Bendigo WP
About
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
NEW PLAYERS
Are you taking new players / members?
Yes! We welcome anyone to our club. We really want new players as we rebuild the club post-covid and look to develop a more consistent social competition.
My child is interested in playing - do you have a juniors competition?
We most definitely welcome new junior players to the sport and our club! Currently, our sessions are open to all ages as we do not have enough junior players to run a separate juniors competition. We have juniors attending all our sessions, so if your child comes along we will make sure they have other younger players to play alongside and pair them up against each other when we do drills or social matches.
Water Polo Victoria are making an effort to run more junior gala events both in Melbourne and regional areas. We are committed to helping any younger people in our region to train up so they feel confident to nominate to join similar-aged players in these events.
I don't think I'm fit enough to play, is that okay?
The beauty of water polo in Bendigo is that our competitions are social and so there is no harm in jumping in, taking part in the training/drills part of our sessions, then easing your way into game play by subbing off whenever you need. We just make sure we even up our sides on the day. Like throwing yourself into any team sport, it's a great way to motivate yourself to improve your fitness!
I played years ago but I think I'm too old now.
We hear this a lot. We have players continuing to play with us who are up to 60 years old (and not looking like stopping). A good portion of us are parents who play with their teenage or adult children. So age is definitely no excuse. And there's no better way to get fit than joining in!
I have concerns about whether water polo is a good sport for me because of [insert potential barrier here] - do you think I can try?
We get so many enquiries from people unsure about whether water polo might not be right for them - and we understand, water polo does look hard and rough at times! We like to think that there are only a couple of real barriers - being unable to swim in deep water or fearful of deep water. (I do think, if you were comfortable with using floatation devices you could join in for much of our training though!)
If you're still not 100% sure, feel free to (1) reach out via a direct message, (2) come and watch, (3) come and try! See other questions regarding how Come & Try works.
THE SPORT
I don't know anything about water polo, but it sounds interesting! How can I learn? What are the rules?
Water polo is a team sport, a little bit like soccer or basketball, but played in the pool - the aim is to score the most goals by getting the ball into the net at your end. There are seven players per team including a goalie.
The best way to learn more would be to come and watch a session, or join in if you would like (the first 4 sessions you attend are free - just pay for pool entry).
If you want to learn more before you come, follow this like for more information: https://www.
Where and when do you play?
We play at Faith Leech Aquatic Centre, which is located on Barnard Street next to the QEO in town. We are lucky
THURSDAY EVENINGS 6pm - 7pm (start time subject to change)
Currently we train/play on Thursday evenings from 6pm - 7pm in the diving pool.
Please note that it is likely that our Thursday night sessions will change to a 7pm start from December - February (if we regularly get enough players to play full court we will play in the deep end of the 50m pool after the centre closes).
SUNDAY AFTERNOONS 3pm - 4pm
We have kicked of October 2023 with Social Sundays. We are hoping to continue to hold Social Sundays throughout this season in the diving pool. We just need to make sure we continue to get adequate numbers to run these sessions.
COSTS AND REGISTRATION
How much does it cost to play water polo?
Here are a list of the costs you can expect to play with us here in Bendigo:
- Registration
- COME & TRY - Your first three sessions are free, no need to register! (just pay pool entry)
- Bendigo Social Membership - Players of all ages will be fully registered to play in our social competition and in any sessions we run throughout the year at a cost of $57.83. We're keeping the costs at a bare minimum, this will cover all insurances and membership with Water Polo Australia and WPVic. We do not charge our members a club fee at this time.
- If you want to play in competitions such as Vic Countries or any metro/gala competitions, you will need to upgrade your registration to a different class, but you will only pay the difference between the registration fees at that time.
- Pool entry - either pay per session or consider a season pass to Faith Leech Aquatic Centre
- Mouthguard
- Bathers / anything you want to swim in
- Competitions: In addition to the costs of a competition registration, there will be costs involved if you choose to play competitions outside of our social season.
How do I register?
If you know you're all in, or have attended for four sessions and want to continue, follow the link below:
Click on one of the links - either "New Member" or "Returning Member" (if you have registered with WPVic at any time in the past) and follow the prompts. You'll then receive an email with a link to register. Get in touch if you have any issues!
THE CLUB
Our committee
Our volunteer committee meets regularly throughout the season, usually over food (Zambreros is a common meeting place) and quite often with sponge cakes provided by club stalwart Jan Spencely. We welcome any players/relatives/friends of the club to get involved. You can take on a role or join the general committee just to provide your thoughts on decisions moving forward. Send us a DM or email or simply chat to us at training. We'd love to have you on board!
Roles include - President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Registrar, Marketing/Social Media and Communications, Grants, Member Protection Officer, Socials
AGM
We hold our AGM in October, around the time we commence the year - keep an eye out on socials to get involved.