A TWO-year-old sporting association, Ballarat Water Polo is making a splash at the Aquatic Centre each Monday night.<\/p>\n
Running skills development sessions over the coming weeks, president Melinda Childs said new players of all ages are invited to try out the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sessions are targeted at swimmers who want something more out of swimming,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll cover the basics of throwing the ball and shooting. It\u2019s a strategic team sport that\u2019s lots of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ballarat Water Polo has experienced an increase in enquiries in recent weeks, with the Olympics shining a spotlight on the sport, and broadcasting it into family homes.<\/p>\n
Still building the club, which has had an \u201centhusiastic\u201d core group of 10 members since it launched in 2019, Childs hopes to attract enough players to grow two teams.<\/p>\n
Before moving to Ballarat, she was introduced to water polo in her late-20s while living in Melbourne and said giving the sport a go was one of the best decisions she ever made.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was an average netball player and an average swimmer, but when I play water polo, I can bring all of those skills together. It was a great sport to find and try. I\u2019ve never looked back,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of the women in the Olympic team are in their early 20s, and some are in their mid-30s. I play with people who are in their late-50s.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might look like a rough sport under the water, but it doesn\u2019t hurt you too much. Juniors and adults, men and women love it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The side hosted the 2021 Victorian Country Championships in Ballarat, and regularly plays Geelong, looking to form more competitive and collaborative relationships with other clubs.<\/p>\n