Water Polo Training

Surprise invite to train with the water polo team tonight as I finished my swim in the outdoor pool. The coach has been asking ad hoc for a few months now but I’ve declined each time thinking I’d be:

1. Too old
2. Not fit enough
3. Unable to swim front crawl
4. Away with work and missing training

Tonight the coach said they were short on numbers and answered my concerns as follows:

1. You’re not too old.
2. I’ve watched you swim, you’re plenty fit enough.
3. I’ll teach you front crawl.
4. Members sometimes miss training sessions and matches. We can work around it. It’s no problem and if you go away with work you can pause membership until you get back.

So back in the pool I go… Within two lengths (of the 33 metre pool) I’d picked up the stroke technique. Coach said my legs were strong and I was swimming faster than my breast stroke already.

Breathing technique was a little harder and I was swallowing water. I suggested I keep my head above water for now and learn the breathing technique later. Coach said good idea as polo players swim above the water anyway.

Next up I had to swim with a ball floating in front of me just a few inches from my nose and without touching it keep swimming. Surprisingly it worked and it was fun.

Before I knew it I was treading water using the “egg whisk” technique involving circling the legs like a whisk. Once I’d mastered that I had to pull myself up higher out of the water. Got it.

Coach observed I was able to tread water easily while talking without getting out of breath. I explained I’d competed in triathlons years ago and undergone open water swim training where treading water was one of the drills.

Next up we did leg drills swimming along using the egg whisk manoeuvre and scooping forward with the arms about 20m. Turn around and swim back in an upright position while slightly leaning forwards. It was hard work but I managed to keep up with the others. At this point I was regretting one of my fastest swim workouts prior but getting fit isn’t meant to be easy.

Next we were onto ball work learning how to throw and catch the ball with one hand in a kind of scoop rather than a grip. Then arching my arm back and turning my shoulder for more power in the throw. Once I’d got the hang of that it was goal practice.

Now this I thought I’d be hopeless at. Turns out I wasn’t too bad and scored a few goals. I attempted throwing the ball from further away and the coach asked me to roll my shoulder back and throw strong keeping hold of the ball until my arm was further forward. It worked…. GOAL!

A few goal practices later and next challenge was to throw the ball to a team mate to the side, swim towards the goal, catch the ball and score a goal. And I managed it!! So satisfying and the goalie said to me “Great shot and to think you couldn’t swim front crawl 45 mins ago!”

So after a 30 min power swim and an hour’s polo training I was puffed out but I loved every minute. Coach has offered me two more free training sessions and the opportunity to join the team if I wish. So I said I’ll see them in two weeks for another go. What a great way to improve fitness and make some new friends who love swimming.

Water polo training was so much fun…and what a lovely bunch of people. Life is full of nice surprises.