The Quiksilver International Cup

A new, high level tournament looking to rethink what a water polo event can be

With the Fourth of July this week and the heat waves in a lot of the country, the summer season has truly arrived and made itself known. However, for most water polo clubs summer started sometime in late May or early June as they prepared for and participated in Junior Olympic qualifiers across the country. Those qualifying tournaments tend to kick off a summer full of training, trips, and weekends full of tournament games for most water polo families that culminate in the various Junior Olympic events in July. The excitement for this summer of water polo is only heightened by the upcoming Olympic Games and the National Team lead up matches occurring now. While water polo is truly a year-round endeavor with high school seasons during the school year, the summer–with the sunny weather and vacations from schoolwork–will always be the best time and greatest water polo season to me. 

To some water polo parents and coaches, however, this summer season still has some challenges and difficulties. Parents may (justifiably) dread tournament weekends that involve early mornings and late nights where they are expected to drive long distances to and between  3+ games a day and fight traffic and sometimes unrealistic tournament schedules in an effort to get their athlete at the pool on time and properly fed and hydrated (if you’re an athlete reading this, go thank your parents for all they do). Likewise, coaches will often be frustrated by inconsistent competition, inconsistent officiating and schedules that favor depth and attrition. Some of these factors are an unavoidable product of the growth of the sport and the logistics of running tournaments on the scale that they are, but it is meaningful to ask if they have to be the reality for our sport and, more importantly, if this is the best we can do for the athletes involved. 

That is why I am so excited to introduce the Quiksilver International Cup. An event that is trying to address some of these issues and reimagine what a youth water polo tournament can be for athletes, coaches, spectators and sponsors; an event that would set the standard for what a youth water polo tournament can be

The Quiksilver International Tournament was conceptualized by a coach and team administrator who recognized some of the common issues with most tournaments and set out to create an event that addressed them in whatever ways possible. In so doing, he spoke to coaches at some of the best clubs in the country and tried to listen to what they wanted in a tournament. In this feedback, several issues and requests came up repeatedly. Coaches want the highest level of officiating possible, they want the pool locations to be reasonably close and not to have more than one game going on at a venue at any one time, they want the games to be timed properly to allow warm up space and time, they want to ensure a consistent competitive level of play (no blowouts), and they want a schedule that minimizes the games played per day with a particular care not to have semifinal and final games played on the same day. 

With these requests in mind, the tournament organizers went about figuring out how those needs can be addressed in the organization of the Quiksilver International Cup. The result is something very special and unique in club water polo competition. The tournament is invite only and spaced over 4 days to allow for the highest level of play possible. Also, the tournament is bringing in some of the best officials in the country.  As one coach I spoke to said, “the idea of a championship-style tournament in California, focusing on being a true championship event…is very enticing. We participate in many top tournaments, each with its drawbacks, and this event seemed to address those issues, which excites us.” Another coach I spoke with had this to say, “It offers a unique competitive experience that stands out among other tournaments.” 

While it was the coaches who set the expectations for the tournament, it is not hard to see how it is a better event for parents and athletes as well. The closer pool locations and fewer games make the logistics of the event less of a burden for parents and reduce time in the car and the sense of rushing from pool to pool and game to game. More important is the improvement for the athletes. The tournament will be played over 4 days and teams will play either 5 or 6 games in that span. The invite only format helps to ensure a high standard of play which removes the likelihood of blow out games and increases the value of each contest for team and athlete development. Likewise, the scheduling allows young athletes more time to recover so that they can compete at their best for each game. It has always baffled me that we will demand a 12-16 year old to play 3 or more games a day and expect them to be at their best. If professional club and national team athletes would never be expected to perform in that way, how could a youth athlete?

Another aspect of the tournament that is endeavoring to ensure the highest level of competition is the inclusion of international teams as well as international players rostered with participating clubs. With the new rules regarding these athletes at Junior Olympics, Quiksilver International Cup is providing an opportunity for these international athletes to compete and be seen by college coaches here as well as increasing the level of play at the tournament for the competing clubs. As one coach noted, “Competing with high-level international clubs is very important to us. It offers invaluable experience and exposure to different styles of play.” There is already a consistent culture in American clubs for taking a summer trip to Europe to train and compete. In order for international clubs to make similar trips to the United States, they need to have the assurance of competition and events to make the trip attractive and worthwhile. To this end, the Quiksilver International Cup is unique in that it will offer prize money for the top three clubs at the 18U level. A premiere youth international tournament in the United States is a great benefit to the development of the sport and the athletes in it in this country. Hopefully, the high level of play and prize incentives will allow the Quiksilver International Cup to be the start of creating a similar pipeline of European clubs making trips to the States for training and competition.   

Understanding what the Quiksilver International Cup is attempting to do leads to the question of how it is being accomplished. A key factor in the execution of the tournament is in the name itself: the iconic surfing brand Quiksilver has been brought in as the tournament sponsor. One of the factors that has always existed in water polo was the lack of sponsorship that isn't specific to water polo itself. With the inclusion of the Quiksilver brand, one of the most iconic surf brands in the world, water polo is bringing in a sponsorship that has overlap with the interests of many of its athletes and a brand that is recognized around the world for its relationship to aquatics. Coaches have noted, “The athletes are familiar with the Quiksilver brand and are attracted to it…I know many have already purchased the Quiksilver branded suit and there’s been a lot of chatter about it.”

The Quiksilver International Cup has the opportunity to be a unique and exciting event on the water polo calendar. If you are attending the event with your club, I wish you the best of luck. If you have the ability to attend as a spectator, I encourage you to go and experience this new tournament. If you can’t make it, I will be covering the entire tournament live on my Instagram, so go follow me there for updates and make sure to follow the Quiksilver Cup Instagram as well. And come back here after the tournament where I will be recapping it and providing further thoughts. Until then, keep thinking water polo and I’ll see you at the pool.