PHARR — High school water polo has officially started making waves across Texas as the sport began its first season sanctioned by the University InterscholasticLeague (UIL) on Monday, the first day teams were permitted to practice for the 2022 season.
Water polo is the first sport to be sanctioned by the UIL since the organization introduced boys and girls wrestling in 1998.
In previous years, water polo teams have operated as clubs affiliated with their high schools. Now that it’s a UIL-sanctioned sport, they’ll be competing for theirschools with hopes of winning district, regional and state titles.
“It’s been amazing to see water polo flourish, especially here in the Valley. PSJA ISD, luckily, we’ve had club water polo for six to seven years already, so we’ve beendoing it and I feel we have an upper-hand because we have been doing it before it was UIL,” PSJA Southwest head coach Erika Amador said Monday at the PharrNatatorium. “There’s still several schools in the Valley that are not doing water polo, so we’re really trying to embrace it because it’s here. It’s been amazing to see itexplode and get the recognition that it deserves because it is a tough sport, both physically and mentally.”
Class 6A is the lone classification in the state in the state this year. Districts 31-6A and 32-6A are made up of the 11 Rio Grande Valley schools competing in theinaugural season.
District 31-6A features Los Fresnos, Mission High, Mission Veterans, Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer. Harlingen High, Harlingen South, PSJA High, PSJAMemorial, PSJA North and PSJA Southwest make up District 32-6A.
The two reigning Rio Grande Valley tournament club champions, who will now be competing for their respective schools, are PSJA Southwest’s boys team andHarlingen South’s girls squad.
“It’s kind of nerve-racking to know we’re the first season, but to know we’re getting more official with it, it’s eye-opening. It’s a good jumping point and I’m justlucky to be here,” PSJA Southwest sophomore Joaquin Portal said. “It’s nice to be known and recognized. It gives you opportunities you wouldn’t have with otherprograms. To be recognized, it’s amazing. We can come out every day and swim, especially in the hot summer, and we feel really good about it.”
Scrimmages begin Friday across the state. Non-district and tournament games are allowed to start Aug. 8, leading into district play in September.
“Our girls were the RGV champs, so we’re going to continue with that motivation and test our skills,” Harlingen South head coach Hector Castaneda said. “It’s a funsport. It’s a combination of soccer, basketball and in the sense of physicality, of football. It’s a tough sport endurance-wise. It really takes a lot from a water poloplayer because they’re constantly going back and forth in the water playing offense and defense. I want people to come in and support the sport because it’s a brandnew sport and it’s something we want to continue to grow and get that recognition.”