Free Sample
The Complete Guide to Water Polo
What it really costs, what you really need, and how to decide if this sport is worth the water
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Is Water Polo and Why People Love It
Imagine trying to play basketball while treading water in the deep end of a pool. Now imagine the basketball hoop is floating at the surface, the ball is about the size of a soccer ball but denser and heavier, and the other team is legally allowed to hold you, push you, and pull you underwater to stop you from scoring. That's water polo in its simplest form: a seven-on-seven team sport played in a pool, where the only way to stay in the game is to keep yourself afloat with your legs while you swim, pass, shoot, and defend.
Here's the thing that surprises most people: you don't have to be an elite swimmer to start. You do need to be comfortable in deep water, and you need to be able to swim at least a few lengths without stopping, but the real skill you'll develop is something called "eggbeater." It's a leg motion that looks like, well, an eggbeater - each leg rotates in a circle, alternating, so you can stay upright in the water with your head and shoulders above the surface, leaving your hands free to pass and shoot. If you've ever seen someone treading water while reading a book or holding a coffee cup above the surface, that's essentially the foundation of every water polo skill.
Most beginners are shocked by two things in their first session. First, how hard it is to keep your