It was a flying start to the summer holidays for 34 young athletes, who are all on the England Talent Pathway and members of the North East Water Polo Talent Centre. The group travelled to a Water Polo Camp in Volendam, Netherlands from 20-24 July and among them, were five members of Sedgefield Water Polo Club, based in Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre.
Aston Walsh, Thomas Forrest, India Walsh, Kara Stanton and Arwen Henderson all attended the five-day camp, training and competing under the guidance of Olympic gold medal-winning coach, Paul Metz. They were joined by their Dutch counterparts, all aged 12-16 years, gaining world-class experience and inspiration. The camp focuses on the development of young, talented players, who are looking to progress and possibly go on to join national squads and represent their country in future.
For some, this was their second time attending the camp, which also focuses on team-work and activities alongside water polo, such as orienteering, an assault course and various team challenges. This is in addition to two daily water polo sessions in the outdoor facilities and a tournament.
The young athletes entered into the team spirit with their Dutch friends, where they all camp, eat and train in the same area throughout the five days, creating a strong sense of camaraderie. Members said it had been “an amazing experience and opportunity to train with overseas athletes, learning new skills, meeting new friends and making memories, which will last a lifetime.”
Head Coach, Matt Birch, confirmed that the training camp was “an incredible success, where the players had learned invaluable skills and the connections forged will continue well into the future, providing opportunities for many more young athletes.”
In addition to Junior and Senior sessions, Sedgefield Water Polo Club now offers a beginner session at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre on a Saturday afternoon for those wishing to try this fun and exciting sport. All sessions need to be booked in advance on our Club App, so please check our website for further information and joining instructions, email sedgefieldwp@hotmail.com or contact 07579 030598.
We’d also like to advise that we can now offer player sponsorships for just £30 per player for this season in return for regular advertising and promotion on our social media pages. If this is something that your business may be interested in, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. All monies raised will be used to allow our fantastic members the opportunity to develop their skills and provide them with the equipment they need in order to succeed in the sport.