A Look Back At First Annual ODP Summit For Coaches and Referees
1/27/2009 12:00:00 AM
A team approach, an emphasis on fundamentals, forward planning and a respect for the game of water polo were the key themes this weekend at the 1st annual Olympic Development Program (ODP) Summit in Los Angeles. The two day summit brought together coaches, referees, administrators and instructors from across America. It signaled a new era, bringing together the Men’s and Women’s National Team staffs with top coaches and referees to improve elite training.
“The summit will be the starting point for a new direction for USA Water Polo.,” said Director of Olympic Development Guy Baker. “We had coaches, referees, coordinators from all across our country come together and it became a very memorable weekend. Close to 100 people were in attendance including the USAWP Board of Directors and CEO Christopher Ramsey. I couldn’t be happier with the turnout and with the energy and the direction we are heading.”
Men’s Senior National Team Head Coach Terry Schroeder, National Referee Committee Chairman Jim Cullingham and Baker all addressed the attendees at various junctures on a variety of topics including coach and referee interaction, the USA System of Play, computerized game management, and offensive and defensive strategies.
“I felt that the summit was a great beginning and definitely the direction for USA water polo to go. Focusing on the youth and the future will pay off in big ways quickly. I think the changes that have been that will help the most will be keeping the teams together for longer periods with more training sessions available, therefore you are getting much more for your money,” added Carroll Vaughn of the Southeast Zone.
The Olympic Development Program serves as the primary feeder system for USAWP National Teams. The foundation of the program is a systematic approach to athlete, coach and referee development through a year round training program that focuses on long term development.
The Olympic Development Program Dozen Principles:
Raise college profile
Year round training for long term improvement
Nationalize water polo
Train and compete with and against the best players in the USA Water Polo
Respect for the Game
Feeder system for the National Teams
Systematic Athlete, Coach and Referee instruction
Progressive and Evaluative Standards
Top quality coaches
Opportunity to be seen by National Teams Coaches
Opportunity to compete at the ODP Championships
Learn the American System of Play
“I think it evens the playing field for water polo players throughout the United States,” Scott Slay a coach from the Southwest Zone who hails from Texas. “It gives our top regional athletes a chance to be exposed to the Olympic team and clarifies what they need to do at an earlier developmental stage. I am ecstatic because the more we get exposed to what is going on with the national team the more it is going to grow in the state of Texas.”
Vaughn of Florida and the Southeast Zone echoed some similar sentiments, “We feel that it is very important for us in the Southeast Zone to keep updated with all of the latest drills and skills, since we are so far out of the loop just in location alone. We do not have the opportunities that are available to the athletes in California, or the skilled players to play with and against, that is why phase two will be so nice also because we will have regional games to play before we go to the tryout and have some better competition,” Vaughn said.
One highlight of the many highlights at the Summit was the coaches and referees interactive session Saturday afternoon that delivered some key concepts that will be the springboard the future of water polo such as standardized coaches and referee education that can be evaluated for accountability and increase the overall respect for the game from the coaches, referees, athletes and spectators. The Summit served as a mechanism to improve coach and referee relationship that will be so vitally important as water polo moves in a new direction.
“Referees and the coaches must be on the same page for the benefit of the sport. In order to grow we must make the sport just as appealing as soccer or baseball for America’s youth. To accomplish this we need to create an environment that is beneficial and exciting for the athletes so that they want to come back. They want to return and bring their friends because they are having fun playing water polo,” said USAWP FINA referee and ODP Referee Instructor Steve Rotsart.
The Summit also had sessions on ways to improve the growth of our sport and on-line communication, planning, and technical and tactical training for ODP Coaches, Referees and Coordinators that will serve as the primary connector between the National Teams and the ODP Training Teams. The Summit featured breakout meetings that included formalized referee instruction, administrative and calendaring organization, National Teams System of Play and tryout, training and selection guidelines.
Other attendees also saw the value in what was accomplished this past week. Men’s Senior National Team Assistant Coach Ryan Brown was on hand and knows the true value of an integrated pipeline across all platforms, “It’s very exciting, the pipeline is very important to the senior team staff, the more we develop the younger age, the better the athletes are going to get, it’s a great program and it was a good turnout,” Brown said.
“I think the single most important purpose is to have all the members of USA Water Polo understand that when our teams are abroad, they are competing for them. The Olympics, World Championships, FINA Cup, etc… a little piece of every single member of this great organization is there with them. From athletes, coaches, to referees we all are representing USA Water Polo Members and striving to do our best. I believe the thought of America’s youth understanding that they are a USA Water Polo National Member is motivation for any young athlete, coach or referee to strive to one day represent your country and its membership at the highest levels of competition,” added Rotsart.
A few zones have already held trials for the limited spots available in the ODP training program. Other zones will be holding tryouts in the next few weeks, and a comprehensive list will be posted on the USA Water Polo website. Once training groups are selected baselines for individual athletes will be established and the program will begin in earnest, including visits to local training centers to evaluate players, coaches and referees by ODP and national team staff.
“Better athletes will be playing against better and in some cases older, more experienced athletes regularly in this program as a way to increase their development,” said Baker. “The best way to get better is to play against the best, and to have an opportunity to have your play evaluated, corrected and refined. That is our goal.”
For more information on the Olympic Development Program visit www.usawaterpolo.org or click here.
Olympic Development Program