Genai Kerr

Klatt Named Women’s Senior National Team Assistant Coach

Dan Klatt, a 2004 Olympian and Head Coach of the UC-Irvine Women’s Water Polo Team will join the USA Women’s Senior National Team Coaching Staff as an Assistant Coach, Head Coach Adam Krikorian announced today. Klatt led the Senior “B” Team to a first place finish at the Canada Cup in late 2009 and returns to the National Team scene after a decorated playing career.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with some of the best water polo minds and talent in the world,” said Klatt. “It is an honor to be a part of the team that represents the greatest country in the world in the sport of water polo. I consider myself very fortunate to be a part of USA Water Polo. I look forward to learning from the coaching staff and athletes, and helping the United States win a gold medal in London.”

Klatt is a 2001 graduate of UC-Irvine and helped guide the Anteaters to a Big West Tournament Championship in 2009 in the conference’s inaugural season. He competed with the USA Men’s Senior National Team during the early part of the 2000s and was part of the group that took home a seventh place finish at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

“I’m very excited that Dan will be continuing with us as we move forward. He was an important addition for the fall and his experience and success as an athlete and a coach speak for itself. Dan’s work ethic, enthusiasm, and passion for the sport will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the entire group,” said Krikorian.

Krikorian, Klatt, and recently named Assistant Coach Heather Moody will take the sidelines together for the first time in late June when Team USA hosts China.

Klatt replaces Aaron Chaney who will join the Women’s Junior National Team as an Assistant Coach.

About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc. is the national governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic program as well as 20 different championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters Championships. With more than 35,000 members, USAWP is also the sanctioning authority for more than 500 tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport nationwide. It fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches and officials.

Big West Tournament Champion

ANTEATERS WIN BIG WEST TOURNAMENT: The No. 16 UC Irvine women’s water polo team (15-14, 3-2) won their second straight Big West Tournament title Sunday as they defeated Cal State Northridge 12-11 at 49er Pool in Long Beach.

Freshman Jessy Cardey (Riverside/Poly HS) was named MVP of the tournament after scoring six goals in the tournament including the goal that would be the eventual tournament winning goal against the Matadors.

BIG WEST TOURNAMENT REVIEW: The No. 4 seed ‘Eaters defeated No. 5 UC Davis 9-3 Friday afternoon and then knocked off No. 1 seed Pacific 10-7 Saturday to advance to the championship. UCI then defeated No. 2 seed CSUN 12-11 in the final to win back to back Big West Tournament titles.

Cardey and junior Cortney Collyer (Santa Barbara HS) each had six goals to lead the team during the tournament. Sophomore keeper Morgan Vickers (Newport Harbor HS) had 22 saves over the three matches.

Additionally, Cardey was named NCAA.com’s Player of the Week following the Big West Tournament.

ANTEATER LEADERS: Cortney Collyer led the team with 43 goals on the year. Junior Caitlin Haskell (Fresno/Buchanan HS) was second with 41 goals. Jessy Cardey was third with 34 goals. Kat Plummer was fourth with 31. Senior Erin Kiene (Fresno/Clovis West HS) was fifth with 26. Morgan Vickers had 94 saves to lead the ‘Eaters.

UCI RANKED 16TH IN NATION: The Anteaters are ranked 16th in the country in the National Collegiate Water Polo poll. UCI has been ranked as high as 9th this season. The ‘Eaters ended the 2009 season ranked 9th nationally following their Big West Tournament championship.

ANTEATERS IN THE RECORD BOOK: Senior Kat Plummer (Thousand Oaks HS) is sixth all-time with 128 goals. Cortney Collyer is eighth with 88 goals and Caitlin Haskell is 10th with 83 goals. Erin Kiene is 11th with 75 goals. Keeper Morgan Vickers is third with 208 saves and junior Lauren Davis (Downey HS) is fifth all-time with 197 saves.

COACH KLATT: Head coach Dan Klatt is in his sixth season leading the ‘Eaters. He was named 2009 Big West Coach of the Year after guiding UCI to the Big West Tournament championship and a Big West regular season tri-championship. He is 105-80 in his first six seasons at the helm.

WATER POLO

The Gulliver Prep boys’ water polo team came one step closer to a state title Tuesday after defeating defending state champion Belen Jesuit 12-7.

Matthew Friedland led host Gulliver with four goals and three assists. Jose Mujica added three goals in the state play-in game.

The Raiders jumped out to an early 4-0 lead to finish the first quarter in front of a large crowd of cheering fans.

Raiders goalkeeper Kenny Cutler was instrumental in the win, blocking 15 shots on goal, including four straight point-blank attempts to close out the first half.

“We had a lot of preparation for this game,” Cutler said. “We went up early, which was great.”

Gulliver’s tough defense limited the Wolverines to only two goals by halftime.

The Wolverines surged back in the second half, narrowing the Raiders’ lead to two goals with four minutes left to play.

Gulliver coach Carroll Vaughan called a timeout to limit Belen’s rally after Will Johnson scored two quick goals. The Raiders responded to Vaughan’s instructions, scoring three straight goals to finish the game.

The specialized training program has been designed to instantly improve your game. Athletes work in small groups of 4-6 kids with similar skill levels and 1 coach joins each group in the water. There is a focus on the fundamentals while incorporating a few new tricks. Boys and girls ages 7-17 will have the opportunity to work in the water with Olympic and world class athletes. The academy runs 9 am – 11 am on Sundays until June 6th.

Schedule of Activities

Typical 2 hour Academy
15 min – Dry-Land Conditioning (includes water polo specific exercises to improve egg beater and core strength.) These exercises should become part of the daily routine of any water polo player that wants to improve their performance in the water.

15 mins of Dry-Land Skills -Individualized body position analysis for passing and shooting
*** Goalies do 15 minutes of positioning and reaction drills

30 minute position specific in water warm-up including defensive body positioning, egg beater analysis, passing and shooting.

***Goalies***
30 minutes – goalie specific drills focusing on lateral movement and explosiveness.

45 minutes of personalized instruction tailored to make an immediate impact on your game drills will vary for individual
Offensive drills
Defensive drills
Blocking
Passing

10 minutes Penalty Shots

5 minutes reflect on the mental aspect of the game and review the different drills and instruction for the day. We also project the next weeks events and instruction.

Aaron Chaney announced his resignation Monday as girls’ water polo coach at Corona del Mar High, saying it was extremely difficult to leave after nine seasons.

He is moving in July to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he grew up.

He said he cried during an emotional meeting with players Monday in the team room near the pool at CdM.

Chaney, who guided the Sea Kings to CIF Southern Section titles in his first five seasons and averaged 25 wins per year, cited his 87-year-old mother, Betty, and his 1-year-old daughter, Kaia, as major reasons for resigning.

“My mom is getting older and life hasn’t been fun for her,” said Chaney, 53. “When I had my daughter the last two times I went home, I saw her face light up and now she has a reason for living … I saw my mom laugh and smile the most I’ve seen in the past five to 10 years.”

In addition, Chaney’s wife, Hermie, was hired as a history teacher at Punahou School last week. At one point, he actually asked his wife to reject the offer, but ultimately he believed it was time to leave. He has always wanted his daughter to grow up in Hawaii.

Chaney said he has a video-conference interview later this week with Punahou, his alma mater, to teach junior high math. He’s said he’s not sure if he’ll get back into coaching high school water polo.

Heather Moody, the new junior women’s national team coach, asked Chaney to be his assistant Thursday, he said, and he accepted.

Chaney had a sense that this could be his last year at Corona del Mar after his daughter was born in March of 2009. He resigned after 26 years as a referee after Kaia’s birth. He worked the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, and was also a referee at the World Championships in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007.

“When I first came out here I was just coming to ref,” said Chaney, who is a teacher in his third year at Harbor Day, a private K-8 school in Newport Beach. “I never imagined I would have all that I’ve experienced with the players and the parents I worked with. And, to be coaching in Orange County, the hotbed of water polo, it was just a great experience all the way around.”

Chaney compiled a 229-60 record with the Sea Kings. He guided CdM girls’ water polo to its first CIF title in the 2001-02 season, when the Sea Kings won the Division IV crown. CdM then captured four straight Division II titles.

He was named the Division IV Coach of the Year in 2002 and the Division II Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2004.

CdM reached the CIF Division I championship match in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, and made the semifinals in 2006-07 and this past season.

Chaney’s 2008-09 team finished 33-2 and won a CIF Masters title.

Yet for personal highlights, Chaney said he cherishes the times he shared with the players during trips to Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia throughout the years

“It was great just playing competitive games all the time, week in and week out,” Chaney said. “Watching a bunch of girls just work so hard and get better during the season, it’s just a great experience to see kids do that. Winning championships is just fine, but that stuff lasts a week or so and it’s forgotten. It’s the relationships with the girls that last forever. I have some of my former players that I still keep in touch with. To me that’s what it’s all about.”

Chaney said, “it would have been nice to have one of those,” speaking of a CIF Division I title.

Still, he made an impact on his players.

“He cared more about us as people instead of players,” CdM senior Margot Money said. “He really did care about us as young women and wanted us to truly benefit from lessons to become better people. He wasn’t just our water polo coach, he was like a mentor to us. He’s a great man and he’ll be missed.”

Marc Hunt Named Men’s Senior “B” Team Head Coach; Additions To Men’s Youth Staff

University of California-Irvine Men’s Water Polo Head Coach Marc Hunt has been selected as Head Coach for the USA Men’s Senior National “B” Team. Hunt leads a variety of additions to both the USA Men’s Senior National “B” Team and Youth National Team.

Hunt’s appointment begins immediately and he will coach the team in the FINA World League Preliminaries May 5-9 at the USA Water Polo National Training Center in Los Alamitos, CA. He has also been selected as head coach of the USA men’s team that will compete at the 2011 World University Games in China.

“I’m excited to take part in the development of the USA Olympic Water Polo Team,” said Hunt. “The “B” Team is the first stop for college graduates aiming to make the Olympic Team. It is an honor to have the opportunity to help talented young men achieve such a prestigious goal. I also look forward to representing the USA on the international stage at the World University Games.”

Joining Hunt as an Assistant Coach is fellow Anteater alum and current Bucknell University Men’s and Women’s Head Water Polo Coach John Abdou. Rounding out the staff as the other Assistant Coach is the Associate Head Coach of Men’s Water Polo at the University of California-Berkeley, Boyd Lachance. Hunt is a 1994 graduate of UC-Irvine and spent part of the mid-90s competing with the USA National Team before joining UC-Irvine as an Assistant Coach and then Head Coach. Both Abdou and Lachance are no strangers to USA Water Polo having spent time in various capacities in club water polo and ODP.

Longtime Head Coach of the USA Men’s Youth National Team Jason Lynch remains in place heading into the summer of 2010. Serving as Assistant Coaches to Lynch are former National Team members Dan Leyson and Brett Ormsby. Lynch has been with the Youth National Team since 2000 leading the group to great success most notably at the Youth Pan American Games with gold in 2005 and 2007. Leyson, a USC graduate who competed with the National Team in the mid-90s also served as Assistant Coach for the Men’s Senior National at the 2004 Olympic Games, helping the team to a seventh place finish. Ormsby, a UCLA graduate was a 2004 Olympian in Athens and competed with the Men’s Senior National Team through 2007. He currently directs the Del Mar water polo club in San Diego.

“I am very excited to work with both Dan and Brett,” said Lynch. “Dan was the former assistant to Ratko Rudic and Brett was an athlete on that 2004 Olympic team so both have a great deal of international experience and will be great additions to the Youth National Team staff.”

In 2010 the Youth National Team will train with Canada twice, once in August and again in December. This group will be working towards the Youth World Championships set for 2012.

About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc. is the national governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic program as well as 20 different championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters Championships. With more than 30,000 members, USAWP is also the sanctioning authority for more than 400 tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport nationwide. It fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches and officials.

The inaugural ODP Regional Championships started this weekend in a variety of locations across the state of California. The ODP Regional Championships were established to become a premier event of USA Water Polo. Attending will be the top athletes, coaches and referees from throughout the United States. Athletes who attend will have gone through 48 hours of standardized training which includes testing, Zone Evaluation Camps and an introduction to the ODP System of Play. Each of the nine USAWP Zones participating will send a maximum of two teams with a total of 28 players. The twelve Regional Championships are the culmination for the 800+ athletes, 72 coaches and 36+ referees who participated in the 2009-10 Olympic Development Program.

The ODP 1992u and 1994u Southern California Boys Regional Championship are set for JSerra High School in San Juan Capistrano, California April 16-18. The ODP 1992u and 1994u Southern California Girls Regional Championship will be held at Pomona College in Claremont, California, April 16-18. The ODP Northern California 1992u and 1994u Boys Regional Championship gets underway at the University of California-Davis in Davis, California on April 18 and concludes on April 25. The ODP 1992u and 1994u Northern California Girls Regional Championship are located at Daugherty Valley High School in San Ramon, California and begin on April 18 and concludes on April 25. The ODP East-West 1992u and 1994u Boys Regional Championship are set for the Kearns Fitness Center in Kearns, Utah May 29-30 while the ODP 1992u and 1994u East-West Girls Regional Championship will be held at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, FL, May 29-30. Go to www.usawaterpolo.org and click on the ODP icon for a complete ODP Regional Championship schedules.

“One goal of the ODP Regional Championships is to evaluate the ODP athletes, coaches and referees on their understanding of the ODP National System of Play, including the technical and tactical standards that have been taught during Phase 2 of ODP,” said ODP Boy’s National Technical Director James Lathrop. “Each athlete, coach and referee will receive a written evaluation of their performance following the Regional Championships which will identify areas of strength and areas for growth. In addition, athletes and coaches will receive feedback during the Regional Championships from ODP and National Team staff in an effort to have all teams playing within the National System of Play. I look forward to seeing athletes and coaches participate at the upcoming Regional Championships and showing what they have learned during the ODP Phase 2 process.”

From the Regional Championships, athletes will be selected to participate in their respective National Training and Selection Camp. Final selections are a collaboration of the ODP and National Teams Staffs. A total of 30 athletes will be selected from the Southern California Region, 20 athletes from the Northern California Region, and 20 athletes from the East/West Region, equaling 70 athletes, the largest number to ever attend a National Training and Selection Camp. Every Head Coach returning to ODP will attend the training camp for professional development and training in the ODP physical technical, tactical and psychological water polo system. In addition, referees will be invited to the National Training and Selection Camp for further professional development and advancement.

One significant change from the previous format is the implementation of guidelines for playing time. In the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters athletes will play an equal number of minutes. In the 4th quarter coaches will have the flexibility to select line ups. The playing time guidelines serve two purposes. One it will give the ODP and National Teams Staff the opportunity to fully evaluate all athletes. Two, it will provide an evaluation of the coaches ability to select proper line ups and subbing decisions. A continuation from last year will have the Zone coaches and ODP staff keeping statistical information on the athletes during the games. This information will serve as an additional evaluation and selection method for the athletes. In addition, it provides data the staff can use to discuss a team’s performance during the Regional Championships as well as data for tracking athletes during their time with ODP and the National Teams.

“I believe we will have the capabilities to better evaluate athletes, coaches and referees in this new format,” said Kim Everist, ODP Girl’s National Technical Director. “With the additions to the ODP staff, there will be more evaluators on deck. The Regional Technical Director’s, National Technical Directors and the National Team staff will be in attendance to evaluate and help make selections. With the change from a national championship to a regional championship, fewer teams and locations, the staff will have a better opportunity to see kids play multiple times which will aid in the evaluation process as well. All athletes, regardless if they are on the red (A) or blue (B) teams, will be evaluated and will be selected to make the National Training and Selection Camp. I am very proud of the athletes who made a commitment to ODP this year. I look forward to seeing the kind of growth they have made since the evaluation camps and expect each Regional Championship to be an exciting event.”

Admission is just five dollars and all water polo family, friends, and fans are encouraged to come out and support the future of USA Water Polo.

Over half of our national team is playing professionally in Europe. They will be sending updates this week.

USA Men’s National Team Trials Series Concludes In Santa Ana This Weekend

On April 10 & 11 at Santa Ana Valley High School the final USA Men’s National Team Trial Series for 2010 will take place. After an initial training camp and two weekend competitions the pool of athletes has been narrowed from over 160 competitors. This final weekend of action will be the fiercest as veteran clubs from across the United States will take part, giving the athletes remaining in contention the highest available competition for evaluation. This final cut will determine the pool from which the upcoming World League and World Cup teams will be chosen, putting those athletes on a path to the 2012 Games.

The Men’s National Team Trials Series occurs in compliance with the National Team selection processes mandated by USA Water Polo. Athletes eventually chosen from the series will be placed among the Senior “A”, Senior “B” and Junior National Team squads, filling the pipeline of athletes who will eventually make it to London in 2012.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature some of the top up-and-coming talent in the world of American water polo. Clubs from all across the country will be represented among the competitors. Veteran clubs such as Los Angeles Water Polo, The Olympic Club, and the New York Athletic Club will battle with the remaining athletes being evaluated. The athletes have each been assigned to one of 5 teams. Three teams represent individual USA Water Polo Zones: Pacific, Southern Pacific, and Coastal. The other two teams are born in ‘91 and under squads boasting many athletes from the most recent Men’s Junior National Team.

Teams

A.
1. NYAC
2. Pacific
3. So Pac
4. 1991u Blue

B.
1. Olympic Club
2. LAWP
3. Coastal
4. 1991u Red

Saturday, April 10
10:30 Pacific v. 1991u Blue
11:40 NYAC v. So Pac
12:50 LAWP v. 1991u Red
2:00 Olympic Club v. Coastal
3:30 NYAC v. 1991u Blue
4:40 Pacific v. So Pac
5:50 Olympic Club v. 1991u Red
7:00 LAWP v. Coastal

Sunday, April 11
8:00 So Pac v. 1991u Blue
9:10 NYAC v. Pacific
10:20 Coastal v. 1991u Red
11:30 Olympic Club v. LAWP
1:30 4th A v. 4th B
2:40 3rd A v. 3rd B
3:50 2nd A v. 2nd B
5:00 1st A v. 1st B

For a Trials Series weekend schedule, roster, and information on Santa Ana Valley High School, including directions, please visit www.usawaterpolo.org. For interview opportunities with the athletes, please contact Greg Mescall at gmescall@usawaterpolo.org.

About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc. is the national governing body for water polo in America, overseeing our United States Olympic program as well as 20 different championship events annually, such as Junior Olympics and Masters Championships. With more than 30,000 members, USAWP is also the sanctioning authority for more than 400 tournaments nationwide. USAWP is committed to the development of the sport nationwide. It fosters grass-roots expansion of the sport, providing a national system of affiliated clubs, certified coaches and officials.
Mens’ National Team

Legs

Skiers
Feet shoulder width apart
Weight on your heels
Hips as low to the ground as possible
Start as a stretch then light bouncing for strength
Raise your hips to 90 degrees and then back down

Sumo Skiers
Same as skiers but place your feet as wide as comfortably possible

Lunges
Feet together facing forward
Big step forward with right leg
Bend your left knee toward the floor
Don’t allow your right knee go in front of your toes
Push off your right heel to drive your legs back to the starting position
Keep your left foot facing forward
Step out with your right leg at a 30 degree angle or
1 o’clock
Repeat each lunge every 30 degrees or hour on the clock until 6 o’clock
Return back to the front and then switch legs

Jump Lunges
Start in a full lung position with your right leg in front and your left leg behind
Jump in the air and switch legs positions

Lateral Jumps
Start in a one legged squat on your right leg
Jump as far as you can to your left and land on your left leg
Continue to back and forth from left to right

One legged squats
Balance on your left leg
Bend you knee as much as possible
Reach your right hand out and touch as far forward as you can
Stand back up on your leg
Repeat and touch left your left hand at 30 degrees or 1 o’clock
Work you way around to 6 o’clock and back up to 12
Switch legs work the other side around

Fire hydrant
Balance on your palms and left knee
Raise your right knee out the side as high as possible
Kick your heel straight back
Repeat 20 times and switch sides

Jumps
Feet shoulder width apart
Bend your knees and explode up
Bring your knees to your chest while in the air

Abs

Straight Leg Crunches
Legs straight out 6 inches off the ground
Toes turned out
Left your shoulders off the ground 6 - 10 inches
Control on the way up and on the way down

Breaststroke
Sit up with you arms out front for balance on your butt
Bend your knees to your chest then out wide and together straight

Russian Twists
Legs straight out off the ground
Rotate your upper body and touch the ground with your opposite hand

Full Extension Hip Raises
Place your hands under your lower back for comfort
Raise your legs off the ground 6”
Swing your feet apart a far as you can and then bring them back together
Raise your legs to 90 degrees
Lift your lower back off the ground as high as you can
Control your legs back down to starting position

Toe Touches
Lay on your back with leg straight up at 90 degrees
Left your upper back off the ground and touch your toes

Crossovers
Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground
Cross your right ankle onto your left knee
Lock your fingers behind your neck
Raise you shoulders off the ground
Rotate your upper body and bring your left elbow to your right knee

Back

Super Men and Super Women
Lay on your stomach
Raise your legs off the ground so only your hips are touching
Raise your chest of the ground as high as you can
Keep your hands together above your head

Thinkers
Start on your stomach
Push up to balance on your elbows and toes
Keep your back straight

Reverse Thinkers
Start on your back
Bring your arms in tight on your side and bend them to 90 degree
Push up on your forearms and heels
Raise you hips as high as you can

Table
Start on your hands and knees
Lift your right arm and left leg straight out
Balance on our left palm and right knee
Hold for 15 seconds before switching back and forth
Plank
Start in a full push up position
Raise your right arm and left leg without raising your hip
Hold for 15 seconds before switching

Arms

Push Ups
Start on your hands and toes
Maintain a straight back with your head up
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees
Vary your hand position between each set
The wider your hands – more chest
The narrower your hands – more triceps

Shoulder Stabilizers
Start in a wide push up position
Alternate lifting one hand across to touch the other hand
Push Up Stretch
Push up and rotate your body to the left
Raise your right arm up until your palm in facing the sky
Do a push up between rotating to each side

Burners
Start on your stomach with your arms straight out to the sides
Bring your hands in about 3 inches (more if you are a beginner)
Push your body up and balance on your toes and palms
Find a position you can hold for about 15 seconds at a time