Athlone Water Polo Club aims to build on season of progress
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The Athlone Water Polo Club U16 boys’ team. Top row from left: Mariusz Smialek (coach), Darragh Collins, Robert Casey, Shane Killian, Colm O’Regan, Sean Gorry, Jacob Hickey. Front row from left: Max Nolan, Eoin Dooley, Franciszek Wawrzyniak, Sebastian Kimmel, Klajd Cepi.Image 2 of 2
The Athlone Water Polo Club U12 mixed team.Athlone Water Polo Club can reflect on quite a successful season as players from the club look forward to returning to action for pre-season sessions later in the summer.
Based at Athlone Regional Sports Centre, the club’s U16 boys performed particularly well over the last season, finishing fifth in the National League (which involved 12 teams) and winning their tier, comprising the teams which finished in places 5-8. They won seven of their 12 games and one of their players, Shane Killian, was selected for the Connacht squad.
In the first round (two groups of six teams each, East/West and North/South) they came third. In front of Athlone were only Corrib, Galway and St Vincent’s of Dublin (Gold and Silver medallists). A third place finish in the first round gave Athlone the chance to play a final round in Tier 2 (5-8 places) where the lads finished on top. They played a total of 11 games in the season, seven of which they won.
The U15 girls is a recently formed team, they competed only in the U15 Cup; but there are plans to assemble a team that will be compete in the League next season.
The U14 team played in the U14 National League, finishing in ninth place of 11 teams. The U12 age group competes in the U12 Mixed National Cup once a year, there is no league for them.
Competitive action will resume in September but the club plans to hold pre-season sessions for groups that participate in the league in August. The club also hopes to organise an ‘Open Day’ on the first weekend in September to gather new kids interested in playing water polo. Mariusz Smialek, Charlie Naughton, Peter Lemass and Elaine Lally are coaches involved with the water polo club.
Overall the club is growing, with teams in the Division 2 National League (Senior), U16 boys and U14 boys playing in National Leagues, U15 Boys playing in the Cup. The past season saw the club enter an U15 girls team to the Cup for the first time and, in the near future, it hopes to have U14 and U16 girls playing in the League.
The club trains at Athlone Regional Sports Centre and the session times are as follows. Senior Team - Monday 9pm, Friday 9.30pm. U16 Boys - training with the Seniors and Thursdays 6.45pm. U14 Boys - Sunday 6pm, Thursday 6.45pm. U12 Boys - Sunday 5.15pm. Girls (two groups, mixed age), Sundays, 7pm.