14 Comments

• Fan says:

  October 3, 2009 at 11:40 pm

  Why don't you evaluate players based on their play vs the teams they play and not the team they play on. Look at the overall stats of a player to evaluate their making an all tourney team. Look at the kid for Esperanza, Dan Lenhart.
• ThinkFirst says:

  October 4, 2009 at 7:46 am

  This is the first time that Dan has actually posted an all tournament team for the villa park tourney rather than mentioning a few names. In previous years, a few back, there was an all tournament team for the south coast tourney. Don't whine about your player's name off the list. Usually, this list is from the top teams. If you want your kid to shine put them on a top team and see if they stand out. It is easy to stand out on a weaker team. And if you plan on your son playing college water polo, you will probably have a lot more to whine about later. Do your son a favor, and don't post his name on the message board as it is more embarrassing than helpful. Nothing is fair in water polo and the referees can change the outcome of any game. It happens more often than anyone would care to admit. Move on.
• waterboy says:

  October 4, 2009 at 1:59 pm

  Congratulations to the boys named, and JSerra's Santala and Meinhold. They play an important part in making that team a success. In games played by JSerra, Santala, Meinhold and Clinkinbeard are the ones who make it happen.
• polo dude says:

  October 4, 2009 at 4:58 pm

  Lenhart is impressive, but think first is probably right, only teams at the top got the all tournament picks.
• waterpolo veteran says:

  October 4, 2009 at 6:38 pm

  There are teams that finished 5th.6th and 7th that had a player named,so it wasn't just the top teams , FYI Esperanza was 8th , RE; think first's comment about moving teams, it seems to be a sad state of our priorites when players are transferring for the water polo program rather than the quality of education, if a player is strong, colleges will seek them out , also in case nobody realizes there is not a large pro water polo circuit unless you are Tony Azevedo
• ThinkFirst says:

  October 4, 2009 at 8:31 pm

  Players will transfer for just that reason. to get on a team that has a good schedule and a half way decent coach. You have to admire a parent who has a kid that is determined to go to a school that has more invested in water polo. However, the top players in hs don't necessarily have an easy time in college. The top players are all lumped together and the best that adapt will shine. And as far as switching a school rather than be concerned with the education, my take is to get the best of both worlds. The fact is that just because you get recruite to play at college, doesn't mean you will even play, you many even quit after a year or two. Water Polo play in college is what motivates some kids to do well in high school so they will be accepted into a good school. Use water polo in that fashion. Too many parents are crazed and just don't get it. Some hs coaches are asses also. And no, a player who is strong on a week team will not be necessaryily sought out. Stedman is one example of this. He is only a star on Troy and that is just not impressive. The leaderboards are deceiving if you just look at goals scored. Water Polo is much more than scoring. and some parents, albano and kids just don't get it.
• waterpolo veteran says:

  October 5, 2009 at 7:14 am

  I agree with you regarding that a lot of top high school players don't make it in college, it is a whole another world, like a business, but my biggest issue today is that what our we parents teaching our kids when we just focus on winning and not making the team they are on the best, if that was the case maybe Paul Reynolds should transfer when his school is not as strong as they were last year. He is one of the best players in OC and every college will go after him. . Yes Water polo assists in getting into a college but lets keep our eye on the goal to be successful productive adults not all about winning championships, and alot of schools that are not the top 10 programs have very good coaches who have produced All Americans I have seen parents who just look for the best water polo programs and change schools often, like you said crazed parents. and I agree that scoring is only one part of the game
• DAN ALBANO says:

  October 5, 2009 at 8:42 am

  I should have mentioned Saturday that the all-tourney team was picked by coaches. I will add that to the post.

  But if were to select an all-tourney team from the VPC, I would have had Lenhart on it - no brainer
• wait a minute says:

  October 5, 2009 at 11:34 am

  Don't be surprised if coaches pick players if other coaches pick their player. And Dan, don't you listen to some (not all) coaches when they ask you to pr this kid and not pr another kid. Wait, doesn't the winning coach get x amount of picks and the rest get fewer. This is not a democratic process. Only some coaches pick.
• wpobserver says:

  October 5, 2009 at 2:26 pm

  The comments above go far in explaining the importance of club water polo. Some kids will go to their home schools which may not be the best water polo schools. However, the high school season is relatively short compared to the club season. If a kid is really interested in playing in college they are playing with a club and playing with the best players because there is a good chance that the college coaches will be at venues like JOs as opposed to regular high school games [remember the high school boys' water polo season is at the same time as the college men's season].
• high school proponent says:

  October 6, 2009 at 3:34 pm

  wpobserver
  You are wrong when you think club water polo is more important
  than high school. College coaches may not see a lot of high
  school games, but they are in contact with those coaches far
  more than club coaches on recruiting. High school is
  regulated by both CIF SS and NHFS where club is open season
  without much regulation. It is good for a supplement to high
  school, but cetainly not the priority.
• wpobserver says:

  October 6, 2009 at 4:33 pm

  High school proponent-
  I agree with you inso far as there are coaches like Stoll of El Toro and Carlson of Los Alamitos who also have positions as their respective high schools and are there for the duration. Sure, college coaches are in contact with those guys. But what about the programs who have walk on coaches who may or may not be around in a year or two? College coaches start to hear about players through club play and National Junior Olympics. If those club players end up at good schools with permanent coaches, then you are correct. But there are many more kids who go to their local schools where the coaches aren't as permanent, or the programs not as renowned. For them, club IS more important.
• Info says:

  October 6, 2009 at 9:29 pm

  I would think that most veterans would know how All tourney players are picked. 1st place team gets the most # of picks usually 3, 2nd and 3rd place gets 1 less and down the line. a number of teams will get 1 pick. Coach of the team picks the players. Of course he is going to pick his own. As far as collage coaches seeing kids play. Remember there are thousands of kids and coaches have limited time. So they go to the games that give them the most bang for their buck, tournement championships. This means that players on good teams will be seen more than a great player on a bad team. Advise, your kids have to promote themselfs, call coaches, let them know when and where yhey are playing.
• everyoneisaknowitall says:

  October 6, 2009 at 10:17 pm

  info, i'd agree with you but there is more to it. wpobserver, you were already told by someone else that you are wrong in two posts up. regarding this last one, sorry but you don't know what you are talking about. way off base. sorry, but can't get into specifics on this message board.