This is the sport people are ditching Soccer for. Splashball^TM is designed to introduce the sport of water polo to children 5-11 years old. The intent is to provide basic skills and understanding of the sport in a recreational format. Although water polo is known for its toughness and endurance, Splashball^TM harnesses all the fun, dynamic aspects of the game in a safe, easy to learn aquatic experience that will motivate kids to swim and stay fit.

1. It’s A Great Sport For Getting Comfortable In The Water – Living in SoCal we are always by water and what better way to get your child comfortable than playing water polo. With “water polo and its association with swimming, it’s going to help prevent unintentional drownings and get people comfortable in water,” she said.

2. You Can Be Any Size Or Shape And Be The Best Player In The World – “I think one of the best things about water polo is that any body type can be the best player in the world because the water evens out the playing field,” she said. “You can be tall, you can be short, you can be smaller or you can be lanky.” 

3. It Will Make You Tough — Just Ask The Navy SEALs – Water polo might not look like a sport that’s riddled with injuries but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to be tough to play it. Steffens admitted that you actually have to be tough mentally to play this sport.

4. It Will Teach You To Be A Great Communicator – Communication is key in water polo, and the sport will improve communication skills out of the water as well. With so much going on in the water at once – and 14 athletes in the pool at a time (seven per team) – it’s important to communicate efficiently with your teammates.

5. Because Fewer People Play, There Is More Opportunity For Growth — And Scholarships – Even though water polo is a growing sport, Steffens said, “It’s still a smaller sport.” But that’s just one more reason why she would suggest kids get into the sport of water polo. “People are definitely starting to realize how fun and amazing water polo is. But because it’s a smaller sport, there is a smaller pool that people are choosing from in terms of colleges.”

6. If You Have Ever Loved Playing Any Sport, You’ll Love Water Polo – Most people liken water polo to swimming, but Steffens disagrees with that comparison. “It’s actually very similar to basketball,” she said. “It’s like basketball in that everyone plays defense, everyone plays offense and there’s a 30 second shot clock.” And truthfully, she continued, “Water polo encompasses so many different sports. It also has the swimming factor, a lot of factors come from soccer, there’s a wrestling factor. And there’s also the hockey factor in terms of man up, man down and moving the puck or the ball up and down the court.”

Credit: LISA COSTANTINI