Water polo
Water polo
Your scholarship in the USA
The women are current world champions and the men always play a good role in major international championships. It is therefore not surprising that water polo is one of the fastest growing sports in US college sports. Every year, new universities and teams start competing and offer more and more scholarships.
Even better: Many of the teams are in the south of the United States. Therefore, you have the great opportunity to further your athletic and academic career on the highest level possible and enjoy the warm climate of Florida or California.
1687
players studying in the United States
83
College teams in the USA
150
available water polo scholarships
Water polo in the USA
How many scholarships are there?
Obtaining an athletic scholarship is the ultimate goal for all of our athletes. But how many teams are there and how many full scholarships can they award? Compared to other sports, there are still very few universities with a water polo team. But this number is growing steadily. This results in the following numbers:
Universities with water polo teams:
- Men: 83
- Women: 110
Full scholarships per team:
- Men: 4,5
- Women: 8
How is the training in the USA structured?
The teams usually train five to six times a week for two hours in a modern pool that is right on campus. In addition to team practice in the pool, there are strength and conditiong workouts on the schedule.
The team spirit in college is definitely bigger than in Europe, as you not only train with your teammates, but also live, eat and study with them.
So that you still have enough time for your studies, your class schedule will be adjusted according to practice.
What does a season at college look like?
While the men start their season at the beginning of September, the women always have to be more patient as they start their season in the beginning of January. During the season there is usually a mix of league games and tournaments against several university teams. At the end of the season, the top teams compete in the NCAA Water Polo Championships, which take place in a different location in the USA every year.
The level of the colleges is impressive. The best teams in Division I could certainly compete in the highest divisions in Europe.
Water polo
Requirements for your scholarship
Due to the limited number of scholarships available, as a male player you should have played in the top two divisions in your country. The same goes for women. As a first division player, you have a good chance of getting a high scholarship in the USA. If you do not meet this criteria yet, you may still have a chance to qualify for a scholarship. To get a better understanding about your options, you should fill out our chance assessment.