President’s Report

Yet again, April has been another significant month for Waitak.

I’m pleased to report that our 35th AGM was held on the 27th of April, and saw the successful transition to a new committee. I’d especially like to thank Paul Watkinson and Scott Graham for their contributions, both of whom are leaving us to focus on new endeavours. This was a very special AGM, as we had the opportunity to honour two of our most dedicated members. Deborah Cameron and Margaret Chase were awarded with life memberships to recognise the outstanding contritions that they have made to our Club over many years. Thank you both for all that you have done and continue to do for Waitakere Water Polo.

Last weekend saw plenty of action in the pool, with our youngest players doing us proud down in Tauranga, and our Senior teams kicking off the National League season in style at West Wave. Well done to all, and good luck to our Under 18 teams who will be playing their first games of Auckland League this weekend.

As you may have heard, West Wave will be closing for an extended period later this year, affecting several of our programs. Work is already underway to secure alternative training space; this is a major focus for the new committee. Details to come.

Finally, I would like to thank the Grassroots Trust who have provided us with a grant to purchase a new scoreboard and clock setup.

Matt Southerden

Under 12s in Tauranga

What a busy weekend of water polo we just had! Undoubtedly one of our season highlights is always the Under 12 Tournament in Tauranga, which saw two Waitakere teams competing this year.

The two teams played 15 games over three days, both competing in the C grade. The Gold team managed to take out that division, while the Teal team placed 15th. Well done to Lucas Wilson (left) and Jamie Phillip (right), who received coaches awards for their respective teams. Lucas was also named as the MVP of the division! Here’s what the coaches had to say about their teams’ experience:

The Gold team massively improved during the course of the weekend, taking on some challenging sides, but coming out on top thanks to our strong defence lead by the overall C grade MVP Lucas Wilson. The team was able to adapt very quickly to different attacks and defences brought out by the other teams, and the 100% dedication showed by all players in the team lead to them taking out first place in the C grade.
Amy Hall

The Teal team had an outstanding weekend. For most of the team, it was their first tournament or even their first competitive game! I was extremely impressed by how much they improved, so much so that it was difficult to pick one MVP. The medal awarded to Jamie Philip was based on his respect for the team, Lauren, and myself, his determination throughout the weekend and the enthusiasm he brought to each game. Jamie is a great listener and performed very well through the tournament, putting my words in action and showing pride for his team and Club. Along with Jamie, I have a massive thank you to give to our manager Lauren! She did an amazing job keeping the kids in check and assisting me through every game. I had such an enjoyable weekend, and am excited to see them back at training ready to learn more.
Hannah Cameron

West Wave Pool Closure

Auckland Council management have informed us that the West Wave Aquatic Centre will be closing later this year, from the 31st of August to the 2nd of November, for maintenance and repairs. The inner ceiling will be replaced, as well as the movable floor in the scoreboard end pool.

This closure will affect our Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 programs, as well as our Senior teams who begin pre-season training in Term 4. We have been working to secure alternative pool space during this time, and have several options which we are currently in the process of confirming. These include running swim squads from the Tepid Baths in the CBD, training at alternative pool locations in central Auckland and organising combined trainings and scrimmages with other clubs.

We will be announcing more details of the training arrangements as they are confirmed. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the closure, please email matt@waitakwaterpolo.co.nz.

News & Events

Honda National Water Polo League

Our Blue Diamonds and Blue Devils have made a strong start to their National League campaigns, winning three of their four home games on the opening weekend. Keep up with their progress on our social media.

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Life Memberships

The outgoing committee is pleased to announce that Deborah Cameron and Margaret Chase have been made life members of the organisation following our 35th Annual Meeting held on the 27th. Deb and Margaret have made incredible contributions to our Club over many years – thank you ladies!

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Year 7 & 8 League

Our 2019 Western Year 7 & 8 Water Polo League began on Friday last week! Good luck to all of our teams competing this year. Contact Zach at year7and8@waitakwaterpolo.co.nz for more information.

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Farewelling Miranda Chase

After 10 years of playing for the Blue Diamonds and 12 years with Waitakere Water Polo, Miranda Chase is off for a new job in Australia. Over her years Miranda has been a player, coach, referee, committee member and much more – you will be missed Miranda!!

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Under 12 & Under 14 Training Camp

Thanks to everyone who came along to our U12 & U14 training camp in the holidays – it was another success! Well done to Davor and his team of coaches for putting it on, and to our parent helpers for their support.

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Photos

Have you volunteered yet?

Waitakere Water Polo runs on the contributions of our amazing volunteers, but we are always in need of more help! There are many different opportunities to volunteer – check with your coordinator for more info. We are currently in need of help for National League table duty in the coming weeks. Click below to put your name down!