KHSD holds plans to introduce water polo during the upcoming school year

KHSD holds plans to introduce water polo during the upcoming school year

DISTRICT AQUATIC CENTER HERE INSOUTHWEST BAKERSFIELD WASSUPPOSED TO BE PACKED FOR THESUMMER, YOU WERE EXPECTED TO SEEA LOT OF COMPETITORS, ORWANT TO BE ATHLETES, OF COURSETHE STANDS WEREGOING TO BE PACKED WITH LOTS OFFANS.

BUT MOSTIMPORTANTLY, KHSD WAS GOING TOINTRODUCE, ITS NEWESTSPORTTHERE'S STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE INKERNCOUNTY THAT DON'T EVEN KNOW WHATIT IS OR THAT IT EXISTS EVEN ATA COUPLE OFTHE HIGH SCHOOLS.JASON GALL IS TALKING ABOUTWATER POLO.

A SPORT THAT ISSTILL TRYING TO MAKE APERMAMNENT SPLASH IN THECOUNTY.WITH THE OPENING OF THEESTIMATED 14 MILLION DOLLARKERN AQUATICS COMPLEX AT THEBEGINNING OF THIS YEAR.

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.K-H-S-D PREPARED TO ADD THE SPORT TOAT LEAST 6 TO 8 OF ITS SCHOOLSTHIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR WITHPREPARATION FOR THAT SEASONSTARTING THIS SUMMER.BASICALLY THREE POOLS OF WATERPOLO GOING ALL SUMMER FOR SUMMERLEAGUE AND JUST A LOT OFEXCITEMENTAND ANTICIPATION AND ADDING IT.AND THEN THE PANDEMIC HIT.COVID-19 HAD A DIFFERENT AGENDAAS IT NEARLY FURTHERDELAYED THE INAUGURAL SEASON FORWATER POLO DUETO THE POTENTIAL FINANCIALBURDEN.I SENT AN EMAIL OUT TO THEATHLETICDIRECTOR SAYING HEY IT DOESN'TLOOK LIKE WE'RE GONNA OFFER THISYEAR.

AND THENABOUT TWO DAYS LATER, WE HAVESOME MORE CONVERSATIONS ANDIT WAS LIKE OUR BOARD VOTED ITIN.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT.WHILE THE SPORT HASN'T BEEN WIDESPREAD.

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.IT HAS MADE ITS MARKINTOWN.

ONE OF THOSE FACES LEADINGTHAT EFFORT HAS BEENTHE CURRENT HEAD WATER POLOCOACH AT GARCESMEMORIAL.:THERE WAS NO HIGH SCHOOL WATERPOLO IN KERN COUNTY WHEN I MOVEDHERE13 YEARS AGO.GALL BROUGHT ATTENTION TO THESPORT AT CSUB FOR TEN YEARSAND HAS RECENTLY BEEN LEADINGTHE RAMS TOMULTIPLE CHAMPIONSHIPS.ON TOP OF GACRES MEMORIAL.

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..BAKERSFIELDCHRISTIAN ALSO COMPETES IN WATERPOLO.NOW, IT'S ABOUT THE SPORTGROWING MORE LOCAL COMPETITION.I HOPE TO SEE ALL THE HIGHSCHOOLS PLAYING BOYS AND GIRLSVARSITY JV, IHOPE TO SEE MULTIPLE VALLEYCHAMPION TEAMS EACH YEAR, WITHINDIFFERENT DIVISIONS.SO TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE,YOU KNOW, WE CAN PLAY FOUR ORFIVE SIXDIFFERENT TEAMS AT A VERY HIGHLEVEL IN THIS AREA.SOMETHING CATHERINE LUGO FORMERPLAYER FOR THE RAMSAND CURRENT COORDINATOR OFAQUATICS FOR KHSD CAN ALSOAGREE ON.KNOWING THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILLIN ITTHAT WERE IN IT WHEN I WASPLAYING IN HIGH SCHOOL.

I'MABSOLUTELY THRILLEDTHAT WE GET A CHANCE TO BRINGTHOSE PEOPLE, ALL TOGETHER, HAVEABASICALLY HOME BASE FOR THIS NEWSPORT IN THE KERN HIGH DISTRICT.WHILE THE COUNTY STILL HAS AWAYS TO GO AND MORE POOLS TOBUILD.

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.THIS IS A GOOD FIRSTSTEP FOR MANY WHO ALREADY LOVETHE SPORT.THEY HAVE A NEW SPORT WITH THISCOMPLEX.

IT GAVE ME A TON OFPRIDE FORBAKERSFIELD AND A TON OF PRIDEIN OUR SPORT.

SO I CAN JUSTIMAGINE IT'LL BEDOING THE SAME FOR EVERYONEELSE.IF EVERYTHING GOES ACCORDING TOPLAN, THESE POOLS WILL STARTGETTING USED IN THE FALL FORWATER POLO WITH THAT SEASONOFFICIALLY GETTING STARTED INJANUARY, WITH SWIM AND DIVESPRINGING INTO ACTION IN MIDMARCH, BUT I GUESS UNTILTHEN RIGHT.

THE POOL IS NOTGETTING USED?YEAH, YOU GUYS THOUGHT I WASGONNA DO IT.

NOT THAT GUY FOR 23RESUME SPORTS I'M KARI OSEP BACKTO YOU.

NEXT TIME!HERE'S 23ABC'S METEOROLOGISTGETTING USED?YEAH, YOU GUYS THOUGHT I WASGONNA DO IT.

NOT THAT GUY FOR 23RESUME SPORTS I'M KARI OSEP BACKTO YOU.

NEXT TIME!