March update - mini-polo blitz, U12 and U15 Cups, registration and fees, P1 &P2 Academy, Parent Rota
U9 and U11 Blitz, U12 and U15 Cups, P1 and P2 Academy, mini polo session full, registration and fees
Next blitz announced!
U9 and U11
The next blitz for U9 (P5 and younger) and U11 (P7 and younger) players will take place on Friday 22 March at 6.30pm to 7.30pm in the Falls Leisure Centre.
If you’re available to attend, please use the Heja app to let us know you’re going (click on “Schedule” along the bottom and select “Going”).
U15 Boys
Ulster Water Polo are hosting an U15 Boys Blitz (2009 and younger) on Friday 19 April in the Falls Leisure Centre. The competition will run between 8.30 and 10.00pm. Details to follow on Heja.
U12 and U15 All Ireland Cups - sponsor needed
Between now and the end of the season we’re entering teams in the U12 and U15 All Ireland Competitions taking place in Dublin and Galway respectively.
We’re seeking one or more sponsors to help fund the trip, in particular to ensure our teams look their best in team t-shirts. If you or someone you know is interested, please get in touch here or speak to a coach. We can display your logo on the club gear and will be sure to credit you in all social media posts and team communications.
Mini polo sessions - spaces and minimum age
Our mini-polo session is now full which means that we cannot take any new members at the moment. If you or someone you know is would like to start training, please email ccwpc.reg@gmail.com and you will be added to a waiting list.
Note that our mini-polo session is for children aged 7 and up who are comfortable in 1m of water. We will enforce this strictly after Easter (but see below about plans for a P1 and P2 Academy).
P1 and P2 Academy
At the moment, our mini-polo session isn’t set up to accommodate children in primaries 1 and 2. We need smaller balls and hats, a shallower pool and more coaches.
But we know that members have younger relatives who would like to try water polo. For that reason we’re exploring the possibility of an 8 week academy for boys and girls in P1 and 2.
The Academy would run from Thursday 25 May for 8 weeks and would be tailored to introduce children of that age to the sport. If you are interested (or know anyone who is) please fill out the below form:
Registration and monthly fees
We would like to remind all players and parents that every player must be registered, pay the registration fee and pay monthly fees for matches and sessions. If you do not comply with these requirements you will not be allowed to train or play.
We are currently reviewing registration and monthly payments. If you have not paid, please take this opportunity to do so and to let us know. If we do not have a record of your having paid registration or fees then we will be in touch shortly to discuss.
Parent rota
In order to safely manage sessions, we require one parent on the pool side for each junior session. The role of the parent on pool side is to take a note of attendance and monitor anyone leaving or returning to the pool.
We hope to get a number of volunteers so each parent is required to be on the pool side only once every 4 to 8 weeks. If you are willing to help out, please contact us and let us know.
If we don’t get enough volunteers, we will have to nominate parents of children training and make it a condition of taking part.
Key dates and calendar
The calendar on the home page of the website has been updated with key dates. This includes upcoming blitzes, the final session of the Winter term (21 March) and the first seasion of the Spring term (11 April). If there is anything you’d like to see added to the calendar, let us know.
Calendar updated with key dates
The club calendar on the home page of the website has been updated with key dates including when autumn, winter and spring terms begin and end, and any holidays during those terms.
We will also add details of Ulster games (mainly U9 and U11 blitzes) as they become available.
All national league fixtures and results can be found on irelandwaterpolo.ie or the Swim Ireland Water Polo app.
Christmas update
Updates relating to training over Christmas and matches in the New Year.
A few quick updates as we approach the final session of the year.
Christmas break
Our last session before Christmas is Thursday 14 December at the Falls Leisure Centre.
We start back at Inst, the Grove and the Falls in the week commencing 8 January 2024.
Final junior session of the year
At the last session in the Falls, we’ll be making the draw for our Christmas hamper as well as providing some refreshments for parents (tea / coffee and mince pies) and a small gift for the players in the upstairs viewing gallery. The more the merrier, so please do come along.
Refreshments will be available from 7 and we’ll be making the draw around 7.30 (so plenty of time to buy extra tickets!).
Heja
We’ve been using the HeJa app since September of this year and it seems to be going well. If you aren’t a member yet, use the following links (there is a different one for each team / age group).
U9 and U11 - https://heja.io/download/LV544721
Senior - https://heja.io/download/XA571555
Some key dates for the New Year
The U9s and U11s will be in action at Ulster Water Polo Blitzes in January, February and March. The first takes place on Thursday 18 January at 7.00pm in the Grove leisure Centre. Details are in the HeyA Schedule, and we will be in touch in the run up to them.
There are also a number of Irish Cups coming up in the new year. Please note the dates as coaches will be asking for availability soon and we need all available players to commit in order to compete.
Irish U17 Cup (born 2007 or later) – Belfast – 12 to 14 January
Irish U15 Cup (born 2009 or later) – Galway – 26 to 28 April
Irish U12 Cup (born 2012 or later) – Dublin – June (TBC)
Extra training
A reminder that we have extra training available at Inst school pool on Tuesday evenings from 7.30 to 8.30. The first session back is Tuesday 9 January. It’s open to anyone training in Caoimhghin’s group in the first hour (in the deep end) or with Aaron in the second hour as well as our U16s.
U16s are also welcome to attend the senior sessions in the Grove Leisure Centre on Wednesday evenings at 8.0 to 9.30.
Merry Christmas, from everyone at Cú Chulainn WPC
U11s win 4 games in Newry Blitz
News of the U9s and U11s in action at the Newry Blitz and a match report for the seniors game against Cathal Brugha in MNLD2.
U9s and U11s in action in Newry
Congratulations to the U9s and U11s who both competed in the Newry Mini Blitz last weekend.
Thanks to all who made it down on Saturday, the kids all did fantastic!
The U9s had a ball and their confidence was boosted with the amount of matches.
The U11s were very dominant and enjoyed scoring lots of goals! Winning all 4 of their games
Seniors with win over Brugha in MNLD2
3 Games, 3 Wins. Well done to the Men's Senior team who fought hard on Saturday to secure the 3 points.
The first half of the game was very tight, and the team had to fight for every goal to keep a narrow lead. The lads tightened up at the back in the second half which allowed them to build a more comfortable lead and secure the victory.
This was a great team performance and gives the team momentum going into their final game of the season before the league splits. Next week the Lads are in action in Dublin on Sunday against the only other unbeaten team in the league, St.Vincents.
Club suit order
We are taking orders for club suits (togs, jammers and girls suits). This is the last order before Christmas.
To order, visit the club gear page and fill in an online order form then send the payment to the club account (for details contact us).
Information on options, sizes, price and payment is on the club gear page.
The closing date for orders is Friday 22 September.