More than 70 delegates from 31 schools around the country attended the National Water Polo Coaches Conference hosted at Kingswood College recently.
More than 70 delegates from 31 schools around the country attended the National Water Polo Coaches Conference hosted at Kingswood College recently.
From 13 to 15 January delegates attended lectures and demonstrations at the Wyvern Club and the school's swimming pool.
Event organiser and Kingswood's head of sport, Pieter Serfontein said the aim of the conference was for coaches from all around South Africa and from all levels to “congregate at Kingswood College to learn, network and debate matters concerning water polo. This began to play out immediately”.
Five-time USA Olympic Coach, Monte Nitzkowski was invited as guest coach to the conference and didn't disappoint. What he shared with coaches throughout the weekend proved to be invaluable, particularly for the more senior coaches who were at the conference to be challenged in terms of their coaching development.
Other popular speakers included Dave Bensted-Smith who shared his views on the long term development of athletes, as well as Neil Malherbe whose views on water polo as part of the greater educational process were very well received.
The conference also offered entertainment for the guests in the form of a drumming session lead by musician Danny Peterson, and other bonding activities for the coaches. Delegates were given the opportunity to show off their musical skills, while also enjoying the animated water polo debate between some of the senior coaches.
The coaches left on the Sunday, and Serfontein was pleased with how the event turned out. “The conference proved to be a great showcase for the school and also for the sport of water polo,” he said.
The demand seems to be there for the conference to become an annual event, and in the words of several visiting coaches, the event was certainly a "step in the right direction" for water polo in South Africa.
