Water Polo newby Alison Hicks tells us how she made a splash in the Summer of 2018…
Back in May I randomly decided to give Water Polo a whirl and it has earned a place in my top 20 best decisions ever made. I had just joined Brockwell Swimmers to do its coached pool sessions and open water trips as I was starting to get bored of racking up the lengths in an indoor pool alone after years of doing so. I happened to notice the club also ran water polo classes and thought to myself ‘why not’.
Having never ever played before I had no expectation of what was to come turning up for the first Sunday afternoon sessions at St Josephs College pool near West Norwood. But maybe I’d half thought it would be akin to throwing around a beach ball in a swimming pool on holiday… I was in for a shock. I soon discovered water polo was a highly challenging and utterly exhausting sport requiring peak fitness, precision, speed and a healthy dose of competitive spirit. There is no room for niceties, apologies or procrastination when the whistle blows and games are lost and won in the blink of an ungoggled eye, but not before you are left panting for breath at the side.
Despite being more than a little embarrassed by my performance, or lack there of, in the first few sessions I was encouraged back week after week by the warm welcome of my team mates and the personal drive to not be defeated by a water based activity – as I never had before being generally happiest when in water. And back to the team mates, there’s not a bad bone in the bunch. A complete mix of skill – from beginning to ex national players – and personalities from all walks of life with many a story to tell. I feel a good few friends richer as a result of my polo pursuits. And by golly I am also much fitter!
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What followed the initial indoor training ground was a blissful summer spent splashing around of a Monday evening in Brockwell Lido. A total godsend after the mercury has continued to rise. We have done drill, played ‘friendlies’ and perhaps some ‘not so friendlies’ but all has been forgotten after a couple of post-match shandies in the Prince Regent over the road as the last of the sun slips from the sky.
But sadly this week it was all over too soon as Brockwell Swimmers only managed to secure seven slots from the Brockwell Lido management. Luckily we’ve made friends in other places after a couple of joyous friendly tournaments in both Parliament Hill Lido and Tooting Bec lido. So our Tooting buddies have invited us to join them for training and to see out the summer properly on Thursday nights.
Then come September we’ll be back at St Joseph’s on Sunday afternoons playing 5.15pm to 6.45pm perfecting our prowess throughout the winter to come back bigger and better in the summer of 2019. I couldn’t recommend anything more highly… come join us!