Essex Water Polo Manager’s Report 2020
With the pandemic taking hold and stopping all competition since March and training bar a few weeks,
there is not much to report this year.
Chelmsford hosted the Regional Grand Prix in the new 25m, 10 lane pool where clubs from across
the Region sent young junior teams new to competition to play fun games. All clubs had to provide
qualified coaches, team mangers and officials plus young helpers and parents that want to train up
and become coaches, team mangers and officials.
On the back of this, both Chelmsford and Colchester have grown volunteers and are in a position
where they have people waiting for a level 2 course to be put on. There has not been a level 2 course
run in the East for over 10 years and we are hoping to have one run next year in Essex.
Mike Callcut attended this competition during his term as President and I was happy to introduce him
to water polo and show him the enthusiasm on all the kids faces. He attended with his wife Carol,
Swim England President Iain Mackenzie and East Region Chair Joan Wheeler. This really helped put
Essex water polo on the map at committee level and hopefully this will help grow it at all clubs. Water
Polo can be used as a fun session for swim squads and as a membership retainment for swimmers
that do not want to continue training but want to stay in the pool.
This is something I want to grow across the County in 2021 by showing how it can be grown at all
clubs.
I am working with the East Region water polo manager to ensure that all water polo clubs get enough
people qualified attending every training session, game and tournament. This lockdown has helped
with getting people on online courses, like team manger and safeguarding, so the first thing for 2021
when we’re back in the pool is coaching and officials’ courses.
If your club would like to put on a water polo session, like we have done with Braintree and Bocking
SC before, please contact me on waterpolo@essexswimming.org and I will get in touch and organise
a fun taster session.
Thank you to everyone that has helped support Essex water polo in 2020.
Dean Walker
Essex ASA Water Polo Manager