Swim & Water Polo

Does Water Polo Affect Your Swim Stroke? 

Yes! And for the good.

Multitudinous studies and many swim/polo programs have shown that water polo strengthens a swimmer’s fitness and speed. In fact, the vast majority of the top swim teams around the US are also home to the top Water Polo players as well. Why would participating in Water Polo as opposed to participating in year-round swimming help an athlete?  Well, swimming helps a player become fast; water polo helps athletes become quicker in the water, helping with flip turns, starts, and finishes, not to mention the value of avoiding swim burnout and over-extension.

There are 4 main swim strokes (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, although the dolphin kick is becoming known as the 5th stroke).  Water Polo is simply an additional stroke; just as the butterfly stroke doesn’t negatively affect the breast stroke, the water polo stroke (slightly raised elbows with lifted head), does not negatively affect other swimming strokes. For example, during swim season, many swimmers will compete in freestyle events, and then complete in a backstroke or butterfly or breaststroke event, all without negative impact; related, swimmers who participate in Water Polo and use a Water Polo stroke for a few weeks during the water polo season, can easily transition to any of the other 4 strokes without impact.

Data compiled from the results of clinical research shows that Water Polo and other cross-training exercises improves swim speed, agility, and strength; in fact, most studies show that lengthy swim sets do not improve speed as well as athletes being involved in other training, such as Water Polo (especially in the pre-season) or dryland training:

On a national level, most every Water Polo player swims on a swim team and many swimmers also play Water Polo. There is not threat from one sport to another whatsoever. Conversely, one of the best things a swimmer can do to cut time is to join a Water Polo club a few months out of the year– and one of the best things a Water Polo player can do is to join a swim program a few months out of the year.

Carlsbad (California) has enjoyed success in both sports, having won five straight CIF San Diego Section titles in boys water polo and boys swimming. The Lancers have placed second in the section finals the last two season in girls swimming while winning five titles in eight finals appearances the last 10 seasons in girls water polo, dispelling the myth that one sport negatively affects the other.

From the great Dezső Gyarmati and the likes of Matt Biondi and even Prince William, hundreds of swimmers have shown that water polo enhances their swim success. For example, Bradley (“Brad”) Darrell Schumacher s a two-time, two-sport (swimming and water polo) Olympian from the United States. He was part of two gold medal swimming relay teams at at the 1996 Olympics. Four years later at the 2000 Games he was a member of the USA’s water polo team. Additionally, Santa Clara, coached by George Haines, and Cincinnati, coached by Charlie Hickcox, and Nashville, coached by Paul Bergen all show success in swim through water polo. These three clubs all won national water polo titles with their Olympic-level swimmers leading the way. Tim Shaw, a member of the 1984 Olympics water polo team was the world record holder in the 1500m Freestyle. Kurt Krumpholtz, father of USC player JW Krumpoltz, was both a swimmer and water polo player in college, and was also the world record holder in the 400-meter freestyle, again showing the world that swimmers make great water polo players and that water polo does not inhibit a swimmer’s stroke.

As one coach wrote, “I have played and coached both sports and come from a family of aquatic coaches and athletes. The changes that are made between strokes in swimming and water polo can be corrected in a matter of a few days or weeks under the right coaching. An inexperienced swimmer who takes up water polo might struggle more to alter their stroke back to a swim stroke, but an experienced competitive swimmer shouldn’t have an issue. Aquatic sports are going to share athletes because the skills compliment each other and coaches need to accept this. If you were an Olympic-caliber athlete in either sport, I wouldn’t recommend doing both, but the average high school athlete will benefit in participation from both. Water polo is generally more appealing to people because of the team aspects, the physicality and the shorter/more exciting training, but I have also know people (my brother included) who prefer swimming because they don’t have to rely on others for positive results. Most people are exposed to swimming first, so swim coaches have a fear of water polo “stealing” their athletes.  I could go on about swimmers who have their success at least in part to water polo and the benefits and negatives of both sports. In the end, athletes should choose the one they enjoy the most or (better yet) do both, but your any coach saying that water polo ruins a swimmer’s stroke aren’t being honest with you” (https://www.reddit.com/r/waterpolo/comments/1bbwfu/swimming_coaches_at_my_high_school_shun_water_polo/)

On a local level, Grace Sorenson (2019) was the most decorated female swimmer in the Region for the 2019 swim season.  She played Fall Water Polo, leading up the Swim season and earned a number of metals at State for swim.  She credits many of her successes in swim to the cross training Water Polo provided.  Another example of the benefits of water polo supplementing a swimmer is the case of Mauri Banham. While she had some success in High School swim, her strength in the water shone as she earned 2nd team All-State recognition in Water Polo in 2019; she, like many other athletes who love the water, are finding that success can be found on High School swim OR High School Water Polo. Ryan Jarrett was a member of the Utah Junior Olympic team for water polo in 2017 while qualifying for Swim Sectionals in Texas the same year; the same is true of Riley Herzog and others who had great success in both sports. Dawson Richards, school record holder in the 100 breast stroke in 2018, earned All State honors in water polo; the same with Trevor McEuen in 2019. In fact, some athletes who are good– but not elite– in the sport of swimming are finding that they can become elite by participating in both sports. When athletes are given an opportunity to do both sports, benefits abound.

The Cache Valley Marlins Swim Club has been a major contributor to our local High School swim teams successes. And so has the Cache Water Polo Team.  As youth join the Marlins Swim Team in Elementary and Junior High School, many are able to make the local High School swim teams. As well, many Elementary and Junior High students have joined Cache Water Polo and ultimately joined the High School Swim team and have competed at high levels and found great success in swim. Both the Marlins and Cache Water Polo contribute in a very positive manner to each High School swim team. Unfortunately, a few dozen kids need to be cut from the Water Polo team each year due to lack of pool access.

Earlier this year, the students who play on the Water Polo club were originally denied access to the pool; after conversations between the coach and the pool manager, the dive tank was offered for 1 hour two times each week to accommodate the students who play Water Polo. However, with the time it takes to set up the water polo course, this equates to 45 minutes for each of the two days that they are being offered (90 minutes pf practice time each week), which is helpful–but certainly far below the needed time to help students to get into shape and have a competitive Water Polo season and to generate enough interest to join their High School swim team.  Having a more robust water polo program (which can only come if greater pool access is granted to the water polo program) will allow for even more students to find success on their High School swim team and also allow them to compete with other water polo teams (most water polo teams practice for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week). Granting pool access to two feeder programs in the Cache Valley (the Marlins swim club and the Cache Water Polo club) will strengthen each High School’s swim team.

Below is a chart detailing the success of swim and water polo programs in Utah who show great strength in both sports — and who have at least 75% of their swimmers participating in water polo, showing demonstratively that water polo does not ‘ruin’ a swimmer’s stroke. Park City is making the clearest case that water polo players enhance a swim team as they have dominated the pool both in swim and in water polo for the last 3 years; their swim coaches are quick to point to water polo as a positive factor for their school’s swim success.

Utah Swim and Water Polo Results

2019

MEN
SWIM WATER POLO Majority of swimmers on Polo team?
Desert Hills (4A) 1st in State 3rd in State YES
Cedar City (4A) 2nd in State 1st in State YES
Brighton (5A) 1st in State 4th in State YES
Cottonwood (5A) 2nd in State 6th in State YES
Skyline (5A) 3rd in State 5th in State YES
Lone Peak (6A) 1st in State 3rd in State YES
Weber (6A) 3rd in State 5th in State YES

WOMEN
Desert Hills (4A) 1st in State 3rd in State YES
Park City (4A) 2nd in State 1st in State YES
Snow Canyon (4A) 3rd in State 4th in State YES
Timpview (5A) 2nd in State 3rd in State YES
Skyline (5A) 3rd in State 1st in State YES
Lone Peak (6A) 2nd in State 2nd in State YES
Kearns (6A) 4th in State 1st in State YES

2018

MEN
SWIM WATER POLO Majority of swimmers on Polo team?
Desert Hills (4A) 1st in State 3rd in State YES
Park City (4A) 3rd in State 1st in State YES
Cedar City (4A) 4th in State 1st in State YES
Brighton (5A) 1st in State 4th in State YES
Skyline (5A) 3rd in State 2nd in State YES
Lone Peak (6A) 1st in State 2nd in State YES

WOMEN
Park City (4A) 1st in State 1st in State YES
Desert Hills (4A) 3rd in State 3rd in State YES
Oren High (4A) 4th in State 4th in State YES
Skyline (5A) 2nd in State 2nd in State YES
Tempview (5A) 3rd in State 3rd in State YES
Olympus (5A) 5th in State 1st in State YES
Brighton (5A) 1st in State 4th in State YES
Kearns (6A) 1st in State 2nd in State YES

2017

MEN
SWIM WATER POLO Majority of swimmers on Polo team?
Park City (3A) 1st in State 1st in State YES
Cedar City (3A) 2nd In State 2nd In State YES
Desert Hills (3A) 3rd in State 3rd in State YES

WOMEN
Park City (3A) 1st in State 1st in State YES
Desert Hills (3A) 2nd In State 3rd in State YES
Cedar City (3A) 3rd in State 4th in State YES
Skyline (4A) 1st in State 4th in State YES
Kearns (4A) 5th in State 1st in State YES