Miramonte High School has been competing in water polo since 1967. As one of the most successful scholastic sports programs in the country the Mats have produced 15 Sectional Championship Teams, 25 League Championship Teams, 5 Olympic Team members, 88 High School All American awards and 25 Collegiate All American awards.
I wanted to take a second to share some thoughts I had while watching the NCAA basketball tournament the past few weekends. It seems to me that one thing the 4 teams that made the final 4 have in common is that they are all excellent defensive teams. I knew UCLA was an excellent defensive group after seeing them play Cal this year... LSU is very athletic and good defensively too, especially when it comes to protecting the bucket with shot blocking (similar to having a strong goalie in water polo). Other than making some huge shots, the unexpected George Mason team plays amazing defense. I have not seen Florida play much this year, but I know they are very quick and athletic and, like LSU, have big men who protect to basket well.
You have all heard Bill and I tell you how similar water polo is to basketball. You can see how to be a successful defensive water polo team by looking at successful defensive basketball teams. For example, all these teams have great individual defenders. In water polo it is important to be a good individual defender as well. Being able to keep your man away from the basket in hoops is like taking away inside water and keeping a driver away from the goal. These individual defenders are great at taking away a players strength... making them use their off had to control the ball or taking a shot that is a 2nd or 3rd option. Some of this comes from athletic ability, but a large amount of it comes from being a student of the game... knowing what the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition are and forcing them away from what they like to do.
Many of these defenders are excellent at putting pressure on the ball (same concept in the pool) in order to prevent the ball handler from going where they want to go, making a good pass, or taking a good shot. Pressure on the ball is extremely important in polo and basketball. Putting pressure on the ball takes the pressure off your teammates... it will become more important with the new rules in water polo. If you are able to harass the ball handler and let that short shot clock tick away, you are helping your team greatly. Also, as it is in polo, making the steal yourself in basketball is not always your best option... you could pick up a foul. Sometimes better to force a bad pass and let your teammates get the steal. You see this all the time in the NCAA tournament.
While all the teams in the final four are filled with good individual defenders, the thing that makes there teams elite is their ability to play excellent TEAM DEFENSE. They are able to TRUST each other... if a ball handler penetrates into the lane in basketball the defender can rely on another defender for help. It might be help in the form of a shot block, or cutting off the man and drawing a charge... sometimes sagging into a zone or area for a split second (similar to stunting, splitting, or dropping in polo) can deter a player from making a pass or shot. The great defensive teams are able to help and recover quickly. They play in the passing lanes when they need to and at the same time are ready to help. They always know where the BALL is and have sight of it. They are also aware of the their man, the area they are guarding and the other players on the court, both offensively and defensively. Most good defensive teams are good at communicating... Great defensive teams are great at communicating. Some communication can be non-verbal, but most of it is done through talking. You will constantly hear teammates talk to each other during the NCAA tournament... communicating picks, switches, plays, when to shoot, where to pass the ball, when players are open, etc.
There is an old saying that good defense beats good offense. This is true in many sports including basketball and water polo. This year's NCAA tournament is a good example of that... Duke (high scoring) lost to LSU (strong defense).
If you want a recent example of this from water polo, look no further than the recent Premier League tournament at Soda... The Pacific Zone B team placed higher than the Pacific Zone A team. While you can argue about the strength of each roster, what stood out to me was that the players on the B team were more willing to play good team defense. Very few of them cared who scored the goals on offense... concentrating more of their energy on individual and TEAM defense. I am not trying to say that the A team is a bad defensive team, but I noticed that they did not play good TEAM defense at the tournament. This happened in my career many times too. I usually played with the second 6 players at Cal and we constantly beat the starting 6... almost every day! We were not as physically talented and probably not as offensively talented but we knew how to play good defense. We trusted each other and scraped together enough offense to beat them. Good defense leads to offense.
Hopefully you can take this and improve yourself as a individual and TEAM defender. This is not as easy as it sounds. It is really easy to get in the pool and work on shooting, but hard to motivate yourself to become a better defender.
James
You have all heard Bill and I tell you how similar water polo is to basketball. You can see how to be a successful defensive water polo team by looking at successful defensive basketball teams. For example, all these teams have great individual defenders. In water polo it is important to be a good individual defender as well. Being able to keep your man away from the basket in hoops is like taking away inside water and keeping a driver away from the goal. These individual defenders are great at taking away a players strength... making them use their off had to control the ball or taking a shot that is a 2nd or 3rd option. Some of this comes from athletic ability, but a large amount of it comes from being a student of the game... knowing what the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition are and forcing them away from what they like to do.
Many of these defenders are excellent at putting pressure on the ball (same concept in the pool) in order to prevent the ball handler from going where they want to go, making a good pass, or taking a good shot. Pressure on the ball is extremely important in polo and basketball. Putting pressure on the ball takes the pressure off your teammates... it will become more important with the new rules in water polo. If you are able to harass the ball handler and let that short shot clock tick away, you are helping your team greatly. Also, as it is in polo, making the steal yourself in basketball is not always your best option... you could pick up a foul. Sometimes better to force a bad pass and let your teammates get the steal. You see this all the time in the NCAA tournament.
While all the teams in the final four are filled with good individual defenders, the thing that makes there teams elite is their ability to play excellent TEAM DEFENSE. They are able to TRUST each other... if a ball handler penetrates into the lane in basketball the defender can rely on another defender for help. It might be help in the form of a shot block, or cutting off the man and drawing a charge... sometimes sagging into a zone or area for a split second (similar to stunting, splitting, or dropping in polo) can deter a player from making a pass or shot. The great defensive teams are able to help and recover quickly. They play in the passing lanes when they need to and at the same time are ready to help. They always know where the BALL is and have sight of it. They are also aware of the their man, the area they are guarding and the other players on the court, both offensively and defensively. Most good defensive teams are good at communicating... Great defensive teams are great at communicating. Some communication can be non-verbal, but most of it is done through talking. You will constantly hear teammates talk to each other during the NCAA tournament... communicating picks, switches, plays, when to shoot, where to pass the ball, when players are open, etc.
There is an old saying that good defense beats good offense. This is true in many sports including basketball and water polo. This year's NCAA tournament is a good example of that... Duke (high scoring) lost to LSU (strong defense).
If you want a recent example of this from water polo, look no further than the recent Premier League tournament at Soda... The Pacific Zone B team placed higher than the Pacific Zone A team. While you can argue about the strength of each roster, what stood out to me was that the players on the B team were more willing to play good team defense. Very few of them cared who scored the goals on offense... concentrating more of their energy on individual and TEAM defense. I am not trying to say that the A team is a bad defensive team, but I noticed that they did not play good TEAM defense at the tournament. This happened in my career many times too. I usually played with the second 6 players at Cal and we constantly beat the starting 6... almost every day! We were not as physically talented and probably not as offensively talented but we knew how to play good defense. We trusted each other and scraped together enough offense to beat them. Good defense leads to offense.
Hopefully you can take this and improve yourself as a individual and TEAM defender. This is not as easy as it sounds. It is really easy to get in the pool and work on shooting, but hard to motivate yourself to become a better defender.
James
I wanted to take a second to share some thoughts I had while watching the NCAA basketball tournament the past few weekends. It seems to me that one thing the 4 teams that made the final 4 have in common is that they are all excellent defensive teams. I knew UCLA was an excellent defensive group after seeing them play Cal this year... LSU is very athletic and good defensively too, especially when it comes to protecting the bucket with shot blocking (similar to having a strong goalie in water polo). Other than making some huge shots, the unexpected George Mason team plays amazing defense. I have not seen Florida play much this year, but I know they are very quick and athletic and, like LSU, have big men who protect to basket well.
You have all heard Bill and I tell you how similar water polo is to basketball. You can see how to be a successful defensive water polo team by looking at successful defensive basketball teams. For example, all these teams have great individual defenders. In water polo it is important to be a good individual defender as well. Being able to keep your man away from the basket in hoops is like taking away inside water and keeping a driver away from the goal. These individual defenders are great at taking away a players strength... making them use their off had to control the ball or taking a shot that is a 2nd or 3rd option. Some of this comes from athletic abilitiy, but a large amount of it comes from being a student of the game... knowing what the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition are and forcing them away from what they like to do.
Many of these defenders are excellent at putting pressure on the ball (same concept in the pool) in order to prevent the ball handler from going where they want to go, making a good pass, or taking a good shot. Pressure on the ball is extremely important in polo and basketball. Putting pressure on the ball takes the pressure off your teammates... it will become more important with the new rules in water polo. If you are able to harass the ball handler and let that short shot clock tick away, you are helping your team greatly. Also, as it is in polo, making the steal yourself in basketball is not always your best option... you could pick up a foul. Sometimes better to force a bad pass and let your teammates get the steal. You see this all the time in the NCAA tournament.
While all the teams in the final four are filled with good individual defenders, the thing that makes there teams elite is their ability to play excellent TEAM DEFENSE. They are able to TRUST eachother... if a ball handler penatrates into the lane in basketball the defender can rely on another defender for help. It might be help in the form of a shot block, or cutting off the man and drawing a charge... sometimes sagging into a zone or area for a split second (similar to stunting, splitting, or dropping in polo) can deter a player from making a pass or shot. The great defensive teams are able to help and recover quickly. They play in the passing lanes when they need to and at the same time are ready to help. They always know where the BALL is and have sight of it. They are also aware of the their man, the area they are guarding and the other players on the court, both offensively and defensively. Most good defensive teams are good at communicating... Great defensive teams are great at communicating. Some communication can be non-verbal, but most of it is done through talking. You will constantly hear teammates talk to eachother during the NCAA tournament... communicating picks, switches, plays, when to shoot, where to pass the ball, when players are open, etc.
There is an old saying that good defense beats good offense. This is true in many sports including basketball and water polo. This year's NCAA tournament is a good example of that... Duke (high scoring) lost to LSU (strong defense).
If you want a recent example of this from water polo, look no further than the recent Premier League tournament at Soda... The Pacific Zone B team placed higher than the Pacific Zone A team. While you can argue about the strength of each roster, what stood out to me was that the players on the B team were more willing to play good team defense. Very few of them cared who scored the goals on offense... concentrating more of their energy on individual and TEAM defense. I am not trying to say that the A team is a bad defensive team, but I noticed that they did not play good TEAM defense at the tournament. This happend in my career many times too. I usually played with the second 6 players at Cal and we constantly beat the starting 6... almost every day! We were not as phyisically talented and probably not as offensively talented but we knew how to play good defense. We trusted each other and scraped together enough offense to beat them. Good defense leads to offense.
Hopefully you can take this and improve yourself as a indidvidual and TEAM defender. This is not as easy as it sounds. It is really easy to get in the pool and work on shooting, but hard to motivate yourself to become a better defender.
James
Dear players,
Below is the schedule for the Premier League Water Polo tournament taking place at Soda Center this coming weekend. This is a great opportunity for you to watch many of the top water polo players in our country play. Remember that being a student of the game is one of the best ways to improve as a player, especially with the rule changes that have been made to the game recently. I would suggest picking a few players to watch closely and try to figure out what makes them so good. What parts of their game can you put into your game? See how teams are playing using the new rules... what skills are now being emphasized?
The Premier League will also be showcasing some local products and many Miramonte alumni. Here are a few to watch:
Chris Lathrop (Mat's alumni)- Olympic Club, 2M Def
GP Panawek (Mat's alumni)- Olympic Club, Utility
Michael Sharf (Mat's alumni)- Pacific Zone National Team, Driver
James Lathrop (Mat's alumni)- Olympic Club, coach
Peter Varellas (Campo alumni)- Olympic Club, Left Handed Driver
Kirk Everist (Mat's alumni)- Pacific Zone National Team, Coach
Sandy French (Matador)- Olympic Club
Sean Nolan (1996 Olympian)- Olympic Club, goalie
Wolf Wigo (1996, 2000, 2004 Olympian)- New York Athletic Club, Driver
Sean Kern (2000 Olympian)- New York Athletic Club, 2M
Ryan Flynn (2000 Olympic alternate)- Olympic Club, 2M
Brandon Brooks (2004 Olympian)- LA Water Polo, goalie
Chris Segesman (2004 Olympian)- LA Water Polo, 2M def
Genai Kerr (2004 Olympian)- Long Beach Shores, goalie
Some of my personal suggestions of who to watch:
Drivers: Mike Sharf, Thomas Hopkins (Olympic Club), Wolf Wigo, Juan Delgadillo (SoCal), Juraj Zatovic (Long Beach Shores)
Leftys: Peter Varellas, Thomas Hale (SoCal), Larry Felix (LAWP)
2M: Ryan Flynn, JW Krumpholz (LAWP), John Mann (Pacific)
2M def: Chris Lathrop, Blake Wellen (Olympic Club), Chris Segesman (LAWP)
Goalies: Merill Moses (NYAC), Brandon Brooks (LAWP)
Hope to see you there!
James
GROUP A GROUP B
1. New York A.C. 1. The Olympic Club
2. Coastal California NT 2. Los Angeles WPC
3. Pacific Zone NT 3. Southern California NT
4. Shore Aquatics 4. Pacific Zone NT (2)
Friday March 10
Game/Time TEAM TEAM
1. 4:00pm The Olympic Club vs Pacific Zone NT (2)
2. 5:15pm Los Angeles WPC vs Southern California NT
3. 6:30pm New York A.C. vs Shore Aquatics
4. 7:45pm Coastal California NT vs Pacific Zone NT
Saturday March 11
5. 8:00am The Olympic Club vs Southern California NT
6. 9:15am Los Angeles WPC vs Pacific Zone NT (2)
7. 10:30am New York A.C. vs Pacific Zone NT
8. 11:45am Coastal California NT vs Shore Aquatics
9. 1:00pm Southern California NT vs Pacific Zone NT (2)
10. 2:15pm The Olympic Club vs Los Angeles WPC
11. 3:30pm Pacific Zone NT vs Shore Aquatics
12. 4:45pm New York A. C. vs Coastal California NT
Sunday March 12
13. 8:00am 3B vs 4A
14. 9:15am 3A vs 4B
15 10:30am 1B vs 2A
16. 11:45am 1A vs 2B
17. 1:00pm Loser Game 13 vs Loser Game 14 (7th & 8th Places)
18. 2:15pm Winner Game 13 vs Winner Game 14 (5th & 6th Places)
19. 3:30pm Loser Game 15 vs Loser Games 16 (3rd & 4th Places)
20. 4:45pm Winner Game 15 vs Winner Game 16 (1st & 2nd Places)
Below is the schedule for the Premier League Water Polo tournament taking place at Soda Center this coming weekend. This is a great opportunity for you to watch many of the top water polo players in our country play. Remember that being a student of the game is one of the best ways to improve as a player, especially with the rule changes that have been made to the game recently. I would suggest picking a few players to watch closely and try to figure out what makes them so good. What parts of their game can you put into your game? See how teams are playing using the new rules... what skills are now being emphasized?
The Premier League will also be showcasing some local products and many Miramonte alumni. Here are a few to watch:
Chris Lathrop (Mat's alumni)- Olympic Club, 2M Def
GP Panawek (Mat's alumni)- Olympic Club, Utility
Michael Sharf (Mat's alumni)- Pacific Zone National Team, Driver
James Lathrop (Mat's alumni)- Olympic Club, coach
Peter Varellas (Campo alumni)- Olympic Club, Left Handed Driver
Kirk Everist (Mat's alumni)- Pacific Zone National Team, Coach
Sandy French (Matador)- Olympic Club
Sean Nolan (1996 Olympian)- Olympic Club, goalie
Wolf Wigo (1996, 2000, 2004 Olympian)- New York Athletic Club, Driver
Sean Kern (2000 Olympian)- New York Athletic Club, 2M
Ryan Flynn (2000 Olympic alternate)- Olympic Club, 2M
Brandon Brooks (2004 Olympian)- LA Water Polo, goalie
Chris Segesman (2004 Olympian)- LA Water Polo, 2M def
Genai Kerr (2004 Olympian)- Long Beach Shores, goalie
Some of my personal suggestions of who to watch:
Drivers: Mike Sharf, Thomas Hopkins (Olympic Club), Wolf Wigo, Juan Delgadillo (SoCal), Juraj Zatovic (Long Beach Shores)
Leftys: Peter Varellas, Thomas Hale (SoCal), Larry Felix (LAWP)
2M: Ryan Flynn, JW Krumpholz (LAWP), John Mann (Pacific)
2M def: Chris Lathrop, Blake Wellen (Olympic Club), Chris Segesman (LAWP)
Goalies: Merill Moses (NYAC), Brandon Brooks (LAWP)
Hope to see you there!
James
GROUP A GROUP B
1. New York A.C. 1. The Olympic Club
2. Coastal California NT 2. Los Angeles WPC
3. Pacific Zone NT 3. Southern California NT
4. Shore Aquatics 4. Pacific Zone NT (2)
Friday March 10
Game/Time TEAM TEAM
1. 4:00pm The Olympic Club vs Pacific Zone NT (2)
2. 5:15pm Los Angeles WPC vs Southern California NT
3. 6:30pm New York A.C. vs Shore Aquatics
4. 7:45pm Coastal California NT vs Pacific Zone NT
Saturday March 11
5. 8:00am The Olympic Club vs Southern California NT
6. 9:15am Los Angeles WPC vs Pacific Zone NT (2)
7. 10:30am New York A.C. vs Pacific Zone NT
8. 11:45am Coastal California NT vs Shore Aquatics
9. 1:00pm Southern California NT vs Pacific Zone NT (2)
10. 2:15pm The Olympic Club vs Los Angeles WPC
11. 3:30pm Pacific Zone NT vs Shore Aquatics
12. 4:45pm New York A. C. vs Coastal California NT
Sunday March 12
13. 8:00am 3B vs 4A
14. 9:15am 3A vs 4B
15 10:30am 1B vs 2A
16. 11:45am 1A vs 2B
17. 1:00pm Loser Game 13 vs Loser Game 14 (7th & 8th Places)
18. 2:15pm Winner Game 13 vs Winner Game 14 (5th & 6th Places)
19. 3:30pm Loser Game 15 vs Loser Games 16 (3rd & 4th Places)
20. 4:45pm Winner Game 15 vs Winner Game 16 (1st & 2nd Places)
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