Gainesville, Florida · Summer 2027
Florida International Water Polo Event
A week of elite summer training on a European water polo methodology, professionally coached and tournament-focused, for competitive athletes. Seven years running.
2027 event
Dates to be announced
| Dates | To be announced |
|---|---|
| Registration opens | November 2026 |
| Where | Gainesville, Florida |
| Who | Residential athletes 13–19 · day athletes 12–19 |
| Places | Limited to 60 athletes per session |
| Format | Three one-week sessions, each ending in a Friday tournament |
| Taught by | Gator Water Polo and BIWPA coaching staff |
Prices for 2027 are not set. For reference, 2026 ran at $1,100 residential and $700 day, both ages 13–19, with extra nights and airport transfers available.
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What a week looks like
The format
Training
Professionally coached sessions on the European methodology, with goalkeepers taken for around two hours of goalie-specific work Monday to Thursday by a European professional or NCAA coach before joining the rest of the group. Friday is the tournament.
Away from the pool
College talks, watching international water polo with the coaches, a UF campus walkthrough, special training at "The Swamp" UF football stadium, and group or personal video performance reviews with BIWPA coaches.
Residential athletes
Room and board at the Holiday Inn University Center from Monday 8:30 AM to Friday 1:00 PM, three to four athletes per room, with breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
Getting there
Airport pickup and drop-off at Gainesville Regional (GNV) at no charge; Orlando International at $120 per direction. We strongly recommend flying in and out of GNV.
Who coaches it
Coaching staff
Led by Gator Water Polo and BIWPA coaching staff.
David Huelsman
Florida Nessies · Gator Water Polo
- Head Coach of the Florida Nessies professional team and Head Coach at Gator Water Polo
- Head Men's Water Polo Coach at the University of Florida, 2016–2022
- Co-founder of Florida Nessies and of Gator Water Polo
- With UF: three State of Florida titles (2017, 2018, 2019), five CWPA National Championship appearances and a sixth-place finish in 2019
- CWPA Florida Conference Coach of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2019
- Recognized by USA Water Polo in 2019 with the Monte Nitzkowski Award — Men’s Elite Level
Quim Colet
BIWPA
Egedi Gábor
BIWPA
Head coach of the women's senior team at CN Catalunya for eight years and a BIWPA Academy coach. Former coach of the Philippines national team and the Catalan 13U national team. As a player: the Hungarian national team through every young age group, then clubs in Hungary, France, Germany and Spain. Hungarian league champion with Honvéd; German Cup champion with Duisburg.
Yuri Colet
BIWPA
BIWPA's Academy Head Coach and Head Coach for Barcelona Water Polo Club. Head coach for Men's CN Poblenou in Spain's professional first division, 2015 to 2017.
Ferran Pascual
BIWPA
Two-time NCAA All-American at Iona College, former player at CN Catalunya 2018–19, former coach of CnC U14 and U16 and of Spanish River High. 2021 USA Water Polo Masters All-American and a current Argentina national team athlete.
Cecilia Leonard
Assistant Coach, Fresno State University
David Carrasco
Men's Head Coach, Loyola Marymount University
Head coach for CN Rubi 12U and 10U from 2014 to 2018 and a Spanish national team player in 2016 and 2017. NCAA Conference Player of the Year in 2022, an LMU athlete from 2018 to 2022, and a Spanish professional league player from 2015 to 2018.
Paula Nieto
Goalkeepers Coach, Fresno State University
Began playing at Club Waterpolo Marbella, moved to Barcelona at fifteen and played for CN Sant Andreu. Goalkeeper for Spain's 16U and 18U national teams. Helped build the Fresno State program and led them to back-to-back GCC conference wins, including their first win over top-ranked Stanford.
Registration opens November 2026
Be first to know the 2027 dates
Registration for the 2027 event opens in November 2026. Email us and we will send the dates and the registration link as soon as they are set.
Questions
Event FAQ
| Is this an overnight water polo camp? | Both. Residential athletes aged 13–19 stay on site for the week; day athletes aged 12–19 train the same hours and go home each evening. Residential tuition covers room and board from Monday morning to Friday lunchtime. |
|---|---|
| Who is the summer camp for? | Competitive age-group players from 12 to 19, in three one-week sessions of no more than 60 athletes each, every session ending in a Friday tournament. It is coached by Gator Water Polo and BIWPA staff on European training methodology. |
| When do the 2027 dates and registration open? | Registration opens in November 2026. The 2027 dates are not fixed yet — if you have seen June or July dates for 2027 anywhere, they were an old schedule left from an earlier edition. Email us and we will send the dates the moment they are set. |
| Where do athletes, coaches and counsellors stay? | At the Holiday Inn University Center, across the street from the University of Florida and a few minutes from the pool. It gives us a roughly 3,000 sq ft conference center used as a game room for breakfast, afternoon activities, coaches' talks and meetings, with a ping pong table, board games and TVs. Athletes are asked to spend free time there rather than in their rooms. |
| Who supervises the athletes? | Counsellors — predominantly UF student athletes — who are all background checked and have completed US Center for SafeSport training. The event follows SafeSport policies for all adult and youth athlete contact. Male counsellors supervise the male floor and female counsellors the female floor; no males in female rooms or on the female floor, and vice versa. At 10:00 PM counsellors check every room and remind athletes which counsellor is on duty. Hotel security monitors the building 24/7. |
| Are meals included? | Lunch is provided daily for everyone, including day athletes. Residential athletes get breakfast, lunch and dinner. |
| Is the pre-Sunday night hotel included in residential tuition? | No. Residential tuition covers room and board from Monday 8:30 AM to Friday 1:00 PM. Athletes checking in on Sunday evening add the extra night when they receive the final payment link. |
| How many athletes are in a room? | Three or four. Two athletes per room is possible for an extra $180 per athlete, with both athletes paying, selected when the final payment link arrives. |
| Can I choose my roommate? | Yes. Tell us at registration who your athlete would like to room with and we try to accommodate every request. |
| Do I need flight details at registration? | No. If the flight is not booked yet, email the details once you have them. |
| How often do athletes take breaks? | Every 45 minutes to hydrate and re-apply sunscreen. It is mandatory in the Florida heat; athletes must bring sunscreen and staff enforce its use. |
| Can parents attend the Friday tournament? | Yes, and they are encouraged to. The tournament starts at 10:00 AM. |
| When and where is checkout? | Friday at 1:00 PM at the pool, for both day and residential athletes. |
Before you book
Our policies
Weather
Gator Water Polo and the Florida International Water Polo Event are not responsible for lost play time due to weather or pool closures decided by the City of Gainesville. Activities are adjusted to the weather and the resources available.
Cancellation
2027 cancellation dates will be published with the dates. In 2026 the session fee, minus a $100 non-refundable administrative fee, was refunded without question before 15 April, with a full credit toward the following year available instead.
Credit card processing
A non-refundable 3.7% processing fee applies to card payments. To avoid it, pay by Zelle or post a cheque to Gator Water Polo, 7010 NW 23rd Way STE B, Gainesville, FL 32653 — email us for instructions.
Open entry
Open to any and all entrants, limited only by number, age and grade level.
In their words
What families said about this camp
I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot. I got to meet a lot of other water polo players and Coaches. The Camp helped me improve my fundamentals, tactics, and resilience! The pool was GREAT!!! I felt like I was swimming faster in the water. The pool facility was very CLEAN, too!
Excellent trainers and facilities. Very good experience and quality of the coaches.
As a parent, it's a great camp. You know the coaches will keep your camper safe, and they will also treat them like a young adult. This camp is not only about water polo instruction and skills, but also life skills, work ethic, responsibility and accountability.
Luke really enjoyed the coaching and the kids!
I could tell the difference in John's play immediately.
My son had a great experience. He loved the coached and the other campers. He also learned so many new skills.