WATER POLO
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TAMWORTH’S youngest water polo players will be developing their games at Balmain next week.
The local association is sending two teams down to the annual Balmain 12&U Water Polo Carnival with the Tanks playing in the boys competition and the Tigerlillies the girls.
They’ll join club and school teams from around Sydney, as well as Gosford and Woy Woy.
“It’s a development carnival,” Tanks manager Jenny Taggart said.
They play with a shot clock, and under some of the adult rules, which they don’t regularly.
“They also have nutrition, and physio and stretching sessions as part of it,” Taggart said.
There’s also the option of coaching sessions with first grade players from the Balmain first grade side before the competition.
For many of the players it will be their first taste of representative water polo.
“The most exciting thing is we’ve got kids that are new to water polo,” Taggart said. The sides range in age from nine years up to 12-year olds.
“They’re a mix of age, abilities and experience,” she said.
About half of the girls’ side participated in last year’s carnival. The Tanks though are all new except for three players.
They’ll play three games a day Monday and Tuesday, a final round game on Wednesday and then a final series. It’s not only a chance for the players to develop.
Isaac Moxon and Pat Hofman will also be working with the sides as junior coaches, Moxon with the girls and Hofman the boys, while Alex Taggart and Abby Griffiths are going down as trainee referees.