@USAWP #Splashball #USAWP splashballusa.org A Letter from USA Water Polo's CEO, Chris Ramsey.................................................................................................................1 An Introduction to Shieldy!............................................................................................................................................................................2 Introduction and Overview............................................................................................................................................................................3 Program Overview..............................................................................................................................................................................................6 Splashball Honor Code.....................................................................................................................................................................................7 Delivery Methods.................................................................................................................................................................................................8 Getting Started......................................................................................................................................................................................................9 Materials and Resources................................................................................................................................................................................10 Program Timeline ............................................................................................................................................................................................12 Splashball Tournament Rules......................................................................................................................................................................13 League Structure ..............................................................................................................................................................................................14 Splashball Coach Review and Planning Worksheets ...................................................................................................................20 Splashball Lesson Plans, Weeks 1-8.......................................................................................................................................................23 Cultural Education Lesson Plans and Worksheets .......................................................................................................................34 Fitness and Active Nutritional Lesson Plans and Worksheets ...............................................................................................51 Acknowledgments ...........................................................................................................................................................................................83 Additional Resources .....................................................................................................................................................................................85 A LETTER FROM USA WATER POLO'S CEO, CHRIS RAMSEY USA Water Polo is excited to relaunch Splashball as our non-contact entry point into the sport of water polo. plashball is a terrific way to teach or enhance water safety skills while learning the basics of water polo. It can be taught in all sizes of swimming pools and is guaranteed to provide healthy exercise and a big splash of fun. • In the past 5 years, USA Water Polo membership has grown by over % • It is currently estimated that there are over 100,000 water polo participants at the youth, high school, collegiate club, collegiate varsity, and masters club levels. • Current states recognizing water polo as a varsity HS sport include: California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, Hawaii, Ohio, and the District of Columbia, with more on the way! The introduction to water polo through the Splashball curriculum will expose participants to the cultural aspects of the sport, its history and the history of other playing nations, as well as a comprehensive education on health and ftness that will prepare the participants to live healthy and active lives. In designing Splashball, we recognized that providing well-prepared coaches is crucial to the program’s success. Our goal is to help you organize and teach Splashball in a professional way that will leave your kids coming back for more. Some of the basic water polo skills, such as the eggbeater kick, will change their lives for the better and ensure they are always comfortable and safe in the water. After this initial sampling of water polo, we believe many will want to play the game for years to come. Working with young people has an important history in water polo. Some of Europe’s most decorated coaches still take time to teach fundamentals to very young children; this ensures the kids are being taught correctly and it keeps coaches connected to the next generation. By participating in Splashball, you are helping us to foster the same spirit in the USA. Thank you for your commitment to Splashball. We believe your investment will pay off not only for the kids but also in a rewarding experience for you as well. Christopher Ramsey Chief Executive Officer USA Water Polo 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO SHIELDY! Shieldy is USA Water Polo’s mascot, and biggest fan! He loves water polo, and follows USA Water Polo Teams everywhere! If you see Shieldy at an event, stop by for a photo! 2 Early age is a time for experimentation and building and skills. Splashballis also unique in aquatic sports in that Water skills are particularly critical at this stage of development, it provides the team element that supports social both for safety and to establish strength and flexibility in the development. articipants and parents alike expect these water. At an age when many children are signing up for their activities to have a social and interactive component that can first experience with soccer, swimming, basketball or baseball, help develop these critical life skills. water polo has never before provided an all-inclusive introductory program to allow kids to try the game, while What makes Splashball a great way to teaching swimming fundamentals. experience the water? ts fun, the kids play games while they are learning Splashball is designed to introduce the sport of water polo to Teamwork building skills in a team environment with children ages 5+. The intent is to provide basic skills and friends understanding of the sport in a recreational format. Although evelops stronger foundation of aquatic skills by water polo is known for its toughness and endurance, Splashball including water polo aspects of swimming harnesses all the fun, dynamic aspects of the game in a safe, Some of the basic skills around water polo are focused easy-to-learn aquatic experience that will motivate kids to swim on water safety eggbeater kick and treading water and stay fit. 3 SPLASHBALL PROGRAM OUTCOMES • FUN! - Splashball is FUN, participants, coaches, referees and parents alike will have a blast with our program!!! • Camaraderie – Participants will make new friends and learn to work together • Sportsmanship – Team sports build respect for each other and your opponents • Leadership – Through team sports, leadership qualities and traits are developed • Teamwork - Splashball provides a foundation to teach participants that working together towards a common goal can lead to positive outcomes, win, lose or draw • Water Safety – Learning to swim through Splashball will enhance a participant’s ability to tread water, improve their confdence in the water all while learnin fundamental swimmin strokes and techniues • Culture building – Water Polo is a global game! Through the Splashball curriculum, participants will learn about the history of the sport, and a little bit about other countries who participate in it on the world stage • Foundations of ftness and nutrition – As part of the Splashball curriculum, you can provide participants and parents with information on basic nutrition and ftness for this key ae roup. rowin and active bodies need the appropriate food and exercise to develop correctly, and Splashball provides those foundational resources for you 4 CURRICULUM OVERVIEW The Splashball curriculum is broken down into an eight (8) Splashball Weeks 5 6 week/session lesson plan. Twice during the curriculum, Designed to reinforce swimming skills, while focusing more on participants get the opportunity to test their developing skills, the development of the water polo fundamentals through ball which participants can receive a certificate of completion for and game skills. Children will become stronger swimmers in passing each test, which is redeemable for a gift from USAWP. freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. They will also develop more game knowledge including rules and terminology. Lastly, Splashball Weeks 1 they will develop the skills to tread water in the deep end. Focused on comfort in the water, while incorporating basic The program uses a low player to coach ratio in order to water polo ball skills. The program uses a low player to coach provide each child with individual attention and create a fun, ratio in order to provide each child with individual attention