Water Polo Gear
Every sport has its specialized clothing and equipment and water polo is no different. Here’s what you should get for your young water polo player.
Water Polo Suits
The only really necessary item is a water polo suit. Water polo is a rough game and players do whatever it takes to get their opponent away from the ball. That includes pulling them by their bathing suit if possible. So water polo players wear skin tight bathing suits – one pieces for the girls and Speedo style suits for the boys.
If your son or daughter competes with a club or school team, you will need to buy a team suit. In order to make that one suit last longer, it’s a good idea to get another suit for practice. If you’re lucky you might find one you like on clearance sale.
Girls Water polo suits are often found under women’s water polo suits. Just look for junior sizes.
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Swim Caps for Kids
Girls will need to wear swim caps. Boys may need them if their hair is long enough to get in their eyes. Swim caps are used during practice, which involves swimming a lot of laps, and are worn under water polo caps during games. The water polo caps with numbers are usually supplied by the team, so you won’t need to buy those.
Swim caps come in plain colors and fun designs. Latex caps are the least expensive, but won’t last as long as silicon or lycra.
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Latex Swim Caps | |
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Swim Gear for Water Polo Players
Water polo players don’t use goggles or fins when they’re playing polo, but practice involves a lot of lap swimming to improve speed. You’ll definitely want to get goggles. The bungee straps are inexpensive and make it easy to adjust the fit on the fly. Check to see if the coach wants kids to have fins before you buy them.
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Towels
Of course you can use any towel to dry off. If your child frequently forgets their towel, it might be nice to have a chamois swim towel as a backup. It can be kept in their bag without taking up much space. It’s not a must-have, but maybe a good gift for a water polo player.
Water Polo Balls
The coaches will bring balls with them to practice, but if your child wants to practice on their own, it’s a good idea to get them a water polo ball. They come in mens, womens, juniors and splashball sizes.
These items should get your young water polo player started. If they stay with the sport and get serious, there are plenty more water polo accessories to buy, like weight belts, medicine balls, stretch cords, parkas and warm ups.
Water Polo Shop
Water polo isn’t popular enough, even in sunny climates, to have stores that specialize in the apparel and accessories. Swim shops may have some of the items you need. Ordering online may be your best option.