Salty Splash Water Polo Podcast

Need all the details to be successful for the Salty Splash Classic Water Polo Tournament?  Listen up.  Welcome to Salt Lake City, UT!

Water polo shut down across the nation in March 2020 and since then, there has been no water polo in Utah.  The fall league kicks off water polo play again at the end of August in Utah, and in the United States for that matter.  Listen to the first part of the podcast as Shawn reviews the changes and policies and procedures that will allow us to stay in the pool during COVID.

The second part of the podcast explores the ups and downs of water polo growth with three great Utah coaches and club directors.  James Keddington with South Davis Water Polo, Jesse Kochel with Southern Utah Water Polo and Eric Richards with Cache Valley Water Polo, represent water polo from the northern border to the southern border of Utah.  Shawn explores how they got their start, how COVID has affected their teams, some awesome tips to continue to grow club membership and of course, they add their selections to the Salty Splash Pod Playlist.  

Let's play some water polo!

It’s no secret that collegiate water polo has been historically dominated by Californians. In fact, only once has a team hailing from outside of California won a women’s national championship. Today’s guest was the MVP of that national championship team. Robbie Bova is the director and head coach of Albuquerque Water Polo. She is also the women's youth ODP coach in the mountain zone, and the director of the New Mexico High School Water Polo League.  Join Shawn as he chats with Robbie about her pathway into the sport and into college polo, the importance of SplashBall as a foundation for team growth, vision for Mountain Zone teams, and the importance of focusing on every athlete.

What do Adam Huff and Rocky Balboa have in common? Listen to this episode of The Salty Splash to find out. In this episode Shawn has a fun conversation with Adam Huff, President of Utah High School Water Polo Association, Men’s Cadet ODP Coach, and Head Coach of Murray Spartan Water Polo and Murray High School Swimming. He discusses his experience as one of eight siblings that played water polo, and how his early opportunities molded him and built his current coaching philosophies. In his own terms, Adam was shanghaied into board service, but this does not diminish his contributions to Utah water polo. Adam and the rest of The Utah High School Water Polo Association board are working to build consensus for a strategic plan to support high school and club water polo. Adam offers some incredible insights on how to build youth water polo and how to be successful with both athletes and parents.

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Check out the infamous Salty Splash Pod Playlist on Spotify here.  Working to be the best playlist in water polo history.

The Salty Splash Water Polo Pod Playlist!

1989 isn’t just a Taylor Swift album. It is also the year that Brad Peercy took a job coaching at Kearns and changed the course of Utah water polo history forever. Brad is the current USA Water Polo Mountain Zone ODP head coach. He works at Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center as the Aquatic Manager. On top of this, he is a Utah water polo icon, having been involved in the sport for 31 years. So many of the opportunities provided to Utah water polo athletes would have been impossible without Brad’s hard work and sacrifice. Join Shawn and Brad as they discuss the history of water polo in Utah, through the lens of Brad’s journey and contribution alongside other Utah Water Polo pioneers. They also discuss the future of water polo in Utah and the greater Mountain Zone and the strategies that will introduce more kids to the game and create quality, competition and development opportunities across the country.

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Check out the infamous Salty Splash Pod Playlist on Spotify here.  Working to be the best playlist in water polo history.

The Salty Splash Water Polo Pod Playlist!

Join Shawn as he talks with Tyson Heath, USA Water Polo Mountain Zone Chair and former Utah High School Water Polo Association Head Referee. A Kearns Water Polo alumnus, Tyson has dedicated over 20 years to the sport of water polo. Tyson admits that as an athlete he believed that he knew more than any of the referees. His conviction that he knew best along with his genuine passion for the sport led him to train as a referee straight out of high school. 15 years later, his experience and perspective have helped him become one of the most recognizable and respected figures within Utah water polo. In the debut episode of The Salty Splash, Tyson offers an insider's perspective to the world of Mountain Zone Water Polo. With the best practices to grow the sport at every level in mind, Tyson discusses the state of the sport in the Mountain Zone, sport growth, how coaches and referees can work together to  best support the game, and adds a surprising pick to the Salty Splash  playlist.

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Check out the infamous Salty Splash Pod Playlist on Spotify here.  Working to be the best playlist in water polo history.  

The Salty Splash Water Polo Pod Playlist!

The Salty Splash will take a look at water polo growth from the perspective of water polo athletes, clubs, parents, referees and coaches.  Exploring  issues facing the growth of the sport we love at a local level and will seek to have interesting and collaborative conversations with stakeholders to the game as we find strategies that will introduce kids to the game and create quality competition and development opportunities for everyone!