Free Youth Clinics Offered by the Des Moines Water Polo Club

5/30/2017

Building on last summer’s success, the Des Moines Water Polo Club will coach free, weekly youth water polo clinics Sunday evenings at 6:30 p.m. from June 4 through July 3 at Ashworth pool. The clinics are open for swimmers age 8-14.

The Olympic sport of water polo emphasizes swimming ability, conditioning, ball skills and teamwork. It is considered by many as the ultimate team endurance sport.

The one-hour clinics will focus on game strategy and the fundamental skills of passing, shooting and swimming with the ball. Participants will scrimmage during the final 15 minutes. An exhibition game played by members of the Des Moines Water Polo Club will immediately follow each clinic at 7:30 p.m.

The Des Moines Water Polo Club practices at Ashworth Pool Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 9-10:30; Saturday mornings from 10–11:30; and Sunday evenings from 7:30-8:30. The season begins Saturday, June 3, and new members are welcome to join the team this summer.

Ashworth Pool is located in southern Greenwood Park, 45th Street and Grand Avenue. The polo area at Ashworth Pool is more than nine-feet deep and measures 20 yards by 30 yards. Strong swimmers of all abilities are welcomed, including those new to the sport. Practices begin with drills for swimmers with no water polo experience.

Teams of one goalkeeper and six field players play in a water polo match. Players are not allowed to touch the bottom or side of the pool during a match and only the goalkeeper is permitted to touch the ball with two hands. Shooting the ball into the opponent’s goal scores a point. Each team has just 30 seconds to score before the possession goes to the opposition.

The Des Moines Water Polo Club will host its 32nd Annual Midwest Masters Tournament at Ashworth Pool July 7-9, 2017.

For more information, go to desmoineswaterpoloclub.aquanite.com.