What is water polo?

Find info @ this website and on youtube!

www.usawaterpolo.org/resources/understanding-the-game.html

How do I sign up for Rocky Mountain Neptunes?

Sign ups and registrations are all done online @ http://www.rockymountainneptunes.org

Click the “Contact Us” link to sign up for a free trial class. If you would like to enroll, click on the “Payments” link.  Our quarterly practice fees are far lower than many other club sports and water polo teams.  

USAWP is a governing body for  water polo across the nation. USAWP is a separate

entity from Rocky Mountain Neptunes. All athletes must be registered with USA Water Polo to

participate in practices and games.

Go to: www.usawaterpolo.org and click “Join” in the upper right-hand corner to create a

USA Water Polo membership. Our club ID # is 20236. 

Athletes who join our club must abide by USAWP code of conduct and RMN bylaws.

A “Bronze” level membership is sufficient for some beginner players. However, if you want to

participate in the Junior Olympics in July (“JO’s”) you must have a “Gold” level

Membership.  Once you get your membership going, be sure to do the age verification process and upload a current and clear picture of your son or daughter as the referees usually conduct ID checks before games.

What team am I on? – And when is practice?

Your team is dictated by your age. Every two years the athlete will move up an age division. For example: 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 18U. Mixing boys and girls is allowed in some age groups and events, not all.

Practices are held three to five times a week depending on our pool schedule.  Locations are the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton, Broomfield Community Center, South Boulder Rec Center, and Scott Carpenter pool.  The practice schedule is on our website under the “Calendar” tab and also available as a google sheet.

What gear do I need?

Initially, all you need is a swimsuit (one piece for girls), towel, and a swim cap for long

hair. A pair of good goggles is highly recommended.  Eventually, you are required to get a team suit, and a team t-shirt. Try to do this in a timely fashion & before you play in any tournaments.

To find Rocky Mountain Neptunes gear, please contact Coach Manu at: manughaffari@gmail.com

Is there a water polo season?

Our club runs 12 months a year except for certain holidays.  Tournament season begins in September and runs through July. To link to the RMN google calendar, please ask Coach Manu to send you that link.

Costs for joining RMN are detailed in the “Payments” section of the website.

Tournaments usually have an extra fee which varies according to the tournament.  In addition, please budget in costs for air travel, hotel, meals for out of town tournaments such as Junior Olympics, Zones, Albuquerque, etc.  

Are tournaments mandatory? Can a RMN player play for another club?
Signing up for every tournament we go to is not mandatory, but if an RMN player is interested in going to a tournament s/he is expected to play for Rocky Mountain Neptunes unless RMN is not going to that tournament. 

Playing for other clubs must be approved and arranged by RMN's head coach. 

There are only a few tournaments per year, so we expect every player to try hard to attend every tournament. 

How do I play in tournaments?

Coach Manu sends out emails asking members to indicate whether they will play in a particular tournament.  Please respond promptly to these emails so that he can plan rosters. Once the request to pay for the tournament is given please use the website to pay to ensure a spot on the team.

Coach Manu will send out the tournament schedule as soon as it is ready, usually a week or so before the start of the competition. 

Are there multiple teams for each age group? A & B teams?

If there are more than 14 players signed up in a particular age group for an event, the club
will try to enter an A & B team.  Sometimes if we cannot field a team with at least 9 to 10 players, we will join forces with another team.  

Team rosters are not up for debate & will be selected by Coaches a week or so before the event. These decisions are never easy, and coaches put in a lot of time with these decisions. Selections are based on skill level, attendance, sportsmanship, and what will best serve the team and athlete. Politics & emotions are not involved in these decisions.  Whether your child is in an A or a B team, or playing up in age level, please remember that the goal is to support the team as a whole, as well as to improve as a player. Sometimes playing in a B team will allow an up- and- coming athlete much more playing time.

How many players are on each roster?

To ensure sufficient playing time & a good experience, the club policy is to cap a roster at 12 to 13 players (this can be slightly altered). 

What is the RMN Philosophy?
We adhere to Safety principles of USA Water Polo. Providing a safe environment for all athletes free of all forms of discrimination, bullying, hazing, and all forms of harassment is very important to us. 

We emphasize the most current system of playing. In addition to our experienced coaching staff we invite Olympians from time to time to train and inspire our athletes. 

We believe in building bridges with other clubs. 

RMN believes that players are developed during practice, by going to as many practices as possible, following coaches’ instructions, and working hard.  Going to competitions will teach players how to best use their skills and teamwork to win. 

Our coaches will try to give everyone equal playing time whenever possible without compromising the outcome of the game. 

It is important however, to remember that tournaments are not just about playing time. Being a part of a good team in a good environment, watching and learning from good teams and players, and hearing and applying coaches instructions are all important parts of the overall experience. 

Grievances and complaints:

Please encourage the athlete to talk to the Coach regarding playing time directly. This
ensures the player to take accountability for his/her actions and improvement. It also will
teach them social skills, and how to create their own future. 

Athlete’s playing time can be restricted for discipline reasons, lack of effort,
match-ups, repeated errors, and a large number of other reasons. These reasons will be
communicated to the player that asks for them.  

24 hour rule: 
If you have a complaint or an issue regarding the club or something that
has occurred at a tournament or event, you must allow a full day to pass before
addressing this issue with a coach. This is to allow cooler heads to prevail.  

If it is something important and immediate, please talk with an RMN Board Member if it is within the 24 hours.  The Board Member will approach the coach as needed. After the 24 hrs have passed, you may approach the Coach directly; however, your board members are available to discuss any concerns regardless of the 24 hour rule.
Breaking the 24 hour rule once will result in a stern warning. If it happens again you may be
removed from the club.

Some ‘Don'ts’

Do not approach a Coach, referee, player, opposing players or fans directly after a game,
or at any point during a game with complaints. 

Do not approach the bench during games or the athletes during warm up or cool down.

Do not hover around team meetings between coaches & players after/before games.

Do not ‘coach’ from the stands. For example, never yell, "Shoot!" 

Do not verbally abuse any officials, coaches or players, during games, or ever. Tournament officials and the head coach have the authority to have parents removed from the stands for bad behavior.  

Some Do’s

Do cheer for your player and their teammates.

Do display good sportsmanship towards other players, parents, and referees.

Do emphasize aspects of the game other than scoring to your player. Improvement,

defense, and passing are all great topics!

Do ensure that your son/daughter develops responsibility by keeping track of and

retrieving their own gear, or help set up and put things away before and after every practice.