Over the weekend of 29th and 30th April, Sedgefield Water Polo Club competed in the Under 19 National Age Group Finals held at Sunderland Aquatics Centre. This is the biggest junior club competition in the country with each club looking to show they are the best and take away gold medals and the prestigious NAGS trophy.
Sedgefield’s semi final match on the Saturday was against Cheltenham. This match was exciting and dramatic from start to finish, and definitely a game of two halves. By half time, Cheltenham had a 3 goal lead and were looking very strong; following on from a team talk from coaches John and James Pratt, the Sedgefield boys showed their fighting spirit and were determined to turn the scoreline around.
The second half didn’t start the way the boys hoped and at one point, they were 5 goals behind the opposition. This did not deter the team as they continued their fight and belief in themselves which resulted in the score being an amazing 12-12 with two minutes left to go. Unfortunately, Cheltenham scored in the final of minute of the game and held this lead despite Sedgefield fighting to the final whistle. This meant the team had the bronze place play off the following day against Calendonia who lost their semi final against Worthing 11-7. Head coach John Pratt was disappointed with the end result but was extremely proud of the boys fighting spirit and determination. Support on the balcony from our club supporters was phenomenal and was definitely a contributing factor to the team turning the score around by the end of the game.
Sunday’s match against Calendonia started off very closely contested, with Sedgefield leading 7-6 at the half way point. Once again, another team talk at half time – this time, initiated by the boys themselves – spurred them on as they were determined not to leave without a medal. The second half of the game was extremely exciting and the boys won with a fantastic 20-12, meaning a very well deserved bronze medal. This is a phenomenal achievement for a small club training in a shallow deep pool in Newton Aycliffe! Third best Under 19 team in the country!
Sedgefield would like to congratulate Worthing Water Polo who won the gold medal. We would also like to thank all coaches, parents and everyone else who has supported this age group over the years and we hope this excellent result will inspire our younger water polo members.
In addition to Junior and Senior sessions, Sedgefield Water Polo Club now offers a beginner session on a Saturday afternoon for those wishing to try this fun and exciting sport. We are also looking for more females to come and join our club so that we can have our own ladies team in future years. All sessions need to be booked in advance, so please check our website for further information and joining instructions.
Contact 07579 030598 or email: sedgefieldwp@hotmail.com