2009 Masters Festival Coming Up Fast; Veteran Coaching Staff Set For This Year's Edition

Huntington Beach, CA - The Masters Festival set for February 20-22 in Henderson/Las Vegas, Nevada is just a little over a month away but there is still time to register. The festival designed for beginner and intermediate players and is perfect for those that just love to play water polo. Festival director Sandy Nitta has once again put together a quality lineup of coaches and instructors to lead the athletes and this year have added a coaches clinic as well.

"There are so many adults that are afraid or hesitant to play because they think they are not good enough. At the festival we teach the basic skills and some advanced skills and everyone fits right in, there are no super stars, just people wanting to play water polo," added Nitta. The coaches clinic brings a new element to the festival with particiants able to watch portions of game with a staff coach from the sidelines and then join a team on the bench to serve as an assistant coach. Aside from the competition there will also be stations that the participants can visit to learn different techniques from the staff coaches.

Among the staff coaches that Nitta has recruited for 2009 are Pedro Pinciroli an Olympian from Brazil and Trina Campbell a former national team player from Calgary. Campbell has been coaching a masters program in Calgary for the last seven years when in 2007 she played on a squad coaches by Nitta. Campbell took part in last year's festival along with some of her players and this year finds herself on the coaching staff, something she is very excited about. "The most important thing for me is to see others enjoying the game that I love so much, no matter what level they're at.  For some that means going over the basics, while for others it's giving them a few key things to improve their game.  Players need to keep learning and improving no matter where they are in their career," said Campbell.

The Masters Festival also addresses continuing competition for players. After their collegiate or national teams are over or if they just want to give the sport a try events such as the festival are key, something that is not lost on Campbell in her experiences, "It's really important for players to realize that you can continue to play the game, simply for the love of the game and that there are opportunities to do that.  In Calgary, I've seen many of the girls that I used to coach come back to the pool, now that we offer a program that suits their needs and that makes me happy," said Campbell, she continued.  "There was a time when the club players who weren't going to make National team felt that there wasn't anything left for them to play for, and they were only 17-18 years old!  Having these younger masters return to the pool, helps raise the level in the water.  The new ladies who have never played the game now have someone to model themselves after and the younger masters still have fun playing water polo."

Entires are due by January 20 at a cost of $95 per person. For more information or to register download this form