Splashing around
Water Polo offered to young people in Renfrewshire regardless of ability.
Thanks to the passion of a volunteer coach, an initiative in Renfrewshire is giving young people the opportunity to try water polo regardless of their ability to swim.
OneRen, the local charitable trust providing cultural, leisure and sporting opportunities to help people enjoy active and healthy lives in Renfrewshire, were approached by Kirkintilloch and Kilsyth Amateur Swimming Club about the potential to offer water polo as part of a school summer camp in 2023. This came off the back of an alarming school survey in Renfrewshire that identified 48% of young people (P1-S6) in the area were unable to swim.
The camp provided young people aged 7-12 the opportunity to try water polo, and due to the overwhelming demand, a community pathway club has been established with sessions taking place on Friday evenings and Sunday mornings for beginners through to those more experienced, as well as those with disabilities.
The initiative has given young people the opportunity to try the sport, with swimmers and non-swimmers being able to take part due to the sessions happening in the 1.1m teaching pool at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley.
Taking place in the shallower pool means the need to swim is taken out of the equation, leaving more time to concentrate on water polo skills. Water safety is still a very high priority though which is why sessions are ran in a public pool with experienced lifeguards on hand.
Alan Scobie, club development coordinator for Kirkintilloch & Kilsyth ASC said: “The novelty of playing a ball sport in water is one of the main attractions of water polo. Splashing about in the water, playing in teams with friends and new friends, and the simplicity of the rules makes for a really fun environment. There are a variety of new skills, techniques and tactics for players to learn, which makes it exciting.”
Programme pathway
Beginners start in the ‘Otterball’ programme, with many participants having no or limited swimming ability. Participants are introduced to basic flotation, submersion and swim techniques to increase their water confidence, on top of learning the basics of water polo.
Once more competent, the young people move onto the ‘Splashattack’ programme with activities happening in the deeper pool and introduced to new techniques such as the ‘eggbeater’ required for players to be in a position for passing, shooting and blocking in the deep water.
Alan continued: “Some of the players come to the first session and will pretty much stay close to the side of the pool for the entire time, but within one or two sessions they are moving all over the pool.
“All players are aware that in order to be able to progress to Splashattack they will need to be able to swim, which motivates them to sign up to the OneRen swimming lessons.
“The progress of our participants has been truly inspiring. At the first summer water camp one year ago, we had players turn up with arm bands who can now confidently play in the deep pool Splashattack programme.”
Volunteer champions
The success of the club is testament to the passion and quality of the volunteer coaches, as Chris Cleary, Active Schools Community Club Development Officer said:
“Over the past 15 months it has been great to see the rise of water polo in Renfrewshire.
“The dedication Alan shows to the sport is remarkable and this has a direct impact on the retention of players and the sustainability of the programme.
“Our retention figures are off the chart. Players have to re-register for the programme every ten weeks and without fail within 15 minutes most people have reregistered. Our programme is currently sitting at 43 players and a waiting list of 26!
“I think what we have created is a whole new demand for water polo as a sport, rather than as a minor discipline within swimming. Attracting participants at an early age who wish to take part in a fun, thrilling team sport, completely different from swimming has been great to see.
“Our pathway has grown and developed into something that can be replicated in other areas throughout Scotland.
The success has led to a third phase of the programme, with an inclusive water polo session for children with a physical, sensory or intellectual impairment. Those who wish to participate more competitively now also have the opportunity through the Kirkintilloch and Kilsyth Club.
As the programme has grown, the sessions have increased from just Alan volunteering to five voluntary coaches. Another four coaches are being prepared to support due to its popularity and demand.
Thinking outside the box
Alan is proud to see the success of the initiative by saying: “I think one of the biggest successes for me has actually been the utilisation of the shallow teaching pool. When Chris proposed to me we would use the teaching pool and that the programme should be open to non-swimmers and swimmers alike, I must say that I was not sure if it would work.
“Now when people say to me that you cannot play water polo in a 25m deep/shallow swim training pool. I tell them to come and see how you can make water polo work even in a small teaching pool which could easily be adopted in every swimming pool in the country!”
Find out more
- Join the water polo waiting list
- Visit the Kirkintilloch & Kilsyth ASC website
- Learn more about water polo