Our 18 & 16-under boys program is offered during the winter (late November through early February) and summer (mid May through late July). Athletes in this group are in 9th - 12th grade. Practices are typically held two times per week during the winter and four times per week during the summer. Athletes will generally play for their high school team in the fall and are heavily encouraged to swim for their high school team in the spring. 

 

There are no formal prerequisites to join this group, however, athletes should be able to swim 100 yards of continuous front crawl with rhythmic side-breathing and be able to tread water comfortably for 5 minutes. 

 

While all high school boys practice together, practices are usually split into an 18-under group and a 16-under group, however, more experienced 16-under boys may be asked to practice “up” with the 18-under boys group. 

 

Each season we provide numerous competitive opportunities for our athletes to develop and grow, through tournaments, scrimmages, and games, and participating is a great way to improve and have fun. Local and regional competitions are typically held in the Bay Area, Central Valley, and Santa Cruz areas. We generally field one 18-under boys team and multiple 16-under boys teams (last winter we had 16-under A, B, and C teams). Roster placement is based on coach evaluation.

 

Multi-day tournaments (i.e. National Junior Olympic Qualifying, National Junior Olympics, KAP7 International, etc.), are also an integral part of our program. Typically we will arrange a team hotel for these tournaments, with a negotiated group rate, where families will be encouraged to stay. In most cases, parents or guardians are responsible for supervising their son during our travel tournaments, however, on occasion we may arrange a coach/chaperone supervised trip where athletes will travel together via team van and/or air travel and stay at the hotel together in shared rooms.

 

It is important to note, that while we welcome players of all ability levels, a high level of commitment is expected from athletes and parents, and while we realize practice and game conflicts will arise on occasion, MBU is not a recreational program. To that, we ask that athletes and families prioritize their attendance at all practices and games. 

 

Winter Overview

 

Winter water polo provides a great way for athletes to focus on individual fundamentals, technical skill development, and position specific work. And regional winter competitions provide an opportunity for athletes to work on these skills in game situations, while laying a foundation for the upcoming summer season. 

 

Dates: Late November through early February | Practices: 2x per week

 

Regional tournaments: One in December, two in January, & one in early February

 

Travel: KAP7 International in Orange County (early February)

 

Summer Overview

 

Summer water polo is primarily focused on developing and preparing our teams for the major summer competitions. Athletes will be taught all areas of the game and a heavy emphasis will be placed on team tactics and game strategy. 

 

Dates: Mid May through late July | Practices: 4x per week

 

Regional tournaments: Two or three in June & two in July

 

Future Junior Olympics Dates:
2024 dates TBA