“It’s for Everybody”: UIL to add Water Polo in 2021

“It’s for Everybody”: UIL to add Water Polo in 2021
VYPE

Water polo will officially start its pilot program in Fall 2021.

Originally Appeared on VYPE

HOUSTON – This was for everybody.

It was for anyone who has ever played water polo since the 1970s. It was for Lamar coach Steve McDonald. It was for 10-year-old Baylor Slay.

For all of them the wait is over. Water polo will officially start its pilot program in Fall 2021 as a sanctioned UIL sport.

"It was scary because you don't know what to expect in that vote, it can go anyway," Foster water polo coach Chris Slay said.

Adding water polo to the sports lists marks the first sport to be added to the UIL since wrestling was added for the 1998-1999 season.

On Sunday, Slay was the one to give a speech, which he was allotted a maximum of five minutes to give, to the UIL Legislative Committee. Slay admitted it was a little scary facing a board of superintendents with his "nerves going about a million miles per hour".

The nerves carried over into Monday morning up until the vote was complete, which also included 205 schools saying they would play water polo when it starts in fall of 2021.

A school counted in that number is Foster, whose boys water polo team finished as TISCA State Runnerups in 2019 and the girls water polo team, which won a TISCA State Championship in May for the first in program history.

"I hope so or something has gone horribly wrong," Slay said about Foster being considered a contender when the sport starts in 2021. "I think we have infrastructure in place. There are good youth aquatic sports in the area where we are. We're trying to build a tradition and people are taking note and it's growing."

Leading up to that fall, Slay knows they will have to continue to grow.


Read more here

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
The Coogs are back in action on Saturday night. Photo by David Becker/Getty Images.

Wichita, Kansas – Saturday, 8:40 p.m. EDT

The No. 1 seed Houston Cougars (31-4) take on the No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-8) in a highly anticipated second-round showdown of the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars, dominant in the Big 12 with a 22-1 record, bring the nation’s top-ranked defense to the court, while the Bulldogs, the West Coast Conference powerhouse, counter with one of the most efficient offenses in the country.

Defense vs. offense: The ultimate battle

Houston boasts the best defense in the Big 12, holding opponents to just 57.9 points per game on 38.1% shooting. The Cougars will be tasked with slowing down a Gonzaga squad that averages 84.6 points per game over its last 10 outings and shoots an impressive 50.1% from the field.

On the other side, Houston’s offense is averaging 72.1 points per game in its last 10 contests, a figure that will be tested against a Gonzaga defense allowing 67.6 points per game. The Cougars have a slight edge from beyond the arc, making 8.1 three-pointers per game compared to Gonzaga’s 7.3 allowed.

Key players to watch

For Houston, LJ Cryer has been the go-to scorer, averaging 15.2 points per game, while Milos Uzan has stepped up recently, contributing 14.7 points over the last 10 games. The Cougars will also lean on their defensive intensity and ability to force turnovers to disrupt Gonzaga’s rhythm.

Gonzaga is led by Graham Ike, who is averaging 17 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Khalif Battle has also been a key contributor, posting 15.3 points and 1.6 steals per game in the past 10 contests. The Bulldogs’ ball movement will be crucial, as they average 20.4 assists per game in their last 10 contests, a stark contrast to Houston’s 9.0.

Game outlook

Houston enters as a 5.5-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, with the over/under set at 140.5 points. If the Cougars can impose their defensive will and limit Gonzaga’s transition game, they stand a strong chance of advancing. However, if the Bulldogs find their offensive groove early, Houston may be in for its toughest test of the tournament so far.

Expect an intense, physical battle where the team that dictates the tempo will likely punch its ticket to the Sweet 16.

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome