Parent Information
We cannot practice, compete, or succeed without our amazing parents. Thank you for your sacrifice, your early morning practices, and your amazing cheers. Here are a few things to know as a swim or water polo (or both) parent.
Communication
Website
Parents should never not know what's going on. This website is designed to give you all the information and links needed to register, know the schedule, and to see upcoming events.
GroupMe
We have several GroupMe Accounts. Some are just for parents, others are just for athletes. Some a little of both. Please see a coach as soon as possible to add you to the correct Groupme Link. This is a great app on your phone, but can also be accessed online.
Email
At the beginning of each month we will be sending a newsletter of the main things going on for that month, spotlight athletes, and help to keep everyone in the loop.
Text Message
We will use the text messaging system from Active.com to let parents know of any emergencies, urgent changes, or a reminder to check the website.
Snacks, Hospitality, Volunteer
We need your help. There will be a sign up sheet at the beginning of each season to help with this responsibilitiy and we always can use your help.
How can you be an awesome Swim/Water Polo parent.
Parents impact their children’s lives like no other people can…in sports as in every other aspect. Parents, even those millions who coach their own kids, do best by their children when focusing on sports as a developmental opportunity, rather than a do-or-die, win-at-all-cost proposition.
The best reminder is the simple slogan: Players - Play, Coaches - Coach, Referees - Reff, & Parents - Cheer
Anytime parents try to coach or reff, it makes our job as a coaching staff more difficult.
Along the lines of a positive coach being a Double-Goal Coach®, who pursues winning and the even more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports, a positive parent is a Second-Goal Parent®, who focuses on that Second Goal, the life lessons. Unconditional love for their children regardless of athletic performance and a relentless commitment to helping them process the ups and downs of youth sports marks the positive sports parent.
RESOURCES
Communication
Website
Parents should never not know what's going on. This website is designed to give you all the information and links needed to register, know the schedule, and to see upcoming events.
GroupMe
We have several GroupMe Accounts. Some are just for parents, others are just for athletes. Some a little of both. Please see a coach as soon as possible to add you to the correct Groupme Link. This is a great app on your phone, but can also be accessed online.
At the beginning of each month we will be sending a newsletter of the main things going on for that month, spotlight athletes, and help to keep everyone in the loop.
Text Message
We will use the text messaging system from Active.com to let parents know of any emergencies, urgent changes, or a reminder to check the website.
Snacks, Hospitality, Volunteer
We need your help. There will be a sign up sheet at the beginning of each season to help with this responsibilitiy and we always can use your help.
How can you be an awesome Swim/Water Polo parent.
Parents impact their children’s lives like no other people can…in sports as in every other aspect. Parents, even those millions who coach their own kids, do best by their children when focusing on sports as a developmental opportunity, rather than a do-or-die, win-at-all-cost proposition.
The best reminder is the simple slogan: Players - Play, Coaches - Coach, Referees - Reff, & Parents - Cheer
Anytime parents try to coach or reff, it makes our job as a coaching staff more difficult.
Along the lines of a positive coach being a Double-Goal Coach®, who pursues winning and the even more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports, a positive parent is a Second-Goal Parent®, who focuses on that Second Goal, the life lessons. Unconditional love for their children regardless of athletic performance and a relentless commitment to helping them process the ups and downs of youth sports marks the positive sports parent.
RESOURCES
Things to know about games & Meets
Home Games / Meet
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Away Games/Meets
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Reminders
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Herriman Aquatics Parents FAQ
When can I join Herriman Swimming or Water Polo
We welcome you to HAT anytime. Go to the main page on our website and you can see the main registration information. If you are interested please come to the pool when we are practicing and introduce yourself to our friendly staff. Or go to the "Contact Us" section of the homepage to find detailed contact information. Our water polo and swim seasons and fees are split into different seasons throughout the year. Join anytime. We will prorate your fees if you join mid-session or later.
What are the seasons?
HAT Swim Seasons
HAT Water Polo Seasons
Do I have to tryout or pass a swim test?
Our tryouts are based on a young person swimming proficiently 100 yards of a pool, or four laps of a 25 yard pool, or four widths of the pool. We gauge your ability by this “100 yard test”. The best athletes nearing high school swim 100 yards in about one minute.
How do I join?
Start by contacting us or visiting us on the pool deck. We will walk you through our automated sign up process and warmly welcome you. Please click the “Registration” tab on this Home Page to register and get going.
How much does it cost? What do my fees go towards?
Our fees are significantly lower than most club sports, but it is more expensive than recreation swimming (squids). Costs will always cover three things: 1) Pool Rental, 2) Coaches Pay, for Water Polo 3) We pay league fees, tournament and referee fees, and for both USA Swimming & USA Water Polo we 4) pay for membership in National Governing Bodies as a team.
Do you teach kids to swim?
No, we teach them to play water polo or be a competitive swimmer. Beginning swimmers who did not make the team can participate in private swim lessons or even on a precomp swim team such as the squids. You will want to contact the recreation center to get more details on that. Swimmers who are more advanced should join the Swim program for an excellent base. When you make the team, you should NOT do a precomp swim team such as the Marlins or Squids. It will not increase your endurance or speed.
Why would I ever want my child to play water polo?
Water polo is a small sport with great opportunities in high school. There aren’t tons of 8th graders vying for limited training spots in high school their freshmen year like in other land sports. Water polo is an Olympic sport. Many colleges offer water polo. Some of our athletes have participated on the National and Olympic Development teams. Water polo is a great background for participating as a lifeguard. Water polo athletes are the best physical specimens in sports. No one is better conditioned than water polo players. Games last 45 minutes. When the game is over, your athlete is clean, exhausted, and hungry. That’s much different than America’s other past times, where game times are longer, very sweaty, and sometimes not always active. Oh, and it's FUN!
Squids is so much cheaper why join the USA Swim Team?
Swimming provides a structure to the day, a twice per week, three times per week after school ritual as a young child, and later on a daily basis as a senior swimmer. Dedicating a few hours to swimming will teach time management skills. As a parent, you can help by sitting down with your child and planning a schedule, allotting time for swimming, homework, dinner, and playtime.
Swimming is an individual as well as a team sport. The nature of swimming, a sport measured by the clock, allows the child to set tangible goals and watch as he or she achieves them. As children work harder, they will notice improvement. In addition to competing for themselves, on a swim team, they will be a part of a larger group with a support system for their successes and failures along the way.
Swimming is one of the most rigorous sports and it requires hard work and sacrifice. Age group swimmers often begin double-practices at the age of twelve. They learn that they must make some compromises, i.e., skip the late-night movie in order to go to bed on time and wake up ready for morning practice. This dedication will spread to all areas of life and teach the child to strive for balance.
Swimming can help plan the future. High school and college swimming are unique experiences. Not only can scholarships and recruiting help with admissions or with finances, but swimming in college will continue to build character and provide a group of supportive friends who will encourage one another along the way.
Please stop swimming Pre-Competitive (Like Squids) and join a Competitive team to improve and get faster.
How old do you have to be to play water polo?
Being comfortable in the water is the primary criterion for playing water polo. HAT has players as young as six playing with us. Please approach your coach and determine how to ease into our sport. Remember, we have fun Splash Ball and Water Polo Lite programs that give young players a great foundation of the sport while they are doing other sports, or getting ready for water polo. Contact us for more information about entry level programs.
When are you told what team you will play on?? My player is not the best athlete, but he/she loves water polo? Are you just an Elite program?
Parents in youth sports tend to forget that athletes continue to mature into high school and beyond. HAT is the launching pad for the sport of water polo or a place where older athletes can find great training and team opportunities. HAT tries its best to provide opportunities for all of its players. We carry numerous teams. If you ever feel you are on the short end of the stick, please address your coach privately. If your concerns are not answered, please contact Coach Goldhardt.
What are the Attendance requirements for Water Polo?
Youth water polo is most intense in the Fall and Summer Quarters. For the travel teams, those going for championships, attendance requirements are strict and subject to the individual coaches’ rules. We recommend that every player, NOT THE PARENTS, use groupme and contact the coaching staff directly to arrange their schedules. This begins to develop maturity in the younger athletes. All of our coaches are so crazy in love with water polo that we are generally available to our players 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
My child wants to be a goalie, what should I do?
Talk to the coach. The history of goalies at Herriman includes a few All-American Goalies. Goalies are very athletic, have a special mentality, and train differently than field players. At Herriman, we require every player who wants to be a goalie to have the “Goalie Talk” with your coach. Please understand that they may also be removed as a goalie if we feel that this is needed.
What are the basic skills of water polo?
Comfort in the water is the most fundamental water polo skill. Swimming is part of that but swimming is considered to be "horizontal." Being able to stay high above the water "vertically" using a leg skill called the “eggbeater” is vital to success. We teach the eggbeater. Learning to handle the ball with one hand is another skill that is important. Water polo is like soccer and basketball played in the water. The object is to score the ball in the goal on offense and prevent the ball from going in the goal on defense. HAT believes that understanding defense before offense is vital to a player’s ultimate success.
How do I learn the rules of water polo?
Unlike other sports, water polo action does not stop when the whistle blows. Action begins when the whistle blows. The object of the game is to throw the ball in the goal. Goalies can touch the ball with two hands. All other players can only touch the ball with one hand. Fouls create free throws for the person fouled. In some instances, when the person fouled is grossly impeded, the defender has to leave the game for 20 seconds and the offense has a “power play opportunity.” In the worst fouls, a penalty throw is awarded. Sit back, relax, enjoy and learn. The player’s learn the rules faster than the parents!!!!!
I have a lot more questions, who do I ask?
Go to our Contact Us Page and find the appropriate Age Group Administrator to contact via email or telephone.
We welcome you to HAT anytime. Go to the main page on our website and you can see the main registration information. If you are interested please come to the pool when we are practicing and introduce yourself to our friendly staff. Or go to the "Contact Us" section of the homepage to find detailed contact information. Our water polo and swim seasons and fees are split into different seasons throughout the year. Join anytime. We will prorate your fees if you join mid-session or later.
What are the seasons?
HAT Swim Seasons
- Short Course: Oct - March
- Long Course: April - July
- Swim Clinics: August - Sept
HAT Water Polo Seasons
- Fall League for 14 and Under: Sept - Oct
- Spring League: March - May (Utah Cup Championships)
- Summer League: June - August (Junior Olympic Championships)
Do I have to tryout or pass a swim test?
Our tryouts are based on a young person swimming proficiently 100 yards of a pool, or four laps of a 25 yard pool, or four widths of the pool. We gauge your ability by this “100 yard test”. The best athletes nearing high school swim 100 yards in about one minute.
How do I join?
Start by contacting us or visiting us on the pool deck. We will walk you through our automated sign up process and warmly welcome you. Please click the “Registration” tab on this Home Page to register and get going.
How much does it cost? What do my fees go towards?
Our fees are significantly lower than most club sports, but it is more expensive than recreation swimming (squids). Costs will always cover three things: 1) Pool Rental, 2) Coaches Pay, for Water Polo 3) We pay league fees, tournament and referee fees, and for both USA Swimming & USA Water Polo we 4) pay for membership in National Governing Bodies as a team.
Do you teach kids to swim?
No, we teach them to play water polo or be a competitive swimmer. Beginning swimmers who did not make the team can participate in private swim lessons or even on a precomp swim team such as the squids. You will want to contact the recreation center to get more details on that. Swimmers who are more advanced should join the Swim program for an excellent base. When you make the team, you should NOT do a precomp swim team such as the Marlins or Squids. It will not increase your endurance or speed.
Why would I ever want my child to play water polo?
Water polo is a small sport with great opportunities in high school. There aren’t tons of 8th graders vying for limited training spots in high school their freshmen year like in other land sports. Water polo is an Olympic sport. Many colleges offer water polo. Some of our athletes have participated on the National and Olympic Development teams. Water polo is a great background for participating as a lifeguard. Water polo athletes are the best physical specimens in sports. No one is better conditioned than water polo players. Games last 45 minutes. When the game is over, your athlete is clean, exhausted, and hungry. That’s much different than America’s other past times, where game times are longer, very sweaty, and sometimes not always active. Oh, and it's FUN!
Squids is so much cheaper why join the USA Swim Team?
Swimming provides a structure to the day, a twice per week, three times per week after school ritual as a young child, and later on a daily basis as a senior swimmer. Dedicating a few hours to swimming will teach time management skills. As a parent, you can help by sitting down with your child and planning a schedule, allotting time for swimming, homework, dinner, and playtime.
Swimming is an individual as well as a team sport. The nature of swimming, a sport measured by the clock, allows the child to set tangible goals and watch as he or she achieves them. As children work harder, they will notice improvement. In addition to competing for themselves, on a swim team, they will be a part of a larger group with a support system for their successes and failures along the way.
Swimming is one of the most rigorous sports and it requires hard work and sacrifice. Age group swimmers often begin double-practices at the age of twelve. They learn that they must make some compromises, i.e., skip the late-night movie in order to go to bed on time and wake up ready for morning practice. This dedication will spread to all areas of life and teach the child to strive for balance.
Swimming can help plan the future. High school and college swimming are unique experiences. Not only can scholarships and recruiting help with admissions or with finances, but swimming in college will continue to build character and provide a group of supportive friends who will encourage one another along the way.
Please stop swimming Pre-Competitive (Like Squids) and join a Competitive team to improve and get faster.
How old do you have to be to play water polo?
Being comfortable in the water is the primary criterion for playing water polo. HAT has players as young as six playing with us. Please approach your coach and determine how to ease into our sport. Remember, we have fun Splash Ball and Water Polo Lite programs that give young players a great foundation of the sport while they are doing other sports, or getting ready for water polo. Contact us for more information about entry level programs.
When are you told what team you will play on?? My player is not the best athlete, but he/she loves water polo? Are you just an Elite program?
Parents in youth sports tend to forget that athletes continue to mature into high school and beyond. HAT is the launching pad for the sport of water polo or a place where older athletes can find great training and team opportunities. HAT tries its best to provide opportunities for all of its players. We carry numerous teams. If you ever feel you are on the short end of the stick, please address your coach privately. If your concerns are not answered, please contact Coach Goldhardt.
What are the Attendance requirements for Water Polo?
Youth water polo is most intense in the Fall and Summer Quarters. For the travel teams, those going for championships, attendance requirements are strict and subject to the individual coaches’ rules. We recommend that every player, NOT THE PARENTS, use groupme and contact the coaching staff directly to arrange their schedules. This begins to develop maturity in the younger athletes. All of our coaches are so crazy in love with water polo that we are generally available to our players 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
My child wants to be a goalie, what should I do?
Talk to the coach. The history of goalies at Herriman includes a few All-American Goalies. Goalies are very athletic, have a special mentality, and train differently than field players. At Herriman, we require every player who wants to be a goalie to have the “Goalie Talk” with your coach. Please understand that they may also be removed as a goalie if we feel that this is needed.
What are the basic skills of water polo?
Comfort in the water is the most fundamental water polo skill. Swimming is part of that but swimming is considered to be "horizontal." Being able to stay high above the water "vertically" using a leg skill called the “eggbeater” is vital to success. We teach the eggbeater. Learning to handle the ball with one hand is another skill that is important. Water polo is like soccer and basketball played in the water. The object is to score the ball in the goal on offense and prevent the ball from going in the goal on defense. HAT believes that understanding defense before offense is vital to a player’s ultimate success.
How do I learn the rules of water polo?
Unlike other sports, water polo action does not stop when the whistle blows. Action begins when the whistle blows. The object of the game is to throw the ball in the goal. Goalies can touch the ball with two hands. All other players can only touch the ball with one hand. Fouls create free throws for the person fouled. In some instances, when the person fouled is grossly impeded, the defender has to leave the game for 20 seconds and the offense has a “power play opportunity.” In the worst fouls, a penalty throw is awarded. Sit back, relax, enjoy and learn. The player’s learn the rules faster than the parents!!!!!
I have a lot more questions, who do I ask?
Go to our Contact Us Page and find the appropriate Age Group Administrator to contact via email or telephone.
