A friendly game of water polo enhances fitness and teamwork.
High school swimmers often put in hours of daily pool training, churning out miles of laps in a necessary but sometimes monotonous routine. With a little creativity, coaches can add spice to an otherwise bland workout without sacrificing physical benefits for athletes. Pool games build teamwork, friendly competition and stamina while helping teenage swimmers avoid burnout.
Modified Water Polo
Divide swimmers into two teams for a modified version of water polo. Set up a net in the deep end of the pool and provide a regular water polo ball or Nerf-style ball. On offense, players must pass the ball to other teammates, trying to score by throwing the ball into the net. If the other team intercepts the ball, or if a point is scored, the teams reverse roles with one become defense and the other offense. By treading water non-stop, swimmers will be building leg strength, stamina and endurance while participating in fun competition.
Sharks and Minnows
Swimmers build lung capacity and learn to work together as a team by playing the classic sharks and minnows game. Gather swimmers on one side of the deep end with one person treading water in the middle. When he yells "shark," each swimmer attempts to make it across the pool without being captured by the shark. If a swimmer is underwater, the shark must pull her to the surface. Players who are caught become assistant sharks, and the game continues until all players are caught.
Creative Relay Races
Using the length of the pool, divide swimmers into teams for relay races with one team per lane. Half of the team members should line up on one end and the other half on the other. Start each race after declaring a theme of normal swim strokes or crazy strokes, such as corkscrew or dolphin dive. To make races more competitive, give faster teams a handicap by having them carry objects while swimming, or simply give slower teams a head start. For another twist, use inner tubes or flotation noodles as props during the races.
Aquatic Center Field Trip
To break from the routine, take a field trip to a local college that has a modern indoor aquatics center. Some innovative schools have developed new forms of water exercise such as artificial surfing environments, water climbing structures, rope swings and zip lines. For a warmer weather option, high school swimmers and their coaches can head to a local water park for games and activities such as water basketball, indoor wave pools or kayaking.
Tags: water polo, into teams, swimmers into, swimmers into teams, treading water