The Barbados Water Polo Club will be heading off to Florida next Thursday, November 24th, to compete in the annual Julie Zurek Ardila Thanksgiving Tournament, hosted by the Miami Riptides Aquatics Club, November 25th to 28th. Competition this year promises to be exciting and challenging. with 30 teams participating from across five divisions in the USA and internationally. Competition is open to all age groups from 12 yrs and under to Seniors.
Barbados will be fielding a Junior (Flying Fish) team and a Senior (Sharks) team. This will be the second year that Barbados will be participating. Team members are looking forward to this competition. They have been training five times a week and view this as preparation for Carifta Championships in The Bahamas next year. Twenty players will represent Barbados in the two divisions. The teams will be managed by Mrs Songee Beckles.
The Head Coach, Ryan Forde who is also Captain of the senior team says…”we are excited to be travelling to Miami to test our level of play ahead of Carifta and CCCAN in 2017. Both teams have been training well, especially the Juniors. They have been gaining strength, flexibility and discipline through our dry-land sessions over the last two and a half months, and have mixed that with their game fitness. The seniors are going with a younger squad this year because they are in a state of transition. However it is our push to qualify for CAC 2018. This weekend will be a great test for both teams as they play against the better equipped American teams. I believe the Juniors are on the right path for Carifta. They have been working to bridge the gap in the region for the last two years and aim to make it to the Final. After that…it is our fight for the gold.”
The Barbados Water Polo Club will continue to prepare for Carifta when the Junior team heads off to the Trinidad and Tobago Nationals, December 15th to 18th at the new National Aquatic Centre in Couva, Trinidad. At that time the Girls’ team will participate and Barbados will present a mixed team. Last year Barbados won the silver medals and they will be seeking the gold this year. Team Managers for the Trinidad tournament will be Mrs Juliet Springer and Dr Leo Brewster. Coach will be Miss Natalia Parris.