Spartan Water Polo Club Hosts 2015 Great Lakes Classic Tournament at MSU this weekend

Spartan Water Polo Club student-athletes with the USA
Water Polo Men's National Team in Chicago, June 2015

Spartan Water Polo Club will host its annual water polo tournament for players ages 12 to 18 at the Michigan State University outdoor pool at the IM West facility on Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12. Teams from all over Michigan as well as from the Chicago-area and St. Louis-area will participate.  Entry fee is $5 per day at the gate; $3 for youth ages 12 and under, and $3 for seniors. Ample parking will be available in the lots around the MSU Football Stadium for the event. Games begin at 8:00 a.m. each day.

“This tournament has changed quite a bit from a year ago,” Matt Latham, Head Coach of Spartan Water Polo Club, said.  “Last year we played games inside at East Lansing High School and outside at MSU but kept everything at one pool so there was only a single game going at any one time. We had roughly 12 teams last year between the boys’ division and girls’ division. This year the entire event will be out at Michigan State's IM West facility with two games being played at once. We have 20 teams coming consisting of about 300 athletes.”

About 60 kids from the mid-Michigan area will participate in the tournament, Latham said. The SWPC roster includes student-athletes from East Lansing, Haslett, Mason, Okemos, Lansing, Holt, and Williamston, as well as a few players from the west of the state.  “It's great to see players building friendships that they might not have otherwise had as they play with kids from all around the area,” Latham said. 

This tournament offers “cold-weather” teams the opportunity to get used to playing outdoors. “For our kids who are so used to being inside, it gives them an opportunity to get used to playing outdoors before some of our teams head out to California for the Junior Olympics tournament at the end of the month (where all the games are played outside). It gives them a chance to get used to how to handle things when the sun might be in their eyes or in other weather conditions. We will still play if there is rain this weekend, as long as there isn't a thunderstorm,” Latham said.

Latham said SWPC is also working on providing kids and coaches a chance to grow as water polo athletes and mentors. “Friday evening we are having a free clinic where we can discuss rule changes, strategy, and other things that concern our sport as coaches. The kids will be participating in various drills and be able to interact with coaches and officials in ways they don't always get to do. This will help our sport grow in the region, as coaches continue to be open to working together for the betterment of our sport,” Latham said.

 SWPC would love for the community members to drop in and see what water polo is all about. “If you've never watched the sport before, I strongly encourage you to come out and see what it is all about. It is usually a lot of fun to watch, the games are typically very action packed, and it's a quick sport - so the action will move up and down the pool. The games will last roughly 45 minutes each, so it doesn't mean an all-day commitment or even an all-morning or afternoon commitment. There will be a lot of whistles, but the object of the game remains similar to any other sport - get the ball in the goal.”

Latham was named the Lansing State Journal’s Water Polo Coach of the Year in 2015. In addition to coaching for SWPC, Latham also coaches the Okemos girls’ water polo team, the MSU Men’s Club water polo team, and is active in the Michigan Water Polo Association and USA Water Polo Olympic Development program.

 For more information about SWPC and its programs, please visit www.spartanwaterpolo.org, follow SWPC on twitter @SpartanClubPolo or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/spartanwaterpoloclub.

Disclosure: Telaina Eriksen’s 15-year-old son plays for Spartan Water Polo 16U Club team.