Girls Making Waves - sharing our love of water polo

Published Mon 28 Mar 2022

Another 30 girls aged 7-12 learned the basics of water polo in a safe, fun and welcoming environment with Girls Making Waves, in Cootamundra this weekend.

It was the ninth delivery of the participation program, and this edition was coached by dual Olympian, Olympic medalist and Olympic assistant coach Bec Rippon, along with Barker College Head Coach Meg Shaw.

Girls Making Waves Water Polo NSW

In the second season of Girls Making Waves, close to 200 girls who have never played water polo before, started on land passing the ball to each other, before transferring their fundamental movement skills to the water, splashing around in tubes and learning how to shoot into a goal.

The emphasis is on reducing barriers to participation and boosting confidence. Girls can wear any type of swimwear they feel comfortable in, and the sessions are held in shallow water and make use of inflatable tubes, so they don't need to be strong swimmers. One of the highlights for the girls is when they put on their water polo caps, the excitement this experience brings is a joy to watch!

Girls Making Waves water polo caps

Sharing the love of water polo

Triple Olympian and dual Olympic bronze medalist Mel Rippon joins Bec as Chief Fun Officers and ambassadors of the Girls Making Waves program, and are delighted to see girls enjoying the sport they love.

"The Girls Making Waves program is making the sport I love into a really fun, grassroots entry level for anyone who's never played before," said Bec.

"It's so rewarding to be able to introduce girls to the sport I've loved my whole life and see the fun they are having learning something new and making new friends."

"Coaching a Girls Making Waves session is so much fun because you actually get to show why you love the sport," said Mel.

"As long as the girls have a smile on their face, whether they flip their tubes or not while scoring a goal, and they leave the water with a bit more confidence, it's the best job in the world."

Water Polo NSW is expanding the reach of our sport with the Girls Making Waves program, providing more opportunities for girls who may not have previously considered playing water polo, made possible with the generous support of the NSW Office of Sport Her Sport Her Way grant program.