10U – Mini Waves
Swimming and Water Polo
(2013 – 2016)
This new program is for our younger athletes who joined us over the summer of 2022 and are looking to continue the fun in the months to come. Mini WAVE athletes will have two practices per week and will include both swimming and water polo programming.
The Mini Waves program prepares young athletes for the intensive Junior Waves program where athletes compete at official swim meets and water polo tournaments. While the focus is still on fun, the Mini Waves program does have the goal of allowing for a successful transition to competitive sport.
WAVE is the only club in Ottawa that is an official swim club and water polo club. Look no further, this is where it all starts.
Practices are two times per week. The focus of practices will change from swimming to water polo and vice versa at the discretion of the coaching staff.
There are 2 levels at Mini Waves – A and B. All “A” level Mini WAVE athletes must attend 80% of their practices to be considered for entrance into the competitive Junior Waves program. Entrance into the Junior Waves program is considered at the start of each of the three calendar sessions.
What can athletes expect to learn?
Swimming
An introduction to how to train properly.
Stroke efficiency.
Introduction to turns and starts.
Having and achieving goals.
Dedication to a sport and to an active, aquatic life!
Water Polo
Eggbeater and the base position.
Strokes that are designed for water polo play, e.g. water polo backstroke, head-up frontcrawl and sidestroke.
Ball handling and basic passing skills.
Basic principles of the game.
Introduction to conditioning and endurance building.
Teamwork.
Minimum Requirements
- Mini-Athletes must be born between 2013-2016.
- Mini-Athletes must be able to follow instructions and be part of a group training environment.
- Mini-Athletes can not require one-to-one attention.
- Mini-Athletes must be able to complete 25 metres of recognizable front crawl (freestyle)
- Evaluations may be required for new Mini-Athletes. Spots are limited and subject to availability.
Expectations
- Attend 80% of all practices
- Show up on time
- Bring training equipment bag
- Be ready to have fun and learn two sports!
Competition Opportunities
- Swim Head Coach will invite certain individuals who they feel are ready to attend our internal swim galas.
- Water Polo Head Coach will invite certain individuals who they feel are ready to attend our internal water polo leagues.
Training Equipment List
- 2 pairs of goggles from a reputable brand (such as Speedo, Tyr, Nike, Arena, and Swans) – goggles can be found at Winners and other local shops such as Go Swim and Team Aquatic. Over-sized goggles are not acceptable — they must remain below the brow.
- Swim suit – one piece for girls and brief or jammer style for boys (NO board shorts and NO t-shirts)*
Wave Merchandise Mandatory List
Please check our Merchandise requirement page to see what merchandise your son/daughter is required to have according to their program and competition opportunities.
Capital Wave’s new dual-sport program is a dream come true.
Why Two Sports?
Swimming and water polo go hand-in-hand. Take a look at some of the reasons below on how the two sports are so closely related!
I like swimming, is water polo for me?
Water polo is the ideal sport for swimmers.
Being a fast swimmer in a water polo game, means more breakaways, which means more goals. A goal can be just as rewarding as a medal.
Playing water polo will make you a faster swimmer. Need proof?
Everyone needs variety, even swimmers. Why not stay in the water, playing a sport where swimmers excel?
Counting tiles can, at times, be a bit boring.
I like water polo, is swimming for me?
Swimming is an essential part of water polo.
Being fast in a water polo game, means you’re probably a good sprinter. Winning a swimming medal can be just as rewarding as scoring a goal.
Learning proper swimming technique reduces shoulder strain and makes you faster and more efficient in the water.
For water polo players, there is no better conditioning than swimming. It’s exercise in our natural habitat.
For water polo players, counting tiles can be therapeutic.