Water polo makes comeback at NU

By Nathan Braden
Norwich Guidon Sports Editor

Norwich University offers many recreational sports and clubs to students. However, this spring one more activity was made available in the form of an aquatic sport that some students may never even have heard about, the Norwich University Water Polo Team.

This is not the first time that a water polo team has been established at Norwich. However, this season's team hopes that with enough interest in the sport the team will earn status as a club sport.

"The team is still in its infancy stage, but we'd really like to get the team on a school-supported club budget," said Mike McCollum, the Water Polo Team's Head Coach. "We need some equipment, and we don't even have nets on our goals."

"I think that once we get a good foundation and a solid corps of players, then the team is really going to take off," said Mike Jones, a junior biology major from Haleiwa, HI, and water polo team member who played the sport throughout high school. "Water Polo as a club sport would be beneficial for both the school and students, because it offers students here more variety and can help the school recruit prospective students."

The co-ed team has between 18 and 22 members, including four or five females, said McCollum. The number of members is not definite, because the team is new, and people have other commitments that make it hard for them to be totally dedicated to the team.

However, the interest that has been shown this spring is very encouraging for the team.

"So far, this has been the most successful attempt at starting a water polo team at the school," said Jones. "Although it is frustrating for those who haven't played before, they still enjoy it, and those of us who have played before help them learn, and next year they'll teach new members to the team."

"It doesn't compare to other sports I've played before," said Mark Osowski, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Stratford, CT, and first-year-player team member. "I enjoy it very much, because it's fun and very demanding athletically." Jones claims that water polo rates among the top five hardest sports to play athletically, but anyone can learn the game and have fun playing.

Water polo incorporates aspects from many other sports. Each team is allowed six swimmers and a goalie in the water while the ball is in play. The ball is very similar to a volleyball except that it is firmer and is considerably more heavy.

The object of the game is to score points by throwing the ball through the opponent's goal. A water polo goal is typically nine feet by four feet. If a team scores from a distance of less than seven meters from the goal, one point is awarded; they receive two points if the goal is scored from beyond the seven-meter mark.

"It's sort of like playing lacrosse in water," said McCollum. "Swimming is very important for players, because, except for the goalie, players can't touch the wall or the bottom while playing, but not every good swimmer is a good polo player."

Games have four quarters and usually last around 50 minutes.

"Our first game is at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 26, at Middlebury," said McCollum. "We may have another game later on against UVM, but that's not set in stone, yet."

Anyone interested in finding out more information about the Norwich Water Polo Team can contact Coach Mike McCollum at 485-2237.

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