Water polo team sets sails for the South Pacif

By Kyle Jorreyjorrey@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers SOON TO BE WORLD TRAVELERS—Members of the Agoura High varsity water polo team and their coaches pose for a picture before a recent trip to Santa Barbara. At the end of the month, the group will be leaving Southern California for two and a half weeks to compete in water polo tournaments in New Zealand and Hawaii. It is the first time in the history of the program that a team will be competing internationally. Water polo team sets sails for the South Pacific New Zealand—the land of kiwis, Tasmanian Devils and “The Lord of the Rings,” will welcome a new act this summer—the Agoura High School varsity boys’ water polo team.

After years of settling for an annual trip to the Hawaiian Islands— the boys go one summer, the girls the next—Dustin Litvak and his fellow coaching staff decided the school with a rich water polo tradition needed to test it’s skill against some international competition—especially if it meant a chance to visit one of world’s most beautiful and exotic locales.

With the help of vigorous fundraising efforts, the 13 member varsity squad earned enough to lengthen their annual water polo vacation to include a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city.

Litvak said it would be the first time visiting the Pacific island nation for every member of the trip.

“Water polo is a big part of it, but I also definitely wanted to get them out of the Agoura bubble,” Litvak said. “It will be the first time an Agoura team has ever gone international.”

While in “the other land down under,” the group will split its time between workouts, games, and of course, seeing what New Zealand has to offer.

“We’re playing in seven games and we’re practicing but we still have time set aside each day to sightsee,” said Litvak, about to start his third year as head coach of the boys. “It’s a very different world down there. It’s going to be their wintertime.”

The average temperature in Auckland during this time of year is between 59 and 48 degrees Fahrenheit.

Litvak said he was inspired to do something “a little extra special” for the large returning group he has from last year’s team that went to the CIF Div. IV quarterfinals.

“I just wanted to do something other than Hawaii,” Litvak said.

It’s become tradition among many local water polo teams to travel and compete at some point during the summer. Westlake, for instance, was just in Croatia.

It’s an opportunity for the team to develop chemistry and friendship in and out of the pool—and for players to see just how much of an international sport water polo really is.

“I think it’s the greatest thing for these kids. It’s something they will remember for the rest of their lives,” Litvak said. “Plus, it allows them to drown out other distractions they have at home and just focus on water polo. It helps them gel as a team.”

After the event in Auckland, which lasts from July 29 to Aug. 5, the group will fly to Honolulu, where they will meet up with the rest of their teammates. While in Oahu, they will compete in a tournament from Aug. 8-13.

In all, the baker’s dozen will spend more than 20 hours in flight.

“That’s about the only thing we aren’t looking forward to,” Litvak said. “Other than that, you could say everybody is really excited.”