Sport growing in big waves

Water polo is making quite a splash in Utah.

With more than 1,100 registered participants competing in various age levels, the sport is riding a wave of popularity.

And success.

Club teams at the University of Utah reached the Southwest Division finals this past season. The women's team prevailed and went on to finish fourth in the nation. The men had a banner year as well, earning their first national top 20 ranking.

"It's great," said men's coach A.J. Baucum. "Part of it shows the growth of the sport within the state. It's a testament to how good our feeder programs are."

Utah's two teams, as well as a men's squad at Utah State, have 22 local high school programs to draw from. They, in turn, draw from a growing pool of junior high and elementary school players.

Brad Peercy, aquatics director at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center, had 136 kids enroll in water polo last year. Kearns has two divisions. An open division for adults has drawn 70 entrants.

In terms of U.S.A. Water Polo-sanctioned participation, Utah has the highest numbers in the Mountain region.

"It's definitely growing," said Peercy, who is the zone chairman for U.S.A. Water Polo. "It's growing around the country."

Baucum noted that the talent level is also high, comparable to the greater Phoenix area and New Mexico. Reno, Nev., he added, isn't far behind.

"Obviously, California is kind of the hotbed," said Baucum. "But there's a lot of water polo in Utah."

Skyline graduate Courtney Johnson earned a silver medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics, and the state has played host to a handful of national youth tournaments, tryouts and skills clinics. Earlier this month, Kearns welcomed teams from as far away as Florida to the national championship tournaments for 11- and 13-year-old boys.

Despite a bright future, water polo does have its share of difficulties.

Many swimming coaches won't allow their athletes to play the physical game and reserving practice time at pools is often difficult. And since water polo isn't a sanctioned NCAA or Utah High School Activities Association sport in Utah, most costs are absorbed by participants. At the U., where the program has no scholarships to offer, players pay around $150 each season to offset travel costs and rental fees.

"It's a challenge," said Baucum, whose squad generally practices in the university's dive tank from 8-10 p.m. on Thursdays. "People do it because they love the sport."

Baucum would know. He's one of them. He began playing the game in Oregon when he was 11 years old. He eventually took his talents to the Division I level at Loyola Marymount University before transferring to Utah in pursuit of a doctorate.