Dear Midlakes Pool Managers and Coaches,
The Midlakes Water Polo League board members are excited about the 2006 season scheduled to start play on July 24th and end with the Championship Finals on August 20th. Each year, Midlakes provides young athletes the unique opportunity to learn the fun and very challenging sport of Water Polo. The league offers 10&U, 12&U, 14&U, 17&U, 17/14 Girls, Women’s Open and Men’s Open age groups, and offers clubs help to support their efforts in running their programs. The requirement for play is a membership at a Midlakes Club that supports a Water Polo program with any or all of the following age groups. If you have not provided a program thus far and are interested in getting some information/help in getting started please contact Jeff Lowell using the information provided below. We encourage as many Midlakes pools as possible to participate.
Looking at the league historically, Midlakes organized Water Polo on the eastside starting in the mid to late 1960’s, and has supported teams to the present. As Water Polo evolves nationally and internationally, Midlakes has strived to adopt those changes in an manner that best serves the athletes and parents in our instructional league. We have made significant progress in the areas of organization, communication and professionalism over the years in order to make Midlakes a quality experience for everyone involved, especially the athletes. This can only continue/improve through the effort of great volunteers. We would ask that you encourage parents to get on board and do what they can to help in any way possible.
There are many opportunities for different levels of participation, including: Coaches, Referees and Administrators. We are in need of as much support as possible to strengthen the league. Please encourage everyone to get involved.
IMPORTANT: In an effort to fulfill the goals of the Midlakes Water Polo League as set forth in the existing by-laws it would be important to review critical policies. There are several policy changes that went into effect several years ago that I would like to remind all managers and coaches of to ensure clarity of expectations:
PLAYERS: Any red card will result in exclusion from the following game in that same age group.
COACHES: First red card will result in a 7 day suspension. Coach may return on the eighth day. Second Red card will result in removal for the remainder of the season. This applies to all games including regular season and tournament.
SPECTATORS: Same as rule book describes. Referees are in control of all activities in the pool area and may ask spectators to leave the pool area for poor conduct.
APPEALS: Appeals on red cards given MUST be submitted on the same day of the incident.
We want pool managers and coaches to understand that these rules will be strictly enforced. The intent behind them is to ensure that coaches set a proper example of conduct for their players to help guide them for life, and that players and spectators will enhance play by focusing on the game and not the referee’s calls.
Another item that pool managers and club representative need to be aware of is the status of the Open Men’s and Women’s Divisions. Water Polo is the only Midlakes sport that provides adults an opportunity to return to and compete for the neighborhood club for whom they competed as a youngster. We appreciate the standard of play that these adults have provided, and the example they have given to the young athletes in the League. However after a number of years of increasingly physical play and argumentative attitudes, these divisions will be run under a probationary status this August. The Midlakes Board feels that if there is any unsportsmanlike play that results in a red card for a player or coach in these age groups, that the remainder of their season will be forfeited for all clubs, and there will be no Open Men’s and Women’s age groups offered until 2008. We are committed in Midlakes to teach sportsmanship, fair play, and grace in competition in all age groups.
It is necessary for all Pool Managers and Coaches to utilize email and the telephone in order to stay in touch with the latest information from the league. League Commissioner Jeff Lowell can be contacted at jefflowell@speakeasy.net or (C) 206-793-5592.
Sincerely,
Jeff Lowell
Midlakes Water Polo Commissioner