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Official Club Name:
San Diego Shores Water Polo Club
Director:
Doug Peabody
Age Groups and Genders:
18U, 16U, 14U, 12U Boys and Girls, 10U Coed, Masters
By the Numbers:
Numbers fluctuate from quarter to quarter. In Spring 2008 the club has 97 boys between ages 12 and 18, 77 girls between ages 12 and 18 and 25 coed players at 10 and under. Total = 199
Main Pool:
The club calls up to nine different pools home but the main spots are the Mission Valley YMCA, Bud Kearns Memorial Pool, Jewish Community Center, The Bishop's School, and the Clairemont Recreation Pool in the city of San Diego. The club is currently trying to raise money or obtain grants to build their own permanent facility.
Club Coaches:
18’s Boys: Doug Peabody, Dan Way, James Stuart
18’s Girls: Doug Peabody, James Stuart
16’s Boys: Dan Way,
16’s Girls: Eric Gordon
14’s Boys: Mike Pilgrim, Dan Way
14’s Girls: Ian Davidson, Doug Peabody
12’s Boys: John Riess
12’s Girls: Katie Rulon
10’s Coed: Jim Fales/Travis Hill
Volunteer Coaches: Al Zemke, Bart Sardo, and Chris Pulido
How They Got Started:
San Diego Shores was founded in 1992 as a place for kids who did not have a year-round high school team to play with. It evovled into a program for 14 and under players to learn fundamentals and to hone their skills with the goal of raising the overall level of play across San Diego County. The formation of the club also gave athletes the chance to compete in the larger more prestigious tournaments.
San Diego Shores took part in the very first Speedo Cup in the fall of 1993 taking third place. In addition the club took part in Junior Olympics that year and has been invovled in the tournament for the last 15 years straight bringing multiple teams each year. In 2001 and 2007 the club brought 13 teams to the Junior Olympics.
Not Done Growing:
San Diego Shores works on growing their club in a vareity of ways. They sponsor free clinics at a variety of pools including facilities they don't practice in just to spread the water polo fever. In addition the club offers a two week trial sign up free of charge for players to try out water polo. Parents of the athletes in the club are also a huge help as they promote the club in the area schools and finally they use word of mouth between friends, neighbors, and anyone else that might be able to spread the news.
A Pool Of Their Own:
One of the major goals of the club lately is getting their own facility built. With that in mind one of the struggles for the club is the availability of various facilities. The club hopes to build their own place using donations or grants but that is still a work in progress. The club sites the facility in Commerce, California as an example of what they would hope to have one day.
Where Do They Play:
Junior Olympics and Speedo Cup aside the club is invovled in a wide variety of competition. They compete in the San Diego Grommet League, the Cal Cup League, and the California State Games. In addition they compete in Zone qualifications and tournaments hosted by other clubs in California. Shores attempts to compete in as many National Championships as possible with their oft jam packed schedule. One of the highlights of that schedule is the San Diego County Cup, an event the club hosts that is the largest 14 and under tournament in the nation now in it's 15th year.
Five Years Down The Road:
Along with getting a new facility the club would like to continue to offer quality water polo instruction and introduce the sport to all aquatics minded people in the area. They would also like to grow the sport in the area by a percentage comparable to youth soccer. Finally they want to continue to be one of the leading clubs in the nation in national championship points and overall fun.
Olympic Efforts:
Few clubs can boast some of the talented alumni that San Diego Shores can. With three Olympians already to their credit in Brett Ormsby, Jesse Smith, and Kelly Rulon along with another potential one in Moriah van Norman the club has a history of outstanding athletes at the national level.
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