Water polo tournament draws crowd from near and far to Lewis Creek

Scott Swanson

Amidst a sea of spectators floating atop inner tubes, inflatable toys, rafts and various other craft, water polo players from all over the western United States battled it out for three days on Foster Lake last week.

They were there for the sixth annual TruWest Oregon Open Water Polo Tournament hosted by Willamette Valley Water Polo Club, which includes players from all over the mid-valley.

This year’s event drew 28 teams, whose members camped in a tent city at Lewis Creek Park, where the tournament was held July 10-12.

Founder and director Steve Sessa, coach of WVWP, said the field included teams that have participated all six years, including Blazer Water Polo from Visalia, Calif., about three hours north of Los Angeles.

Others came from Bainbridge and Puget Sound in Washington, Orcutt and San Jose, Calif., and Eugene, Portland, Bend and Lake Oswego.

Lake Oswego coaches Tyler Ward and James Anderson both had played in the tournament as club members before moving into the coaching ranks, they said. They said they enjoyed the whole experience at Lewis Creek, including the challenges presented by playing in a lake.

“It’s definitely a different atmosphere from pool play,” said Ward, who played in the tournament “three or four times.” He and Anderson said it’s a lot different than playing indoors, where most of Oregon’s water polo teams practice and compete.

“The lake offers a lot of fun. The wake coming from the boats is a huge contributing factor to, like, actual play, which you don’t really get to see a lot. The camping experience is great for the kids. I really loved that as a player. The lake’s really, really incredible – gorgeous scenery.

“There’s a couple of teams that practice in a lake. I’ve practiced in a lake before and stuff, but I’ve never done a full-blown tournament in a lake before (Foster). Which is really neat. I’m really excited about that.”

Anderson, with Ward, were on their way to play in an exhibition game featuring coaches, referees and other camp staffers.

He said he has played in the tournament once and has since come as a coach, said the tournament provides opportunities to maintain relationships within the sport and give players experience.

“It’s really cool to see everybody. I’ve grown up, it’s fun. We have a really young team. We’re not winning a lot of games, but they’re having a lot of fun.”

The tournament included brackets for Under-18 and Under-16 boys and girls, and a co-ed U14 bracket.

Referee Michael Francis of Auburn, Calif. was officiating a match between WVWP and Blue Crush of Portland Tuesday, July 11.

Francis, who’s been officiating for 30 years, said this is the only open-water tournament he’s done.

“I like coming back every year,” he said, adding that he’s done it five years in a row. “The atmosphere’s amazing. Where can you see water polo where (spectators) are in the water? It’s probably my favorite tournament.”

Most of the 100-some spectators were family and friends of the competitors, but Sessa said at least one local resident showed up to watch – a “neighbor” has a summer home above Foster Lake and whose son plays water polo for Long Beach State in Southern California and on the junior national team.

“They’re in love with it. They’re going to go home and talk it up.

“I think we’ll be able to get some information and help from him in the future. He seemed really positive about it.”

Ward said the variety of teams is a plus.

“A couple of teams come up from California, so we have some diversified competition,” he said. “It’s not just the same teams we play all the time.”

Plus, he said, the organizers have it down to a science.

“The event staff has been spectacular. This has been by far one of the best-run tournaments I’ve been in.”

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