Steps to Starting a Club

Starting a water polo club on campus is not as difficult as it might first appear. Following the steps listed below should make the process easier. If you need assistance along the way, feel free to contact the CWPA Office at 610-277-6787.

Step 1. Meet with Campus Recreation

Meet with your campus recreation department and complete the requirements for getting a club registered as a student organization on campus. This will take care of liability insurance coverage, as well as ensure your ability to use school facilities and raise money.

Most schools require a written budget, and a written constitution. The Table of Contents has an example of each that you can modify for your own needs.

Step 2. Meet with the Aquatics Director

You will need to determine what pool time is available for practice and the basic requirements necessary to reserve the pool. Make sure you present a positive image. This individual will ultimately determine how much time you can train and how many home games you will get to host.

If the Aquatics Director is also the swim coach, ask the coach how he/she feels about swimmers participating on the club team. Getting this question answered now will save problems in the future.

Step 3. Determine Interest on Campus

Contact the student newspaper and ask them to run a story about your effort to get a club started. Generally if you write the story and present it to the editor, you may have more of a chance to get it published. You can also print a flyer listing a meeting date for all interested players. Make sure you post it in key areas like the pool, dormitories, and student union. Normally you need the approval of the student organizations office before you can post anything of this nature.

Step 4. Hold a Meeting

Getting everyone together is a big step. It will help you spread the workload and increase the networking to attract more players. Be sure to come with written information that interested members can take. The information should include your name and phone number (as well as any other contacts), when you can practice, who you might play against, and how much it may cost. All of this can change, but it is important that you appear organized. Players should recognize that getting involved is a worthwhile endeavor. No one wants to join something that looks like it won’t last a week or that the organizers are ill-prepared.

Step 5. Locate Equipment

If your school has no equipment, contact the CWPA office. Oftentimes the conference can provide used equipment you can borrow until you can purchase some for your team. Goals can always be made from chairs until such time you can build a set of your own or purchase some through the school. Hats and balls can be obtained quickly from any number of vendors. Contact the CWPA for more information or order from the sponsor list on the web site.

Step 6. Begin Practicing

Determine the date of your first practice and contact everyone that expressed interest. Decide who will serve as the coach and then set up a plan. For ideas on training and running a practice, you can obtain resources from USA Water Polo through their web site at www.usawaterpolo.com or American Water Polo at www.americanwaterpolo.org.

Step 7. Arrange a Game

Contact a local team and arrange a game. If you need contact information for the teams around you, check the school profile section of the web site. For referees, call the Director of Officials, Tom Tracey, at 610-277-3260 or officials@collegiatewaterpolo.org.

Step 8. Get Involved!

Get your team involved with the CWPA by joining the league. There are numerous benefits for club teams including a complete schedule for one fee.

USA Water Polo serves as the National Governing Body for the sport and provides a number of resources. American Water Polo is a membership based organization that also offers opportunities in the sport. By registering with one of these organizations, your athletes can participate in water polo events throughout the year. Information about membership is available at www.usawaterpolo.org or www.americanwaterpolo.org.