THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF USA WATER POLO HIGH SCHOOL WATER POLO ARRIVES IN TENNESSEE Bearden Captures Inaugural Crown VOLUME 28, NUMBER 2, SUMMER 2013 OLYMPIC CLUB SHINES AT MasTERS p.12 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF USA WATER POLO VOL. 28, NUM. 2, Summer 2013 What’s Inside... USA WATER POLO NATIOnaL OFFICE ON THE COVER . 2124 Main Street, Suite 240, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Inside Water ...................2 (714) 500-5445 business • (714) 500-5449 membership • (714) 960-2431 fax Bearden High School USA WATER POLO NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER celebrates the first 11360 Valley Forge Ave., Los Alamitos, CA 90720 ever Tennessee High 5 Meters ......................4 (562) 799-8506 business • (562) 799-8508 fax HIGH SCHOOL WATER POLO ARRIVES IN School Water Polo WEB SITE TENNESSEE www.usawaterpolo.org Bearden Captures Inaugural Crown Championship. OLYMPIC CLUB Water Polo Times .............10 SHINES AT MASTERS Photos courtesy Kendall Norwood Photography. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER p.12 Christopher Ramsey Water Polo Scene ..............26 CHIEF OpERATING OFFICER Marty Samuels CHIEF MARKETIng OFFICER A Day in the Life ...............27 Jennifer Rottenberg CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Jim Callahan From the Deck ................30 DIRECTOR, CLub & MEMBER PROGRams Claudia Dodson DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT Lob Shots ....................34 Stephanie London Krogius DIRECTOR OF COmmunICATIOns Greg Mescall Hot Shots ....................36 AssOCIATE DIRECTOR, SPORT DEVELOpmENT Christy Medigovich OLYMPIC DEVELOpmENT OpERATIOns ManagER Anne Laurence ReCaps NATIONAL TEams EVENTS ManagER Ashley Papenbrock MARKETIng ManagER 2013 Masters . 12 Caroline Acosta MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS ManagER Katie Wakefield pg20 World League Prelims . 14 TRAVEL ManagER Jo Fielder VIDEO PRODUCER Zach Edmunds Miles Cole Also In This Issue... FInanCE COORDInaTOR Rising Star’s Special Story Fay Hu MEMBERSHIP SERVICES COORDInaTOR Layla Behzadian Junior Olympics: Things To DEVELOpmENT COORDInaTOR Know Before You Go . 18 Phil Wooledge EXECUTIVE AssISTanT TO THE CEO Mai Lam Water Polo Arrives Human RESOURCES ManagER Gayle Shanks in Tennessee . 22 SPORT GROWTH SPECIALIST, SOUTHEasT ZONE Nick Gaffey SPORT GROWTH COnsuLTanT, MIdwEST ZONE Pat Beemer Look Ahead... BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Graff (Chairman), Jeremy Laster, Ed Reynolds, Next Issue William Smith, Ellen Estes Lee, Robert Sternfels, RoAnn Costin, >FINA World Championships Recap John Hendrickson, Richard Esterkin, Vicky Rogers, Ryan Bailey PubLISHER Jennifer Rottenberg EDITOR Greg Mescall CONTRIbuTORS Darcy Couch, Jim Cullingham, Joan Gould, Ed Haas, Stan Schwimer, Stuart Sheldon, Kelley Casey, Allen Lorentzen, Kelley L. Cox, Dr. Marcia Whalen, Karen Bloch, Angela Kraus, Dave Shefelman, Peter Trabucco, Mike Murawinksi, pg24 Paul Ciaravino, Kate de Give, Joey Rossi > Junior Olympic Champions PRINTING Quad Graphics, 555 South 108th Street, West Allis, WI 53214 Steel City CREATIVE Adrenalin, Inc., 54 West 11th Ave., Denver, CO 80204 303-454-8888 • goadrenalin.com Water Polo USA Water Polo Skip Shot Magazine (ISSN# 15507580) is published four times per year by United States Water Polo, Inc., located at 2124 Main Street, Suite 240, Huntington Beach, CA 92648. Periodicals postage is paid at Huntington Beach, CA 92648 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Skip Shot Magazine, United States Water Polo, Inc., 2124 Main Street, Suite 240, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 usawaterpolo.org 1 INSIDE WATER letter from the CEO, Christopher Ramsey USA WATER POLO A New Leader For Our Men’s National Team The Dejan Udovicic Era began at the 2013 FINA World League Preliminary want Dejan to have the freedom to make decisions with an eye toward Rio and Competition for the Americas during the long Memorial Day weekend, and beyond, and we will not sacrifice our future for short-term results. there was a lot of energy and change on display. Dejan Udovicic has taken the first steps toward overhauling our program and For one thing, there were a great many new faces. A total of 24 athletes will putting us on the road to consistent international success. I, for one, am look- have been tapped for USA National team rosters starting with the UANA Cup ing forward to the ride. in January through the FINA World League Super Final held in Russia last month. More competition lies ahead for those seeking to make the USA Men’s team for the upcoming FINA World Championships in Barcelona. One student of USA history said to me, “I don’t believe the competition to Chris make our national team has ever been this wide open.” Udovicic has a reputation for nurturing young players and building programs from the ground up. His Bronze Medal-winning Serbian team at the London Olympics was one of the youngest in Olympic history to garner a medal. In our second-to-last game against the Canadian national team, Udovicic took the reins for the first time since arriving on U.S. soil (although he had selected the final roster via long-distance conference call prior to the tour- nament). His first result as head coach was a 22-3 win, followed by a 13-7 victory over Brazil that secured the top seed heading to the Super Final. We were pleased to have him here. After concluding negotiations on an agreement through 2016, we set about the work of securing Udovicic a visa. Initially it didn’t look possible that he could get his paperwork approved by the State Departments in time for the tournament. But thanks to the efforts of many behind the scenes, his application was fast-tracked, and he made the trip from Belgrade in time for the pivotal final day of competition. And although it was nice to secure the top seed for the Super Final, all of us at USA Water Polo are focused on longer-term outcomes. We realize that the next two years will be a building process for our new coach and team. We Top Stories on USAWaterPolo.org... >11th Annual USA Water Polo Golf Tournament Set For September 27 - http://usawaterpolo org/genrel/060313aab. .html >ODP Pipeline Teams Announced - http://usawaterpolo org/sports/odp/spec-rel/052913aaa. .html www.facebook.com/usawp www.youtube.com/usawp www.twitter.com/usawp If you have a comment or question concerning Skip Shot magazine, send in a letter to the editor. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR You can write to Skip Shot Magazine: c/o USA Water Polo, 2124 Main Street, Suite 240, Huntington Beach, CA 92648 or send an email to: [email protected] 2 5 METERS Quick Shots from USA Water Polo USA WATER POLO My 1st Match Chris Oeding—Assistant Coach, Women’s Senior National Team; Olympian, 1996 & 2000 Games July, 1988 My first international water polo game took place in the summer of 1988 in Budapest, Hungary. I was 16 years old and a member of the USA Junior National Team. Head coach Rich Corso and assistant Ricardo Azevedo took us to Europe in preparation for the Junior World Championships in France the following summer. After a long travel day we were greeted at our hotel and served a lunch consisting of cold cherry soup and goulash. I remember thinking that I didn’t bring enough peanut butter, granola bars, and beef jerky to last me the entire trip. After lunch we went to the pool for a loosen-out before the tournament. Our hotel was on a hill in “Buda,” so we had to walk more than a mile with all of our gear down to Margaret Island. After practice we hiked back up to the hotel for dinner, a team meeting, and bed. Our first game was against the Soviet Union. They were Gold Medalists in 1980 and very dangerous. I was so nervous! In addition we were at the peak of the Cold War and playing our arch enemy. I didn’t know what to expect, so I focused on what I knew...water polo. After the first period we were tied. Then at the half we were down by only one. After the third we were still in the game. We ended up losing 10-8, but that game showed me that we were capable of beating anybody. In fact, the following summer we finished ahead of the Soviets at the Junior World Championships. My first international match was definitely a breakout game for me…and one I’ll never forget THE ADVENTURES OF Nice work team, way to pick up Hey guys, check out Dan, you can't just steal stuff, the win in our first game, now my new gear! besides Shieldy is gonna notice we have some downtime, hang you in that robe. with your families, get a snack, and we'll see you at 3pm. Whoa, Dan, that's awesome, how much I'm headed to did that cost? WATER POLO the snack stand if anyone wants to go. 5 6 9 2 WATER POLO Nothing, I just took it, but don't illustrated Tony, they have a ton of robes, say anything by they won't miss just one, so Count me in! to Shieldy! I don't paul ciaravino know man. don't worry about it. Shieldy, we don't want to rat Dan, I heard you took some Everyone, Dan made a Sorry Shieldy, anyone out, but Dan stole a robe things that aren't yours, mistake and won't be sorry guys, it and a ball from the we need to give those back. playing anymore today. won't ever merchandise tent I can't happen again. and says believe its ok. those guys Sorry, I shouldn't told you! have taken these, Ok guys, well I'm please forgive me. glad you came to 2 7 WATER POLO WATER POLO 5 me. I know that WATER POLO 6 puts you in a They are actually Ok, just tough spot, but being good friends, this once. stealing is against and trying to the law and it keep you out of makes our whole That's right, from now on trouble.