Coaching Staff
Ricardo Azevedo
Head CoachConsidered to be one of the premier coaches in the world. Highlights include:
- Head Coach for the USA Men’s Water Polo Team, USA Junior Team and Long Beach State University
- Head Coach of the professional Italian team RN Camogli in 2007, unexpectedly leading his young team to the division Championship title game in 2008
- Head Coach of the Chinese Men’s & Women’s National Water Polo Teams, leading them for the 2016 Rio Olympics
Tony Azevedo
Coach & Mentor- 5x Olympian & Silver Medalist
- 4x NCAA MVP & Former Team USA Captain
- Stanford Grad, Harvard Masters
Brian X (Water Polo Strong)
Coach & Strength/ Flexibility/ Conditioning Expert- Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach w/ 7 years of experience
- Certified Massage Therapist w/ 6 years of experience
- Played Collegiately at D2 Fresno Pacific University and American River College
Hailey Pederson
- Head Coach, Cabrillo High School water polo/ swim
- YMCA Head Lifeguard, swimming instructor & and swim coach
- Began water polo and swimming career at Lakewood High School
Chelsea Oliver
- Goalie at Cal State University Long Beach
- Originally from New Zealand
Amara Maxwell
- Defender at Long Beach City College
- Studying at Cal State University Long Beach (B.S. in Psychology)
- Originally from Portland, Oregon
Mariah Walker
- Center at Cal State University Long Beach
- Student at CSULB (B.S. in Kinesiology and Sports Psychology)
Robert Lopez
- Current athlete at Cal State University Long Beach
- Member of the first team of Club Natació Barcelonai & Spanish Youth National Team (top scorer)
- Member of CNB Junior team (champions of Catalonia and Spain, named MVP in the Catalonia Cup)
Joseph Palmblade
- Current goalie at CSULB
- Studying Kinesiology with focus on exercise science
908 Water Polo Club
Season Duration
- Summer Season: June 5 – July 28, 2023 (Current)
- Fall Season: September 5 – December 22, 2023
- Winter/ Spring Season: January 8 – May 31, 2024
Age Groups
- Youth development (club feeder program) – see more info on the right side of this page
- 10u Co-ed (limited to 20 athletes)
- 12u girls (limited to 12 athletes)
- 12u boys (limited to 24 athletes- 2 teams)
- 14u girls (limited to 15 athletes)
- 14u boys (limited to 15 athletes)
The 908 Identity
- Accountability (Parents/ Athletes/ Coaches)
- Innovation (Using the 6-8 Platform)
- Family (Our Staff/ Why We Started 908)
- Slow and Steady (Long Term Success)
Tuition
Includes
- All trainings led by Ricardo Azevedo & staff
- Specific training 1x per week with Tony Azevedo
- 6-8 Mobile App Subscription for the season
Does not include:
- USAWP Membership
- Scrimmage & Tournament Fees
Please email sara@azevedowaterpolo.com for more information on tuition for each season.
Training Times/ Locations
908 currently uses one pool:
- Cabrillo High School: 2001 Santa Fe Ave, Long Beach, CA 90810
10u Co-ed
Tuesday/Thursday from 5:15 to 7:00
12’s Boys
Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from 5:15 to 7:00
12u girls, 14u girls, 14u boys
Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from 6:45 to 8:30
Conditioning, Training when Wednesdays are not available, make ups, scrimmages
Monday from 5:30 to 7:30
Registration
Fall Season FULL
Email sara@azevedowaterpolo.com to learn about future seasons.
Youth Development
Introduction & Philosophy:
Sharks: This is an introduction to water polo and a recreational program. We are NOT a swim school and athletes must have strong basic swimming skills before joining. Athletes will gain skills that prepare them for any aquatic activity and water safety.
Pre-Team: This is the entry level into our competitive club program- the format is still 50% ‘recreation’ but training begins to focus more on base swimming and water strength/ conditioning. When athletes are ready, they will be invited to move up to the club level.
Sharks – Intermediate Level (Average Age 6 -8)
Tuesdays/ Thursdays 5:15 – 6:00 pm (Cabrillo High School)
Sharks need to already be very comfortable in the water and have basic strong swim skills. What athletes will master:
- Swimming freestyle/ backstroke/ breaststroke across
- Going underwater
- Jumping in the water
- Treading water for 30 seconds
- Throwing the ball with one hand
- Kicking all strokes with the ball
- Swimming with the ball
- Holding the ball above water
- Kicking on back
- Listen and perform (following instructions)
908 Club Pre-Team (Average Age 8 -10)
Tuesdays/ Thursdays 5:15 – 6:05 pm (Cabrillo High School)
This group was created as a transition program for our Shark athletes as they prepare to join our 908 Water Polo Club 10u team.
New & continued skills for Pre-Team:
- Shark skills have been mastered
- Swim freestyle 25 yards
- Swim all 4 strokes well
- Throw the ball beyond 10 feet
- Eggbeater hands up for 60 seconds
- Catch the ball
- Jump with ball and don’t let it fall
- Be able to move forward in a shooting position with ball
- Change direction to all sides in the pool
- Shoot at goal from 10 feet
- Understand and accept contact
- Be competitive and thrive to move to 10 & under
6-8 Sports Technology
908 uses the 6-8 Sports game desk to score all club scrimmages and games. Parents and fans can view real-time play-by-play and game stats/ analytics on the 68scores output page.
Athletes (and parents) can also track their individual stats and analytics (including +/- performance indicators) through the 6-8 mobile app.
Registration requires you to submit your 6-8 ID number and the email associated with your app user account (this is the email that you use to create an account and login).
USAWP Membership ID Number
Since we are a USAWP sanctioned club, each athlete must have valid USAWP Membership. If you are not already a USAWP member, you can purchase a plan HERE. When prompted to select a club affiliation, choose 908 Water Polo. For now, Bronze level membership is sufficient.
Gear
Standard 908 Gear can be purchase HERE at the official 908 Store. Other gear will be made available for sale throughout each season.
Athlete Safety
USAWP has a new program to help clubs manage athlete safety. Please note that this is an issue we take extremely seriously and we will be following all required prevention measures and protocols. We will not tolerate any kind of inappropriate behavior or bullying. We ask that you maintain an open channel of communication with us and report any incidents immediately.