Water Polo – Stage 8 swimming activities

Getting started with water polo: head-up swimming, stopping and changing direction, treading and an early eggbeater kick, ball familiarisation, one-handed pick-ups and short passes, played in small, low-contact games. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.

Water Polo · 29 activities.

Outcomes

  • Head-up front crawl with a strong kick
  • Tread water and start an eggbeater-style kick
  • Stop, start and change direction quickly
  • Pick up, hold and release the ball one-handed
  • Pass and receive over short distances
  • Play simple small-sided games safely

Activities

  • Ball Familiarisation Circuit – A relaxed circuit of ball tasks – push, spin, lift, roll and catch – so swimmers get used to the feel of the ball in the water.
  • Ball Lift and Hold – Hold the ball up out of the water with one hand while treading or standing, counting to five – the start of the passing position.
  • Ball Push Dribble – Head-up front crawl with the ball pushed along on the bow wave between the arms – the basic water polo dribble.
  • Ball Retrieval Relay – Teams swim head-up to a ball, pick it up one-handed and pass it back to the next swimmer – a fun way to rehearse swimming, pick-ups and passing together.
  • Basic Sculling Control – Small, continuous figure-of-eight hand movements that hold the body still on the back, then move it head-first – the foundation skill for swimming, water polo and artistic swimming.
  • Breaststroke Head-Up Travel – Head-up breaststroke with a quick, narrow kick and small arms – an easier way to move while watching play, and a bridge to head-up front crawl.
  • Cool-Down Pass and Float – A calm finish: easy passing in pairs, then a relaxed back float while the teacher recaps the key point of the lesson.
  • Deep Water Jump and Tread – Jump into deep water, surface, tread for a count, then swim back to the side – entries and survival combined.
  • Dribble Slalom – Dribble the ball around a slalom of floats, changing direction without losing control.
  • Eggbeater Introduction – From wall to open water: swimmers use the eggbeater kick to stay upright, first with sculling hands, then with hands resting on the surface.
  • Eggbeater on the Wall – Learn the eggbeater leg action holding the pool wall: knees wide, lower legs circling one after the other like an old-fashioned whisk.
  • End Zone Ball – Teams score by passing to a team-mate who catches the ball inside an end zone – no goals or goalkeepers needed.
  • Fair Play and Safe Contact Talk – A short poolside discussion of the group's water polo safety rules – no holding, ducking, pulling or splashing faces – before and after games.
  • Head-Up Crawl – Front crawl with the head up, eyes forward – builds a stronger kick and prepares for water polo, lifesaving and open-water sighting.
  • Head-Up Crawl Spotting – Head-up front crawl while watching the teacher's hand signals – swimmers must keep their eyes up to see which way to go, just like watching the ball in a game.
  • Hot Potato Passing – A quick-passing circle where nobody may hold the ball for more than two seconds – fast hands, soft catches and lots of touches.
  • Keep Ball Small-Sided Game – Three-a-side keep-ball in a small area with simple rules: one-handed, no contact, everyone touches the ball before scoring a point.
  • One-Hand Pick-Up – Learn to lift the ball off the water with one hand – scooping from underneath and lifting from on top – without the other hand helping.
  • Partner Dry Pass – Pairs pass so the ball arrives in the partner's raised hand without touching the water – the 'dry pass' that keeps play moving.
  • Passing Count Game – Two teams in a marked area try to make five passes in a row without the other team touching the ball – a simple, low-contact first game.
  • Relaxed Treading Ladder – Tread water for short, relaxed rounds that gradually lengthen, with rests at the wall – building efficient treading rather than a test of endurance.
  • Shadow Partner Swim – One swimmer leads with changes of direction and stops; the partner shadows them a metre away – like marking a player in a game.
  • Stop and Go Squares – Swimmers move around a marked square, stopping to tread on command and sprinting off again in a new direction – builds the stop-start movement of water polo.
  • Swim, Turn and Receive – Swimmers swim away from a passer, turn quickly on a call and show a hand to receive – combining direction change and receiving.
  • Tread and Talk – Swimmers tread water while answering questions or playing a word game – they learn to stay relaxed long enough to talk.
  • Treading Passing Circle – Small groups tread water in a circle and pass the ball around one-handed, building ball control while staying upright.
  • Wall Passing – Pass the ball against the pool wall and catch it one-handed – lots of repetitions without needing an accurate partner.
  • Water Polo Taster – Head-up front crawl dribbling a ball and passing while treading water – a fun introduction to water polo skills.
  • Whistle Turns – Head-up swimming that reverses direction on every whistle, teaching quick turns without stopping or standing.