in the Fenwick High School Library (505 Washington Blvd. Oak Park, IL 60302).  Anyone interested in promoting water polo in Illinois is welcomed to attend.  In November, elections for the president, secretary, and two board of director positions will be up for election.  There are attendance requirements for nominations and voting privileges as stated in the IWP By-Laws.  Hope to see you at our next meeting!

Water Polo Coaching Clinic December 1st 2019

Topic: Counter Attack Xs and Os

Speakers: Ashley Hill and Ryan Castle

Date: December 1st 2019

​Time: 10-12pm Lecture (Room 5044)
12-1pm Q&A lunch
1-3pm Pool Demo

Location: Stevenson High School

Cost: $30 (checks made out to Illinois Water Polo)

Ashley Hill
Current: Head Swimming and Diving Coach Cathedral High School Indianapolis Indiana
Math/English Teacher LSP Program
Assistant Program Director Stanford Water Polo Club
Coach Stanford Water Polo Club
USA Midwest Development Assistant Coach
20+ Years High School teaching/Coaching
10+ Years High School and club Administration

Ryan Castle
Current Carthage College HC
12 years at Division 1 (ASU, Hartwick, Michigan, Hawaii, Indiana)
Southwest Zone Head Coach 2008-2010
Kazakhstan National Team Head Coach 2011
New Zealand Video Coach 2009
South Africa Asst Coach 2002-2005
South Africa Youth Team Head Coach
10+ years High School coaching
10+ years Club coaching
Illinois Water Polo College Programs Liaison
Loves long walks on the beach and playing frisbee with his dogs.

Please RSVP for coaches clinic: https://forms.gle/5TeLKonVTsgV95bb6

If you have any questions please email Rose Schiavone at [email protected]

For more information go to – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MfjA1s6swd__FWMru29Km2ivuOd8Rjzs-Zx4XRaKP-Y/edit?usp=sharing

Chicago Shooting Academy

Join Illinois Water Polo players, family, and friends for an evening of fun at the Chicago Wolves hockey game on Saturday, November 30.  Everyone will be seated together in the same section and receive a free Chicago Wolves hat.  Each water polo player will also recieve a Chicago Wolves silicone swim cap!  The flyer here can be used to purchase tickets, or you can order tickets:

This weekend Dejan Udovicic is running a clinic at Stevenson High School from 9-10:30 am on Saturday.  If you would like to observe from the stands feel free to come by at that time.

College Night Fenwick 9.15.19

On Sunday, September 15, Fenwick High School will be the host site for a college water polo recruiting talk at 5:30pm in the Fenwick library.

Dan Sharadin, former Villanova water polo coach and current commissioner of the Collegiate Water Polo Association which oversees most of the water polo players on the east coast at the NCAA level and almost all of the water polo in the United States played at the collegiate club level, will be presenting.  This is a great opportunity for anyone thinking they might be interested in playing college water polo at any level in the future.

The maximum number of attendees will be capped at 70.  RSVP to [email protected] by 9/13/2019 or call 610-277-6787

American Water Polo’s Illinois Water Polo fall leagues are accepting team registrations through Monday, 8/12/19.  Opportunities for clubs to compete in a high school boys league, a 14&Under coed league, a 12&Under coed league, and a 10&Under coed league are available throughout the fall season.  Sign up today!

14U Fall League Availability form 2019

Availability form HS boys 2019

The 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees where announced last night at the Illinois Water Polo All State Banquet.

Congratulations to Maura Billish Tiernan (Evergreen Park High School ’84) and Steve Vongluekiat (Fenwick ’94) on joining the Illinois Water Polo Hall of Fame!

2019 Girls All-State Teams

2019 Boys All-State Teams

Noah Lawson (Conant ’21) has been selected for the USA Water Polo Youth National Team.  He is trying to get to Budapest, Hungary with the USA Water Polo Youth National Team this summer.

You can help support the cause at https://www.gofundme.com/f/vpe453-father

The Illinois Water Polo 2019 All-Sectional Teams by Sectional –

Buffalo Grove Girls

Buffalo Grove Boys

Conant (Hoffman Estates) Girls

Conant (Hoffman Estates) Boys

Fenwick (Oak Park) Girls

Fenwick (Oak Park) Boys

Glenbrook North (Northbrook) Girls

Glenbrook North (Northbrook) Boys

Lincoln Way West (New Lenox) Girls

Lincoln Way West (New Lenox) Boys

Lyons (LaGrange) Girls

Lyons (LaGrange) Boys

Neuqua Valley (Naperville) Girls

Neuqua Valley (Naperville) Boys

St. Ignatius (Chicago) Girls

St. Ignatius (Chicago) Boys

Illinois High School All Star Games HS Girls All Star Game at 12:30 (warm up at noon) HS Boys All Star Game at 1:45 (warm up at 1:30)

An Age Group Clinic is being sponsored by Illinois Water Polo & Stevenson HS prior to the All Star Games from 9:30 to 12 pm noon at the Stevenson High School Aquatic Center.

• This clinic is for girls and boys in 8th grade and under (ages 6 to 14)

• All clinic participants can watch the All Star games

• Registration Link: https://stevenson.revtrak.net/r3#/v/Water-Polo-Age-GroupClinic-060219-Registration

• Questions? Call or email

• Head Girls’ Water Polo Coach, Jeff Wimer at 847-8338767 [email protected]

• Head Boys’ Water Polo Coach, Sean Wimer at 847602-2273 [email protected]

Download the flyer here.

The annual Illinois All-State and Hall of Fame Banquet brings the Illinois Water Polo community together to celebrate the successes of the high school water polo athletes, coaches, and officials and the to honor those inducted into the Hall of Fame.  The banquet along with our ad book and Social Media Promotion opportunities for supporters raises funds to ensure Illinois Water Polo’s sustainability and to create opportunities for further growth of our great sport!  This is your opportunity to show support as well as market your organization or brand to a targeted audience of over 250 people at the banquet, annual traffic on our website is close to 10,000 unique users, and our twitter currently is followed by 720 individuals. All proceeds are dedicated to the promotion and development of the sport of water polo in the state of Illinois at the age group, high school, and masters levels by expanded competitive opportunities for Illinois Water Polo athletes through player, coaching, and officiating clinics, the Dave Perry College Scholarship, and the high school All-Start game.

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Download the 2019 Sponsorship Form Here

Registration for Summer High School League is now open!

Go to https://illinoiswaterpolo.net/summer-league/ to get more information about the league and register.

his week, Illinois Water Polo and the Metro Catholic Aquatic Conference are presenting the Dave Perry College Scholarship Awareness Week.

This is the only scholarship of its kind in Illinois.  Started in 2013, $18,000 has been given to twelve deserving students from ten different high schools who have attended ten different colleges or universities all around the United States.  If your team or parents are interested in making a donation, they can simply mail a check made out to Illinois Water Polo to:

Kyle Perry

505 Washington Blvd.

Oak Park, IL 60302

Previous winners:

Good luck to all the high school teams participating in the Illinois High School Association’s spring water polo season which starts today.

Competitions will begin on Monday, March 4, 2019.

The IHSA State Championship Tournament will be held at Stevenson High School on Thursday, May 16, Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18, 2019.

2018 Illinois Water Polo Year in Review, compiled by Beto Garcia (Vice-President) and Kyle Perry (President)

USA Water Polo’s Yearly Awards:

Bill Barnett Distinguished Coaching Award – Tim Daniel, Northwest Chicago Water Polo Club

Brent Bolander Distinguished Coaching Award – Dough Eichstaedt, Lyons AC

Bryan Weaver Male Masters Athlete of the Year Award – Gerrit Adams, Windy City Water Polo

Jody Campbell Sportmanship Award: Uriel Galarza (Chicago Park District), Joe Jeness (Northern Illinois Polo Club)

Maureen O’Toole Sportsmanship Award: Kelsey Wessel (West Suburban), Susan Palmentera-Reid (Chicago Park District)

Illinois Water Polo Awards:

Phil Stelnicki Award – Bill Dolehide

The Mike Murphy Award – Rob Lindgren

Boys Coach of the Year – Bill Salentine, Naperville Central

Girls Coach of the Year – Jeff Wimer, Stevenson

Hall of Fame Inductee – Jeff Plackett, Ray Zeason, and John B. Murphy

Boys Player of the Year – Victor Perez, Lyons Township

Girls Player of the Year – Claire Haas, Stevenson

Boys Senior Scholastic Award – Brendan Chang, Glenbrook South

Girls Senior Scholastic Award – Eileen Hoang, Stevenson

Dave Perry College Scholarship – Molly McGuire (Fenwick) – Indiana University and Jack Otto (Libertyville) – Bucknell University

National Federation of High School Associations Coach of the Year:

Timothy Daniel, Conant

Amy Martello, Lane Tech

Club Tournaments:

2018 USA Water Polo Junior Olympic:

12&Under Girls: Chicago Park District (27)

14&Under Girls: Chicago Park District (33)

16&Under Girls: Northern Illinois Polo Club (47)

18&Under Girls: Northern Illinois Polo Club (43), Chicago Park District 79

14&Under Boys: Chicago Park District (36), Lyons AC (48)

16&Under Boys: Chicago Park District (39), West Suburban (47), Northern Illinois Polo Club (70), Northwest Chicago Water Polo Club ( 118)

18&Under Boys: Northwest Chicago Water Polo Club (43), West Suburban (91), Northwest Chicago Water Polo Club Blue (96)

2018 USA Water Polo Champions Cup:

14&Under Girls: West Suburban (11), Chicago Park District (12)

14&Under Boys: Chicago Park District (11), Northern Illinois Polo Club (12)

American Water Polo National State Challenge:

High School Boys: 1^st Chicago Park District, 2^nd Windy City Water Polo

High School Girls: 1^st Windy City Water Polo

Club Leagues:

American Water Polo 14&Under Summer League: 1^st Team Chicago, 2^nd Chicago Park District Girls, 3^rd Chicago Park District Boys

American Water Polo 12&Under Summer League: 1^st Chicago Park District Green, 2^nd Team Chicago, 3^rd Chicago Park District White

American Water Polo 14&Under Fall League: 1^st Lyons AC and Chicago Park District Boys

American Water Polo 12&Under Fall League: 1^st Chicago Park District Green, 2^nd Northern Illinois Polo Club, 3^rd Chicago Park District White

Illinois High School Association Water Polo:

Sectional Winners: Buffalo Grove (Stevenson Boys and Girls), Glenbrook South (Evanston Boys and Loyola Girls), Lincoln-Way East (Lincoln-Way East Boys and Girls), Lyons Township (Lyons Boys and Mother McAuley Girls), Metea Valley (Naperville Central Boys and Naperville North Girls), Schaumburg (Conant Boys and Girls), St. Ignatius (St. Ignatius Boys and Lane Tech Girls), York (Fenwick Boys and Girls)

IHSA State Championship Tournament:

Boys – 1^st Naperville Central, 2^nd Fenwick, 3^rd Lyons, 4^th Conant

Girls – 1^st Stevenson, 2^nd Fenwick, 3^rd Naperville North, 4^th Loyola

Illinois Water Polo Events:

Coaching Clinic at Arlington Park Race Track

IHSA Officials training at Fenwick

Age Group Water Polo Clinic at Stevenson in conjunction with the All-State All-Star Game at Stevenson

All-State Banquet and Hall of Fame Dinner

Click here to view the full schedule – 2019MADEJ_OFFICIALS_TOURNEY

There was a large turnout for the January Official Clinic.  Officials reviewed 2019’s Rule changes. Speakers covered mentoring and the nuances of women’s water polo, specifically suit grabbing.

New officials reviewed whistle technique and points of emphasis for their first year officiating water polo.

The level two clinic reviewed video showing correct application of the rules in the 2018 State Tournament’s game situations.

Illinois Water Polo will be holding a college water polo “recruiting 101” session on Monday, January 28th @ 7pm in the Naperville Central Learning Commons. All athletes, coaches, and parents are invited to attend. Our target audience is probably sophomores and juniors, but there’s still time for seniors who have still not made a firm decision about their next step.

This free seminar is designed to introduce members of the Illinois Water Polo community to the basics of the college process: registering with the NCAA, your high school coach’s role in the process, contacting college coaches, scholarship myths & realities, varsity vs. club, etc. This is strictly informative; this is not a recruiting service, there’s no sales pitch, and no cost.

Naperville Central High School

440 W. Aurora Ave

Naperville

Enter school at Door 1 on Aurora Ave, not the pool entrance. There will be signs inside the main entrance directing you to the Learning Commons.

We’ll absolutely take drop-ins, but it would be helpful for planning purposes if some attendees would pre-register.

www.tinyurl.com/IWPrecruit

Illinois Water Polo will hold five meetings in 2019 on the following dates: January 13, March 10, April 14, September 15 and November 17.

All are on Sundays at 7 PM at Fenwick High School library.​

Anyone interested in helping grow water polo in Illinois is encouraged to attend.

2019 Alumni Water Polo Club Champions Camps By Windy City Water Polo Club

Windy City Water Polo (Oak Park, IL) and Alumni Water Polo (Granite Bay CA) will be hosting a water polo clinic at Fenwick High School for high school boys and girls as well as age group boys and girls on Saturday, January 12 and Sunday, January 13. Athletes can register for one or two days. Alumni Water Polo has come to Illinois three out of the last four years to run camps using Fenwick as the host site, and they have always done a great job. In the past, Br. Rice graduate, Joey Franz, has participated as a clinician. Franz, a former goalie for the University of the Pacific water polo team competes with the Alumni Water Polo team in California. There will be six clinicians here this year. Each as NCAA or National Team experience!

Camp registration information can also be found at: https://alumniwaterpolo.sportngin.com/register/form/711739329?_ga=2.112915904.557550457.1545167256-1935233685.1545167256

Out of a field of eleven teams, Club of Chicago and Windy City Water Polo (pictured above) were co-champions of the 2018 Dave Perry Classic held at Fenwick High School on November 17 and 18.  Both teams were undefeated entering the championship game.  Club of Chicago defeated the University of Illinois, the Apostles, and the Outlaws.  Windy City Water Polo defeated the Apostles, the Glenbrook Gators, and the Wildcats.  The championship game ended in an 11-11 tie with four goals being scored in the closing two minutes.

Referee Magazine published the following personal remembrance of Bill Dolehide in their November edition.

PDF Version – Last Call 11_18

www.referee.com

www.naso.org

Topic: How to Create a Winning Culture

Speaker: Dr. Marcelo Leonardi

Head Women’s Water Polo Coach Michigan University

Dr. Marcelo Leonardi enters his fifth season as head coach for the Michigan women’s water polo team.

In four seasons, Leonardi has recorded a 109-39 (.736) overall record at Michigan. He has guided the Wolverines to three NCAA appearances, three CWPA Championships and two first place conference finishes during the regular season.

Leonardi increased the team’s win total by 11 from year one to year two and has only lost two conference games in four seasons (30-2).

In just his second year at Michigan, Leonardi took the Wolverines to their highest point in the 16 years of the program. U-M achieved its highest ranking of all-time, No. 4, after placing 4th at the NCAA Championship. The Wolverines won the CWPA Championship for the sixth time and first since 2010, giving Leonardi his first college championship. He was named the Doc Hunkler Coach of the Tournament. The team finished with a 30-8 overall record.

Leonardi took over the Michigan women’s water polo program after spending the previous five seasons as the women’s water polo coach at California State University in Northridge. In 2014, he guided the Matadors to a second-place finish in the regular-season Big West Conference standings and a runner-up showing at the conference championship. CSUN compiled a 23-9 overall record on the year and ranked as high as No. 9 in the CWPA national polls.

To see his full bio please visit:

https://mgoblue.com/coaches.aspx?rc=6&path=wwpolo

Please sign up for the clinic:

https://goo.gl/forms/tdJ36vRdjf3zgqqj1

for questions please contact Rose Wimer at [email protected]

Checks can be made out to Illinois Water Polo (IWP)

Many Illinois high school prep water polo players returned to their old stomping grounds as Lyons Township South’s pool hosted Indiana University, Carthage College, the University of Toronto, Lidenwood University, the University of Florida, and local women’s team, Wildcats.  Florida’s roster boasts Julia Nicholson from Long Grove, IL.  Lidenwood’s Illinois players include Nicole Howe (New Lenox, IL), Emily Kini (Palatine, IL), Vladislava Milutinovic (Northbrook, IL), Harmony Moran (New Lenox, IL), and Betsy Zanocco (Arlington Heights, IL).  Carthage College’s Illinois high school water polo graduates include: Emma Jeronimus (Hoffman Estates, IL), Heather Walker (Chicago, IL), Angel Kelsey (Orland Park, IL), Mae Van Beest (Flossmoor, IL), Arianna Dakuras (Chicago, IL), Lauren Corcoran (Orland Park, IL), Kayli Sayatovic (Berwyn, IL), and Meghan Fisher (Tinley Park, IL).  Carthage is led by Illinois Water Polo Hall of Fame inductee, Laura Coffman.  Indiana’s roster included two Fenwick graduates, Molly McGuire (Oak Park, IL) and volunteer coach / video manager Will Skowron (Oak Park, IL).

In addition all the games played below, the coaches provided an evening clinic for all interested high school athletes.

Final results:

Rob Lindgren, a force in District 214 high school aquatics for more than two decades, died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday, July 15.  He had been battling pancreatic cancer since last November.  In addition to positions as coach, teacher, official, club supervisor, Rob also spearheaded the Illinois Water Polo High School Boys and Girls Summer Leagues.  Twenty two different clubs, several with multiple teams, currently participate in the league started by Rob which ends its regular season this week.  This league has been instrumental to the growth of high school water polo in Illinois since its inception.  In the recent years, Rob took the league from a more recreational set up to one with a championship tournament, awards for the winners, high level games, and the crowning of an Illinois High School Summer League Champion.  He also kept a recreational set up for teams just starting out, allowing all teams, no matter their level of play or experience, an opportunity to play water polo throughout the summer.  His efforts in this league were tireless.

This past June, while battling cancer, Rob renewed Illinois Water Polo’s commitment to coaching education by organizing a coaching clinic and social at Arlington Park (Arlington Heights, IL).  Over twenty five coaches attended the event which saw presentations from several top level area high school and club coaches as well as 2016 Olympian, Brett Bonanni.  Following the clinic, live racing was enjoyed and lunch was provided by Illinois Water Polo.

Following in Rob’s footsteps, Illinois Water Polo will continue both the high school summer league and the coaching clinics.  Illinois Water Polo would also like to thank Rob one last time for his incredible efforts in helping provide direction and growth of the sport of water polo in the state of Illinois at the player, coach, club, and high school level.

Two recent articles about Rob’s passing can be found at:

Aquatics community mourns Lindgren’s loss

Area Aquatic Pioneer Rob Lindgren Dies

There is also a go fund me page.

Illinois Water Polo will also accept donations in honor of Rob Lindgren which will be earmarked for the next coaching clinic, an event that Rob was already working on despite his last clinic being held just a month ago!  Donations by check made out to Illinois Water Polo can be mailed to:

Kyle Perry, Illinois Water Polo President

505 Washington Blvd.

Oak Park, IL 60302

A Memorial Mass will be held on Monday, July 23rd at 10am at St. Edna Catholic Church (2525 N Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60004).

Clinic and afternoon social is complementary with you team’s entry into the summer league.

2018 Girls All-State

2018 Boys All-State

The Illinois Water Polo 2018 All-Sectional Teams by Sectional –

Chicago (St. Ignatius College Prep) Boys

Chicago (St. Ignatius College Prep) Girls

Elmhurst (York) Boys

Elmhurst (York) Girls

Glenview (Glenbrook South) Boys

Glenview (Glenbrook South) Girls

LaGrange (Lyons) Boys

LaGrange (Lyons) Girls

Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East) Boys

Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East) Girls

Schaumburg (H.S.) Boys

Schaumburg (H.S.) Girls

Buffalo Grove Boys

Buffalo Grove Girls

Aurora (Metea Valley) Boys

Aurora (Metea Valley) Girls

The 2018 WSWPC Water Polo Clinic has been announced and will take place on May 26th, 2018 at Naperville North High School.

For more information visit our calendar event or the website for the event.

Billy Dolehide

Long time player and official, Billy Dolehide tragically passed away last week.  Billy played water polo at Br. Rice and then the University of Illinois.  He also played with various parks in the Chicago Park District league, most recently Fernwood.  As a masters athlete, he competed with the Apostles, the Outlaws, Riverside-Brookfield, and just about any other team that needed a guy!  On the deck, Billy was an Illinois High School Association official for seventeen years.  He also officiated many years prior to the sport of water polo being sanctioned by the IHSA in 2002.  As an IHSA official, Billy worked eight state tournaments.  Billy is survived by his loving wife, Terri Dolehide, and his three children, Shannon, Logan, and Morgan.  If you would like to support the Dolehide family, you can visit their gofund me page at: https://www.gofundme.com/dolehide-family-fund or purchase a t-shirt from which all proceeds will be donated directly to the family at: https://teespring.com/honoring-bill-dolehide#pid=46&cid=2739&sid=front

Bill Dolehide (left) was “always smiling and being nice to people,” according to his wife, Terri. (Terri Dolehide)

Mark Rebora

On March 17th, long time boys’ water polo coach at Glenbrook North, Mark Rebora, suffered a heart attack while out for a morning bike ride and passed away.

Mark, a 1978 Loyola Academy Alum, taught Physical Education at Glenbrook North in addition to coaching football, wrestling, and water polo.  He had been the water polo coach at Glenbrook North since 2000.  Rebora was an active athlete himself and was named to Loyola Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame for his achievement as a wrestler in 2003.  Mark is survived by his wife Christine and his son’s Cole and Caid.

A celebration of Mark’s life has been planned for April 15th, 2018.  Details can be found here – Rebora – Celebration of Life

More information on Mark’s life is available at https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/gbn-boys-water-polo-coach-mark-rebora-dies-unexpectedly/

The Rebora Memorial fund has been established to benefit student athletes at Glenbrook North High School: https://gbnbooster.org/

Despite some weather related issues, nine men’s teams and two women’s teams participated in the 18th annual ‘Officials’ Water Polo Tournament, dedicated in memory of Dave Madej and Dave Perry this past weekend.  The Apostles went 4-0 to earn the tournament title defeating Illinois State University, Hippos, Team Chicago, and, finally, Windy City Water Polo in the championship game.  This marks the second straight year that the Apostles have won this event.  One the women’s side, Carthage College and Wildcats split their two games, each winning one.

Final Results:

Saturday, February 10

Wildcats 10 Carthage 7

Apostles 21 Hippos 6

GB Gators 5 Harper College 10

Outlaws 11 Windy City Water Polo 20

Carthage 9 Wildcats 7

Team Chicago 11 Harper College 6

Beached Whales 18 Outlaws 9

ISU 8 Hippos 10

GB Gators 8 Team Chicago 7

Beached Whales 10 Windy City Water Polo 14

Sunday, February 11

Apostles 17 ISU 3

Outlaws 19 Gators 11

Whales 15 Harper 10

Windy City Water Polo 12 Team Chicago 11

ISU 11 Gators 9

Hippos 4 Harper 13

Apostles 16 Team Chicago 3

ISU 9 Outlaws 13

Beached Whales 12 Hippos 11

Apostles 15 Windy City Water Polo 2

Final Standings:

1. Apostles 4-0

2. Windy City Water Polo 3-1

3. Team Chicago 1-3

4. Beached Whales 3-1

5. Hippos 2-2

6. Harper College 2-2

7. Outlaws 2-2

8. ISU 1-3

9. Gators 1-3

Illinois Water Polo has announced its 2018 meeting schedule.  All meetings are held at Fenwick High School (505 Washington Blvd. Oak Park, IL 60302).  Five meetings will be held throughout the year on the following dates:

All interested in Illinois water polo are encouraged to attend.

The Club of Chicago team went 4-0 to win the 2017 Dave Perry Classic held at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, IL.  The team defeated the Chicago Park District 15-5, Windy City Water Polo 11-10, the Apostles 10-6, and Team Chicago 17-8.  The Apostles and Windy City both finished with 3-1 records.  Additionally, $500 were raised to help fund Illinois Water Polo’s Dave Perry College Scholarship.  For more information on the scholarship, check out the scholarship page.

Final results and tournament scores:

Club of Chicago 4-0

Apostles 3-1

Windy City Water Polo 3-1

Glenbrook Gators 2-2

Harper 2-2

Outlaws 2-2

Squirrels & Bears 2-2

Team Chicago 2-2

Beached Whales 1-3

Chicago Park District 1-3

Hippos 0-4

2017 Dave Perry Classic RESULTS

Windy City Water Polo and Alumni Water Polo are proud to announce the return of the Alumni Water Polo camp to Illinois this November.  This two day camp will be held on Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 5 at Fenwick High School (505 Washington Blvd. Oak Park, IL 60302).  This year’s camp is open to all players, boys and girls, 13 years of age and older.  More information can be found at:  https://www.facebook.com/events/510415496005677http://www.alumniwaterpolo.com/news_article/show/701035

Download Flyer

Mid West Zone Identification Tournament

October 6-8, 2017

Stevenson High School

Chicago, Illinois

USA Water Polo and the Mid West Zone are proud to announce our 2nd annual zone tournament.  This tournament provides high-level competition for male athletes in the zone as well as exposure to the National Team Coaches.  There will be 2 divisions for the tournament listed below.

Boys 18 and Under:  12 teams including “free agent” team of athletes not associated with a club

Identification of male athletes born in 2000-2002

Boys 14 and under :  12 teams including “free agent”( team of athletes not associated with a club) This will also serve as the qualifier for Champions Cub

Identification of male athletes born in 2003 or younger

Coaches Clinic Integrated into the weekend with National Team Coaches in attendance

Space is Limited for these tournaments.  Please contact Tim Daniel to secure a spot for your team or Free Agents.

Cost per team:  $500

Cost for free agents:  $100

Tim Daniel – [email protected]  P: 847-208-3428

Mid West Zone ODP Identification Tournament

In 2014, the Sandburg community and the swimming and water polo community lost a true champion in Coach Jane Caliendo.  Register today to support the Jane Caliendo Memorial Foundation to continue Jane’s legacy with scholarships to graduating students from St. Michael’s School and Sandburg High School.

More information is available on their Facebook page, and the web page www.janeswarriors.com

Read the Full Story at: http://www.collegiatewaterpolo.org/news/2017-18/081117HighSchoolSportsGrowth

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — There will be plenty lot of people taking to the pool in July in the Windy City as the American Water Polo National State Challenge comes to Chicago, Ill. on Thursday–Sunday, July 13-16, at Fenwick High School and Portage Park.  Membership Director of American Water Polo Damon Newman offered these words about the host city. “We are excited to host the 2017 National State Challenge in Chicago. Chicago is a world class city with a deep history of water polo excellence.”  Established in 2008, the tournament takes to the road to be hosted for the first time in the Midwest after a three-year stint in Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania.  One of the premier events of the year for both men and women, as many college coaches and scouts will be attending the tournament.  This year’s 18U men’s and women’s teams in addition to competing for attention will also be vying for the $1,000 prize for the winners after their five-game tournament.  The home state will be heavily featured as in both the men’s, women’s and the U14 coed division are all boasting several teams from not just the state but the city as well.  Windy City Water Polo has teamed up with Athletico Physical Therapy and American Water Polo to bring the event to the Midwest. Newman again lauded the host locations.

“We are thrilled to have the tournament played at the Chicago Parks Portage Park Pool, an institution of outdoor water polo in this great city. Perennial water polo powerhouse Fenwick High School will host games in their all deep facility.”  The schedule for the tournament is available at http://www.americanwaterpolo.org/nsc-general-info

Illinois Water Polo would like to thank the 2017 All-State Banquet Sponsors for their generosity and their continued support of IWP’s mission. This year’s Gold Sponsor were Stevenson High School and the Martino Family. Silver Sponsors included Chicago Apostles, John’s Hot Dogs, Lakeview Environmental, Homewood-Flossmoor Swim Club, Forest Park National Bank, Northern Illinois Polo Club, and Lyons Aquatics. Bronze Sponsors were Fenwick High School and Windy City Water Polo. We’d also like to thank our in-kind supporters, Classic Design Awards, Inc., Liberty Creative Solutions, and Lively Bottles.

Interesting in helping Illinois Water Polo continue to provide direction and growth of the sport of water polo in the state of Illinois at the player, coach, club, and high school level? Donations are welcome throughout the year, and ads for the All-State banquet ad-book as well as All-State Banquet sponsorship opportunities will be available in early 2018. Visit our fundraising page (https://illinoiswaterpolo.net/about-iwp/fundraising/) for more information on how to help.

2017 Girls All-State

2017 Boys All-State

Congrats to all the players and coaches selected to the 2017 All-Sectional Teams!

The Illinois Water Polo High School All-Star Games will be held on June 4th.  The Girl’s Game will start at 12:30 PM followed by the Boy’s Game at 1:45 PM.  All playes names to the 2017 All-State Team are encouraged to participate.

Following the Boy’s Game a reception will be held for all athletes and families.

All Star Game & Age Group Clinic Flyer

There are several camps being hosted here in Illinois this summer.

Please check our Events Page to see some of the offerings.

Illinois Water Polo will continue to post new camp opportunities as we become aware of them.  If you’re looking for a team to play with this summer, Illinois Water Polo has a list of club teams near you: http://illinoiswaterpolo.net/organizations/

Please download this year’s 2017 Illinois Water Polo All-State Banquet Sponsorship form [link].  This is a great way to honor those that make an All-Sectional Team, All-State Team, are named Player of the Year, earn the Senior Scholastic Award, earn the Phil Stelnicki Award, or are inducted into the IWP Hall of Fame.  In addition, this is a great chance to purchase an ad for the ad-book to promote one’s business.  Deadline for ads in the ad-book is Monday, May 22, 2017.

Thanks for your support!

British designer India Hicks’ line of affordable luxury jewelry, handbags, beauty and accessories products will be on display during Saturday, May 6th’s water polo matches at Fenwick High School.

20% of all sales donated to the Dave Perry College Scholarship

Download the Flyer here

Immediately following the Metro Catholic Aquatic Conference Championship 5pm boys’ water polo game, friends, coaches, officials are all invited to celebrate the end of the IHSA Water Polo regular season at O’Sullivan’s Public House (7244 Madison St., Forest Park, IL 60130).  There will be IWP representatives collecting any donations for the Dave Perry College Scholarship.  This scholarship is the only of its kind in Illinois and is intended to assist those aspiring boy and girl water polo athletes to pursue their dreams in college while honoring the long and storied legacy of Coach Perry.  For more information on the scholarship, please visit: http://illinoiswaterpolo.net/the-dave-perry-scholarship/

Illinois Water Polo is looking for all interested players, coaches, fans, and officials of water polo to consider becoming involved in IWP as the organization looks to restructure the by-laws so as to better help grow and develop water polo in Illinois. Our next meeting is Sunday, April 30th at 7pm in the Fenwick library. We will be creating a team to investigate the by-laws and make needed changes to ensure that Illinois Water Polo is set up in the best way to continue to provide direction and growth of the sport of water polo in the state of Illinois at the player, coach, club, and high school level. Any interested players, coaches, fans, and officials of water polo are encouraged to attend this Sunday’s meeting.

The 2017 All State Banquet will be on Tuesday May 30th at Diplomat Banquets.

Please visit the IWP All State Banquet Page or download the flyer here.

If you have any questions please contact Sally Stelnicki, [email protected].

This week, Illinois Water Polo and the Metro Catholic Aquatic Conference are trying to raise awareness for the Illinois Water Polo Dave Perry College Scholarship.  This scholarship is for athletes graduating from high school and planning on participating in Division I water polo in college.  This is the only scholarship of its kind in Illinois.  Since 2013, eight student athletes from eight different high schools (who all went to eight different colleges and universities to study and play water polo) have been awarded the $1500 scholarship.  This year, IWP will again be providing two $1500 scholarships.  Illinois Water Polo is proud to sponsor this scholarship as a way to help Illinois athletes achieve their dreams of playing water polo in college as well as honoring the legacy of Dave Perry.

Click here to download this year’s flyer for the Dave Perry Scholarship Awareness Week.

The schedule for the 17th Annual Officials Training Tournament has been announced.  Teams from around the Chicago-land area will complete in this training opportunity for IHSA Officials at Fenwick Highschool.

Download the Full Schedule here.

Recommended retails for the 2017 IHSA Officials uniform have been added to the Officials page.  https://illinoiswaterpolo.net/officials/

Four Illinois girls’ 18 and under teams, Lyons, NIPCS, TOPS, and West Suburban competed against eleven teams from Florida and one team from Michigan in the 2017 SEP Winter Open Championship Tournament held January 13-15 in Altemonte Springs, Florida.  Each team played 4 games, and all Illinois teams played competitively in this USA Water Polo event.

Midwest Zone Boys Tournament at Stevenson High School schedule has been announced and is available here.

All Illinois coaches are encouraged to attend the coaching clinic at Stevenson High School on Saturday, October 8 10:30-1:30pm

Event Website: https://webpoint.usawaterpolo.com/wp15/Events2/ViewEvt.wp?EventID=16983&isPopUp=true

Thank you to Rocco and Roxanne Martino for being the 2016 Illinois Water Polo All-State Banquet Printing Sponsor.  We greatly appreciate their generosity and wish their son, Thomas Martino (Fenwick ’16), good luck as he heads off to the University of Notre Dame this fall.

The Midwest Zone will sponsor a Referee Certification School in conjunction with the Midwest Zone Junior Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.  If you have ever had an interest in officiating or wanted to learn more about how officials are trained, here is an great opportunity.  Players, parents, officials, fans, USWP members and USWP non-members are all welcome.  Details and registration info are listed below.  

USA Water Polo Referee Certification School

Hosted by the Midwest Zone

Earn Extra $$ Working in the Sport You Love!!

WHAT: USAWP Referee School

WHEN: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM CT, Saturday June 11, 2016

WHERE: Hoffman Estates High School

1100 W Higgins Rd, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169

COST: $5 for USAWP Members and $10 for Non-Members

(There will also be optional supplemental training available on Sunday, June 12 at Adlai Stevenson High School from 9 am – 1 PM CT)

PRE-REGISTATION REQUIRED!!! SEE LINK BELOW!!!

The school will highlight current USA Water Polo Rules and interpretations, including modifications for younger age divisions, “You Make The Call” Exercises, and presentations by your local referee leadership in regard to training and evaluation opportunities in your zone.  We will also discuss the responsibility and accountability associated with being a Certified USA Water Polo Referee.

To register copy this link into your browser:

https://webpoint.usawaterpolo.com/wp15/Events2/ViewEvt.wp?EventID=16215

The next Illinois Water Polo meeting will take place on Monday June 6th, 2016 at 7 pm in the Fenwick High School Library.

Illinois High School All Star Games & Age Group Clinic

Sunday, June 5th @Stevenson HS
Illinois High School All Star Games HS Girls All Star Game at 12:30 (warm up at noon)

HS Boys All Star Game at 2:00 (warm up at 1:30)
An Age Group Clinic is being sponsored by Illinois Water Polo & Stevenson HS prior to the All Star Games from 9:30 to 12 pm noon at the Stevenson High School Aquatic Center.
• This clinic is for girls and boys in 8th grade and under (ages 6 to 14)

• All clinic participants will get free admission into the All Star games

• Registration Link: • https://stevenson.revtrak.net/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=58

• Cost will be $25 for the clinic • Cash or checks (made out to Stevenson H.S.)

• Questions? Call or email

• Head Girls’ Water Polo Coach, Jeff Wimer at 847-8338767 [email protected]

• Head Boys’ Water Polo Coach, Sean Wimer at 847602-2273 [email protected]

Download Event Flyer

The next Illinois Water Polo meeting will take place on Sunday April 23nd at 2 pm in the Fenwick High School Library.

The 2016 All State Banquet details have been finalized.  All information for the banquet is available here.

Link to 2016 Banquet Form

The All State Banquet will be held on Tuesday May 31st, 2016 at Diplomat West.

The Two Daves Tournament, named in honor of Dave Madej and Dave Perry, held at Fenwick High School begins Friday night at 7pm with games extending through Sunday afternoon.  For a complete schedule, please click here

The next Illinois Water Polo meeting will take place on Monday February 22nd at 7 pm in the Fenwick High School Library.

Four Illinois girls 18 and under teams participated in the 2016 SEP Winter Open Championship Tournament held January 15-17 in Altemonte Springs, Floria. The teams were associated with the following clubs: Lyons, NIPC, TOPS, and West Sub.

Each team played 4 games. The results were as follows: NIPC-3rd place, Lyons-4th place, TOPS-9th place and West Sub-10th place.

Congratulations to all of the players and their coaches for the excellent results.