Youth water polo makes a splash at Sussex Family YMCA

The Sussex Family YMCA has restarted its youth water polo program every Sunday for spring/summer 2025. Having two separate groups for different age groups, the program hopes to grow the sport in the community. 

Head coach Nicole Garrity said she is very excited to kick-start this program again.

“We love water polo,” Garrity said. “It’s a sport that is really growing, not only in our zone, but in our region and even nationally.”

There was a program before 2020, but it was shut down due to the pandemic. Aquatics Director Anna Seiffert and Garrity decided to bring back the club-based program and registered it as a club with American Water Polo. It is associated with the Sussex Family YMCA Tsunamis. 

To play water polo, participants are required to be able to swim two lengths of the pool and tread water for at least one minute.

Sarah Lester-Stranick, who competes for the Tsunami swim team, is a part of Group A (ages 13-18).

“It is kind of like a CrossFit workout for swimming,” she said.

The Tsunamis hope to set up scrimmages with other water polo teams in the area.

Ainsley Garrity plays with both groups and has enjoyed learning the sport and meeting new friends. 

“I find that [water polo] is harder [than swimming] because you don’t have goggles and you always have to be moving.” said said.

Some of the typical drills for water polo include freestyle swimming with the ball, treading water and passing within a triangle. 

Registration is available through Sussex Family YMCA, but non-YMCA members are welcome to join. There is a registration fee of $40 for members and $60 for non-members. Financial assistance is available. Sussex County YMCA is located at 20080 Church St., Rehoboth Beach.