Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes! Our teams have a wide variety of skill levels from first timers to experienced players. We want to introduce all athletes to the sport of water polo and no prior experience is required.

    Strong swimming background is recommended but not required. In order to play soccer you need to be able to jog , in order to play water polo you need to be able to swim. However, soccer players don’t need to be track stars and water polo players don’t need to be 1st place swimmers.

    • New 10u Athletes must be water safe and able to swim 25yards (1 lap) unassisted.

    • New 12u/14u Athletes must be able to swim 50yards (2 laps) unassisted.

  • Yes. We are happy to offer the first week of practice as a “trial” for newcomers. We do ask that athletes still register so that we have contact information and know to expect you as well as important information for insurance purposes.

    USA Water Polo offers a Trial Membership with information HERE.

  • All Athletes participating in practices, scrimmages or tournament games need a current USA Water Polo Membership.

    Membership is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase.

    Bronze Level membership is sufficient for most athletes.

    Gold Level membership is required for any athletes participating Summer Junior Olympics.

  • Age groups are set by the athlete’s age on August 1 of the season year. If your athlete is 10 or under on August 1, they play 10U; 11–12 is 12U; 13–14 is 14U. Not sure? Email us their birthday and we’ll confirm.

  • For boys: Speedo-style or jammer suit (any suit is fine for first-timers and 10U athletes), a towel and water. If raining bring a plastic bag to put items in.


    For girls: A one-piece bathing suit for first-timers and 10u athletes, 12+ need a water polo one piece suit with back zipper, a towel and water. If raining bring a plastic bag to put items in.


    Goggles are optional, for warm-ups only. Caps and balls are provided.

  • Teams typically play 2–3 games spread across the day. Families sit in the bleachers, and some bring a pop-up tent or chairs for shade between games. Hang out with your teammates and be respectful of the venue! Some venues charge a small spectator fee.

  • A primary goal of Placer Water Polo Foundation is to instill a lifetime love of the sport to all athletes. We value appropriate competition as a primary piece of this.

    Each team is unique and we feel that qualifying for Junior Olympics is a culmination of team hard-work, athlete dedication and family commitment.

    At this time Placer considers JO participation based on an individual team’s demonstration of these qualities and coach availability.

  • We aim to offer water polo to the community at reasonable pricing. However, we never want cost to be a barrier to access to someone interested in playing. Please reach out if you are in need of financial assistance and we will be happy to discuss.

  • Registration is generally live 1 month before the session start. Our current rosters are notified via email. If you would like to be added to our distribution list to be notified of club information, please send us a note at info@placerwaterpolo.com

  • Usually, yes. Email us and we’ll let you know whether there’s room and what they’ve missed. New athletes can still use their first week as a trial.

  • Tournament schedules usually come out the Tuesday or Wednesday before the event, and we email them to families as soon as we have them. Plan on arriving 60 minutes before the first game.