Water polo teams rolling again
By Allan Lazo
IK I he Kmerelri
VVlint one sport combines the strategies of
baskottmii with a goalie like soccer and the
hockey power-play? Oh yeah, and is played in the
water?
You guessed it — water polo, and according
to Russ IJesIderto. coach of the Oregon women’s
Club Sports water polo team, water polo is
"growing and doing very well in Oregon."
The Club Sports women's team is in its first
year, and a men’s team was resurrected this year
by Desiderio after a two-year layoff. Prior to the
two-year break in action, the men’s program had
been running strong for four years.
The men’s team has their main competitive
season in the fall, but the team was started too late
to make it to the competitions. However, the
heavy competitive action for the women will be
coming in the spring.
The Oregon team, according to Desiderio, is
the only women’s collegiate team in the state, and
they will lie matched up mostly with dub teams
composed of community and high school
members.
The women's team is also hoping to make its
way to a collegiate tournament with teams from
California scheduled during the first weekend of
May in Berkeley.
Currently. Desiderio says, he has "seen a
total of 20 different faces'.’ for the men’s artd
women's team practices, but he would jike to
have about 14 members on both squads.
One of the problems in getting numbers is
that it is difficult to participate on the water polo
club team and also swim competitively for the
Oregon swim team at the same time, says Helga
{.asschuijt. co-ordinator of the women’s water
polo team and member of the Oregon swimming
team.
She thinks once the men’s swimming season
is over, more people will be able to come out for
the team.
I-assclunJt started playing water polo two and
a half years ago when she moved from the eastern
part of Holland to the western part where the
sport was more popular.
In Holland, she says, the sport is con
siderably more popular than here. On her team in
Holland, (.asschuijt says, there were 20 members
on her team , and all of the private swim clubs
have their own teams.
I-asschuit says she came to Oregon thinking
them was a water polo team, but when she got
here, there wasn't one. So she started the Club
Sports team and asked Desiderio to be their
coach.
Desiderio played water polo in high school,
four years in college and was the women's water
polo coach at Stanford l Inyiersity before coming
to the University.
During spring term. Desiderio will be
teaching a water polo class that will be offered
through the physical education department.
"The class will teach everytihng. We will
teach the fundamentals: dribbling the ball,
treading water using the egg-beater kick, throw
ing. catching, the straight fundamentals, so even
if somebody has a swimming background, this is
the.way to learn, That is why we are having the
class. Wo will also lx; doing scrimmaging.” he
says, adding that the class will be a sort of lead-in
or feeder for the Club Sports team.
Desiderio also says the class wil be a chance
for people who need to improve their swimming
skills because having good swimming skills is a
big advantage, he says. "Definitely, the more. the.
better."Desiderio says of swimming experience.
CrlCS <'on,‘nu<M* ^rom Pa*e 28
reputation and played It to
the hilt. After public address
announcer Don Cssig pro
mpted the crowd, CBS cued
up the pep band as the show
went bn the air.
CBS did a good job por
traying both the crowd and
the University. They opened
with shots of 13th Avenue
bustling with students during
a Friday class break. A shot of
Mac Court through the trees
of Pioneer Cemetery added a
visually pleasing view. Shots
of some live ducks on the mill
race doing the unmen
tionable (yes. Spring fever
hits early in the animal
kingdom) added a humorous
touch. . .
If you thought the pro
duction of a basketball
telecast Is simple and
smooth. CBS proved other
wise. It s ugly, with frequent
screaming arid profanities
heard between the producer.
Chyron operator and camera
people. Ugly yet interesting.
In all. the broadcast went
Off without a hitch. One im
provement should be made
before CBS visits again. CBS
needs to be reminded this is
Ory-gun" and Ore-gone/'. .
Oh well, maybe next time.
c°ntinued *r°m paoe
Weiss gays there are two ways to view sports
psychology. One way is to look at the factors that
will'enhance a person's performs rice, such as
reducing anxiety. The othur is to examine how
. participation in sports affects the psychological
makeup of the individual.
It is the latter view that Weiss has concen
trated on in her research work, most of which has
dealt with the effects of sports competition on
children's social and psychological development.
There are about 35 to 40 million children bet
ween the ages of 5 and 18 who participate in
nonschool, league sports in this country, Weiss
says,
“With that many children participating there
is the potential for a lot of good things to hap
pen." she says. “Kids can learn a lot through
sports.
"Hut by the same token, if (children's) sports
are not conducted appropriately.. .negative ex
perionces can happen too.”
Weiss has sought to.combat this problem, by
acting as the state director of the American
Coaching Effectiveness Program, ft national pro
gram that is specifically designed for coaches
who volunteer for organized sports programs.
She commouds those who give up their free
time to coach, but says she is concerned that most
of these volunteers don't have any background in
physical education or child development areas, .
"It's a whole different ball game in how you
teach sports skills to children;" Weiss says. "In
other words, the child is not a miniature adult.
"Unfortunately, in our society! the most visi
ble coaches are those at the collegiate and profes
sional levels, and that style of coaching is not ap
propriate for children. Sometimes when we db
not have a bac kground in a specific area we tend
to imitate or emulate those that are most visible,
thinking that's maybe the right way.”
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