SSC to start water polo program in June

Water polo is back on Saipan.

The good news came after Saipan Swim Club decided to offer a water polo program to interested individuals through the help of former collegiate standouts Jeff El-Hajj, Tyce Mister, and Colin Thompson.

“The Saipan Swim Club is proud to announce a new free program in June being offered to SSC and Tsunami swimmers 8 years and older. The children will be taught the basics of the game, learn the egg-beater kick, and practice passing and shooting,” stated in the SSC media release forwarded to Saipan Tribune yesterday.

The lessons on introduction to water polo will be held every Saturday from 3:15pm to 4:30pm at the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool in Marpi.

A separate lesson for adult swimmers will also be held every Saturday, from 4:30pm to 6:15pm, for a fee of only $30 per month. The adults sessions are for SSC Masters and those who have good swimming skills. The fee will also allow Masters swimmers to use the Marpi pool at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Water polo will return to Saipan after former assistant U.S. attorney Kevin Seely and Elijah McDanniel introduced the sport to the island and joined off-island competitions decades ago, according to SSC. Former SSC coach Bill Sakovich also included water polo to the activities of his swimmers while they are training in the 1980s.

“For several years we had water polo as part of our Saipan Swim Club training and would play occasionally during the season. Jeannie (his wife) and I felt it is important to our program, for cross training, variety, and fun, along with a possibility for our swimmers going to colleges. Early in the season, we had them play one to two times a week for about three months, later it was once in awhile,” Sakovich said.

“Back in the early ’80s, my former swimming and water polo coach from UCLA visited Saipan and basically did a swim clinic and a little water polo, and he sent me used water polo balls from UCLA. The Laguna High School team along with philanthropist Bruce Hopping from Laguna Beach donated water polo goals and balls when they came to Saipan for a clinic in 1996,” he added.

With water polo back on Saipan, SSC assured interested participants that they are in good hands with the club’s experienced coaches.

“The coaches volunteering for SSC’s program have excellent credentials and are very experienced in the sport. Jeff played water polo for four years in high school and three years at the University of Southern California where he was on the National Championship team in 2003 and 2005,” SSC said.

El-Hajj also joined Masters tournaments in California and Arizona and coached high schools boys for two summers and the Santa Monica Water Polo Club from September 2010 to November 2011.

Mister assisted Sakovich when SSC had water polo lessons and games back then. He also played the sport for two years both in high school and college (Cabrillo College) and represented the CNMI and teamed up with Guam players in two international events, according to SSC.

Thompson is the most decorated among the three volunteer coaches. He was an All-Time Letterman for four years at the University of California at Berkeley and was a member of the National championship team in 1983 and 1984. In high school in Newport Beach, California, Thompson was on the runner-up team that joined the AAU/USA Junior Olympic water polo games.

Former SSC swimmer Jennifer Pierce will be assisting the three coaches.

Meanwhile, SSC would like to thank Josh Berger, Jeff Taylor, Thompson, Sibylla Leon Guerrero, Robyn Wondrasek, and Suzy Kindel for their contribution for the construction of a water polo goal.

For more information about the program, contact Kindel at suzykindel@yahoo.com.