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Gator
Water Polo

Since 2013

Our history

North Florida's premier water polo program, building athletes, leaders and a lifelong love for the sport.

2013Founded
501(c)(3)Nonprofit
6Teams today

How it started

An idea, in January 2013

Coach John Trimble started playing water polo in Gainesville with the local adult team in late 2012. Around January 2013 he realized there was no opportunity for local kids and students to discover and play the sport, and the idea for Gator Water Polo was born. John set out to start a club team in Gainesville, with the ultimate goal of a team at every high school in the city.

David Huelsman joined immediately on hearing about the idea, was pivotal in getting the club's first practices running in April 2013, and independently ran the club through that first summer.

Gator Water Polo athletes in a match

The years since

From the club’s own photographs and posts.

  1. An early Gator Water Polo athlete winding up to shoot at NE Pool

    2014

    Practice at NE Pool

    A home pool

    The club trained at NE Pool, 1100 NE 14th Street, the pool it still calls home.

  2. An athlete in a white cap passing over a defender at the Florida / Georgia clinic

    2014

    2 November

    The Florida / Georgia clinic

    Gator Water Polo hosted the Florida / Georgia Water Polo Clinic at NE Pool, coached alongside University of Florida men’s and women’s team coaches, Katie Larson among them.

  3. Gator Water Polo athletes and coaches lined up on the deck at the Orange vs Blue games

    2015

    11 April

    Orange vs Blue

    The club’s own Orange and Blue teams played each other at NE Pool.

  4. Two Gator Water Polo players in the water at the 2015 Sunshine State Games

    2015

    26–28 June

    The Sunshine State Games

    Gator Water Polo competed at the Sunshine State Games, Florida’s statewide amateur games, at the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex.

  5. A full game in the water at NE Pool, March 2016

    2016

    January to March

    High school water polo, and a full house

    High school water polo came to Gainesville, reported by the Gainesville Television Network, and Gainesville High and Buchholz High both held FHSAA water polo tryouts. In March the club came back to NE Pool to a full house, and played a full game instead of practice.

  6. The flyer for the May 2018 Next Level Water Polo Clinic at 1100 Northeast 14th Street Athletes gathered on the deck at the Next Level clinic

    2018

    May

    A free clinic for everyone

    The Next Level Water Polo Clinic came to NE Pool, open to any athlete who wanted to give water polo a try, and 100% free.

  7. Staff in event shirts beneath the Florida International Water Polo Camp banner, 2019 Balls in the net during a shooting drill at the 2019 summer event

    2019

    1–15 July

    Barcelona comes to Gainesville

    The first Summer Florida International Water Polo Event brought coaches from BIWPA, the Barcelona International Water Polo Academy, to Gainesville to teach the European training method, and WCJB TV20 came to film it.

  8. A camper rising to shoot at the goal during the 2022 summer event

    2022

    27 June onward

    Summer at NE Pool

    Three week-long sessions starting 27 June, training at NE Pool with residential athletes at the Holiday Inn University Center, and gap weekends between sessions for athletes staying on, one of them spent floating the Ichetucknee Springs.

  9. 2022

    Also that year

    A professional team

    David Huelsman co-founded the Florida Nessies with Josh Weiner: Florida’s first professional water polo team, and a bridge between college and professional water polo.

  10. Athletes and coaches together on the deck at the 2022 Memphis Thanksgiving clinic

    2022

    Thanksgiving

    On the road to Memphis

    The club ran a three-day Thanksgiving mini camp with Bluff City Water Polo in Memphis, Tennessee.

  11. 2022

    17–22 December

    A winter camp

    A two-day 12U Winter Mini Camp for ages 7 to 12, then a four-day Winter Florida International Water Polo Camp for ages 12 to 19, both in Gainesville with BIWPA.

  12. 2023

    18–19 March

    Spring in the Swamp

    Gator Water Polo hosted the 29th annual Spring in the Swamp Invitational at FAST (Florida Aquatics Swimming and Training) in Ocala.

  13. An athlete shooting past a defender at the goal during the 2023 summer event

    2023

    26 June – 14 July

    Sold out, with a waiting list

    All three sessions filled (26–30 June, 3–7 July and 10–14 July), 60 athletes each, with families on a waiting list. The coaching was led by BIWPA and University of Florida staff, among them BIWPA founder Quim Colet, assistant coach of Spain’s men’s national team at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics.

  14. 2024

    9–11 February

    Colorado

    The International Clinic Series went to Centennial, Colorado: three days at Arapahoe High School with Warrior Aquatics Water Polo, in separate groups for ages 10 to 13 and 14 to 18.

  15. Teams lined up on the deck at FAST during the April 2024 tournament

    2024

    April

    The Florida International Tournament Series

    Two tournaments at FAST in Ocala: the Spring Open, 20–21 April, and the Spring Age Group Tournament, 26–28 April, each with a four-game guarantee and professional table crews.

  16. A shot under summer clouds and pennant flags at the 2024 summer event

    2024

    24 June – 12 July

    Every place taken, again

    For the second year running every session sold out: 24–28 June, 1–5 July and 8–12 July, each week ending in a tournament day. Gator Water Polo, BIWPA and RFLearning ran it together.

  17. An athlete shooting through a splash at the Surrey clinic A coach teaching athletes beside the shot clock at the Surrey clinic

    2025

    7–9 February

    Surrey, Canada

    The Gator Water Polo / BIWPA International Clinic Series crossed the border: three days at the Guildford Recreation Centre in Surrey, British Columbia, with Surrey Water Polo.

  18. 2025

    19–20 April

    Easter at FAST

    The Easter Florida International Water Polo Tournament at FAST, Ocala.

  19. A smiling camper lining up a shot at the 2025 summer event Campers in the stands looking out over the field at the UF football stadium

    2025

    Summer

    Into The Swamp

    Three five-day sessions in Gainesville, and a trip inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, The Swamp, home of the Florida Gators, between the training days.

  20. An athlete in a white cap holding the ball ready to pass at the 2025 November Blast

    2025

    22–23 November

    The November Blast

    The November Blast Florida International Water Polo Tournament at FAST, Ocala.

  21. A split-level view of an athlete raising the ball to shoot, filmed above and below the water at the 2026 summer event An athlete holding the ball in an eggbeater stance, filmed underwater at the 2026 summer event

    2026

    June and July

    Above and below the water

    Athletes were filmed day by day with split-level cameras, half above the water line and half below, so the coaches could review every eggbeater, pass and shot with them on video.

What the club is

Built for athlete development

Established 2013

Founded so Gainesville kids had somewhere to play, and still run for that reason.

501(c)(3) nonprofit

Fees pay for pool time, coaching and travel. Donations are tax deductible.

USA Water Polo affiliated

Club #25879. Athletes carry USA Water Polo membership from Bronze level.

College pathway

Athlete development aimed at playing water polo at the college level.

International programs

Clinics and camps run with BIWPA in Barcelona, and travel programs to Winnipeg, Memphis and beyond.

Every age

From a first practice at ten and under through to adult Masters.

Join a team Meet the coaches