Water polo combines strength, stamina, concentration, reflexes and power into one sport. The basic skills needed to be able to compete in this activity are:-
- Swimming
- Leg Work
- Ball Handling and Shooting.
Swimming
To be able to play water polo effectively, a good background of swimming is essential. During the game, a player usually covers anything between 3 and 4 km so good swimming technique and stamina are a must.
Leg Work
Good legs and good leg conditioning are musts for the successful Water Polo player. The front and back flutter kicks should be extensively conditioned as they are constantly used in the sport. Breaststroke and sidestroke (scissor) kicks also find extensive use in Water Polo. They provide the thrust for what is commonly known as the lunge kick.
Ball Handling and Shooting
Ball handling preparation is sometimes overlooked by many coaches and players do not give it the necessary importance as they prefer shooting practice to passing. Without good ball handling skills, accuracy while passing and shooting will severely diminish and might cost the team the game. There have been countless occasions when players have either let the ball slip out of their hands or given the ball away to their opponents with a bad pass. The same can be said when players on the same team give an inaccurate pass and miss out on a golden scoring opportunity.
