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Q1. I'm interested in playing water polo for Drummoyne Water Polo Club (or my child is.). Who do I contact to find out whether there is a space available, and what I need to do to get started?
In the first instance, please contact the relevant Director of Water Polo. For girls or women, this would be Sally Gates on 0431 923 723 or email Womens.Operations.DWPC@gmail.com . For boys or men, please contact Andrew Murray on 0421 144 181 or email Mens.Operations.DWPC@gmail.com
Q2. What ages can play?
Girls and boys from 7 to 12 often begin by taking part in our Primary Schools Competition (sponsored by PAYCE). This program lets the kids learn the foundation skills in a fun environment. We run this program on Friday evenings at Drummoyne Pool over summer during Term 4 and Term 1 of the school year. To find out more about it, please contact schoolcomp.dwpc@gmail.com.
After this, we have junior teams for girls and boys in the U14, U16 and U18 age groups, and senior teams ranging from 1st to 7th grade. We also have Men's and Women's National League teams who take part in the Australian Waterpolo League (AWL).
DWPC has players who have participated for many decades, some well into their retirement years. Water polo is a sport you can enjoy your whole life!
Q3. How long is the season? And where are the games held?
DWPC participates in the Sydney Metropolitan Competition run by Water Polo NSW. There is a summer season that usually runs from September to March (with a break over Christmas), and winter season that runs from around May to August. There are finals held at the conclusion of each season. Metro games are played in pools around Sydney (including Drummoyne, Balmain, Ryde, Knox Pool, Sutherland, Sydney Uni, UNSW, Blue Mountains and Pymble). Many of our junior teams also take part in State and National competitions that are held in different locations each year.
Q4. When do the teams play?
Our junior boys' and girls' teams play on Sunday afternoon or evening. Men's First Division (M1, M2 and M3) play on Saturdays in summer and Tuesday nights in winter. Men's Second Division (M4, M5, M6 and M7) play on Tuesday nights in summer. Ladies First Division (L1, L2 and L3) play on Saturdays in Summer and Wednesday nights in winter. Ladies Second Division (L4 and L5) play on Wednesday nights in summer.
Q5. How often do the teams train?
Our junior teams (U14, U16 and U18s) and our first division teams (AWL, and 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade) train between one and three times a week, sometimes more frequently as important competitions approach). Our second division teams (4th to 7th grade) tend not to train.
Q6. How are the fees decided?
Our fees are a combination of a number of factors. These include an annual registration payment we pay to both Water Polo Australia (WPA) and Water Polo NSW (WPNSW). The remainder covers things like pool hire for games, equipment such as caps, balls, goals, general running costs and the payment we make to WPNSW for referees for junior and first division games. Those players who are in teams that train also pay a training levy to cover costs associated with training including pool hire.
To give an example, players in the summer 2016/17 season paid a fee of $350 (which covered their registration with WPNSW) and the other expenses noted above. Those who trained also paid a $250 training levy.
Players who are selected in Drummoyne’s AWL team are required to secure a cap sponsor in addition to paying their fees.
Q7. Apart from playing, how else can I get involved?
DWPC is run primarily on volunteer power so we are always delighted to hear from anyone who can lend a hand. As you can imagine, for a club the size of ours, the jobs are varied and plentiful! From pool set up, to manning the BBQ, to helping with events, there's lots to get done. If you can help, please contact our Vice President, James Brennan, in the first instance. James can be contacted on 0417 284 377 or james@excelhr.com.au.
Q8. What opportunities are there to play at representative level?
A large number of our boys and girls have progressed to play at school, state and national level. A good example is Aidan (AJ) Roach, who started in our Junior Development Program at age 9, and eventually played for Australia at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics! Tyler Martin and Mitchell Emery also joined our club as juniors and went on to play in the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Q9. I’m interested in getting involved as a sponsor. What sponsorship opportunities are there, and who do I speak with?
Sponsors play a vital role in enabling us to run our club. We have a variety of sponsorship packages available and are happy to acknowledge and promote your brand. DWPC is a vibrant and engaged community and we also host events that attract many hundreds of people from our broader network. If you'd like to know more about becoming a sponsor, please contact Tony Watson on 0417 690 905 or tony.watson@rmwatson.com.au.
