Official Club Name: Raider Water Polo
Website: www.raiderwp.com
Director Of Club: Eric Lefebvre
Club Coaches: Eric Lefebvre and Katie Hauck
Age Groups/Genders: Currently the club runs practices for boys and girls ages 10 and up. This generally is broken down into a co-ed middle school practice, high open men practice, and high open women practice.
How Was The Club Started?: After some changes in the local club scene an opportunity arose for a new club to form back in 2007 and Lefebvre was there to get things started.
Where Is Home Base?: The club practices out of the Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove, Florida
Who Do They Play?: Raider Water Polo competes both locally and nationally. The club hosts international teams for an annual tournament held in Coral Springs each February. In addition they also travel to California during the summer time to compete in USA Water Polo National Championships.
What's Next?: The club is still quite new in comparison to other water polo clubs but Lefebvre hopes to be able to separate boys and girls 14U practices as well as expanding the high school club at Ransom Everglades to be able to outfit a 16U and 18U squad.
Players On The Rise: In just a short amount of time the Raider Water Polo club has produced a host of quality players. Krizia Cerda who plays at Long Beach State traveled with the Junior National Team recently while Madeline Rosenthal was a member of the Bronze Medal winning squad this past summer at the FINA Junior World Championships in Russia. Also Ashleigh Johnson has traveled and played with the USA Youth National Team.
College Connection: Raider Water Polo has a host of alum playing at the collegiate level. On the boys side Raider has sent players to USC, Brown, Bucknell, George Washington, and Johns Hopkins. With the women, athletes have gone off to Long Beach State, Marist, and George Washington University. In addition Raider Assistant Coach Katie Hauck was an absolute brick wall in her four year stint as Wagner College's goalie, taking the Seahawks to two NCAA Tournaments.
How To Get Involved?: It is pretty easy, just email raiderwaterpolo@gmail.com. Or for more information visit their website at www.raiderwp.com