The Southwest Voice

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Bakersfield Water Polo Club was started in October 2007, after Jason Gall came from the Ivy League Brown University to become the head coach at Cal State Bakersfield. He brought with him a great deal of experience and success from both the club and collegiate ranks.

Gall, a native Californian, started the club with about 20 kids, mostly junior high and high school aged boys and girls. The club has held consecutive eight-week sessions throughout the year, ending with a 10-week session for the summer. The kids practice twice a week for two hours at a time.

Throughout the season, the club brought teams to tournaments up and down the San Joaquin Valley and into Southern California, including the John Hale Summer Championships in Ontario and the National Junior Olympics in Irvine. The club may not have brought home any medals this year, but the kids have had a lot of fun through practice and competitive experiences that provided them with a solid foundation from which to continue growth and improvement as water polo players. Participation peaked in the summer with over 60 kids participating in games and tournaments.

It is Coach Gall’s hope that, with enough exposure and interest, water polo will make its way into all high schools in Bakersfield. Garces, a private high school on the east side, will be fielding girls and boys water polo teams beginning this fall.

“Some of the kids on the Garces team have been playing water polo for my club since October,” Gall concluded. “It’s great to see that they will have the opportunity to compete at the high school level. Hopefully, this will put the pressure on other high schools to add water polo. My hope is that water polo becomes one of the more popular sports here in Bakersfield.”

This fall, Bakersfield Water Polo Club will be offering a low-cost introduction to water polo to provide a new and different choice for kids who may only participate in activities offered through local recreation centers. This program is open to all school-age children ages 7 and up. All it takes is interest and a desire to learn and have fun!

Visit: www.bakersfieldwaterpolo.org for more information.