Oakland Tribune Article
Water polo finding its sea legs
When the Aqua Pigeons splash in pools in Martinez, they probably don't think of themselves as caulk in the socio-economic gap among East Bay communities. When Alhambra High School boys water polo coach Mike Agostino got the kids in the water, he didn't think of it that way either.
Agostino started a training program last year as a means for the water polo team to stay in shape and get more practice. But after the winter season, the high school players were encouraged to go to more advanced programs and the new club focused on the fifth- through eighth-graders who'd shown a strong interest.
"We didn't know if two people or 20 people would show up," team president Emily Simons said. They started with 25 girls and boys, and not quite a year later, 40 students from Pleasant Hill, Concord and Martinez are Aqua Pigeons.
Still, she said, even in a community of more than 600 swimmers, "we "... have to explain what water polo is."
It's a little like hockey in the water minus the sticks. It's more like pool handball. It's a long-running Olympic sport, but a bit of an elite sport across the country. In California, it's not elite so much as expensive.
Agostino said water polo fulfills a need. Martinez is a football town, he said, "but not everyone is built for football. This is one alternative to football."
As a child, he found a fit in water polo, and he became passionate about it. He said he was one of those people not tall enough to be good at basketball and too small for football. "But I could hold my own in water polo."
He said a lot of kids out there are looking for their niche, and he encourages them to try any of the variety of sports out there.
"We get kids who come out and don't like it. That's OK," he said. "Still, we encourage them to play a sport. It's great."
Sports build self-esteem, are good for health and a good use of time. "We are only one of the alternatives," he said.
Agostino said a program like this generally costs about $600 a season for each participant. The cost to be an Aqua Pigeon is about $250 a season -- much more feasible for many Martinez, Concord and Pleasant Hill youths for whom it was not an option before, Agostino and Simons say.
How do they keep the cost down? Three main things:
They don't spend as much on pool usage. They have an agreement with Alhambra High School pool for winter, spring and summer seasons. The school program uses the pool during water polo season, so the Aqua Pigeons this fall are renting the pool at Forest Hills.
They go to fewer tournaments. Instead they have more scrimmages so the youths get to test their skills with different groups of kids; the teams split pool costs.
Also the coaches -- Chris Cline, Alex Acha, and Ben Baldwin -- are working cheap, Agostino said.
"My coaches could go off and get lots more money with another program. They stick with it for the love of this area and the love of water polo."
He's recruited some of his high schoolers to coach as well when the need arises. They like to keep the kids-to-coach ratio reasonable so that each youth person gets some instruction.
Agostino and Simons are working cheapest of all, collecting no salaries. Agostino is aware of how much program directors can get paid, but again, he does this for the love of the sport and the love of Martinez.
Agostino, like some of the other coaches, offers private lessons, but the charge is minimal. It isn't about personal gain. "They wanted to give those boys who were really interested and dedicated, some extra time and attention in the water," Simons said.
Team president Simons is also treasurer, PR director, secretary and whatever else needs to be done behind the scenes. Her son is a team member, but she is doing a community service as well.
"I see what a difference it makes for the kids to be a part of something," Simons said.
She would like to see wider community involvement and hopes to find businesses willing to be sponsors. That would secure the program and possibly make it accessible to more youths.
The program is still in its infancy, but in a couple of years, Alhambra's water polo team may be competitive. This fall the high school will have its first practiced players on the JV team, freshmen who were Aqua Pigeons over the past year.
The community can watch for the hoped-for results. Colleges watch these things, too. Simons said she would like to see DVC become involved because Alhambra could be a strong feeder school for its team. Nationally, colleges are looking for players as well, and scholarships are available.
Agostino and Simons say they see how socioeconomics can keep kids from different activities and opportunities and limit the ways they can compete, like for scholarships.
The kids don't simply miss out, but often feel it is a personal glitch. "This kind of activity," Agostino said, "helps them know they can do anything if they are willing to put forth the effort."