Gary Figueroa is as big a name as there is in U.S. Water Polo
history. He
’s a a member of the U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame, a two-time
Olympian who helped the U.S. win a silver medal in the 1984
Olympics, and a three-time NCAA All-American in water polo
(1975-76-77) at UC Irvine, where he scored a school-record 110
goals in the 1977 season and earned MVP honors at the
NCAA Championships that year.
Gary Figueroa is as big a name as there is in U.S. Water Polo history.
He’s a a member of the U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame, a two-time Olympian who helped the U.S. win a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics, and a three-time NCAA All-American in water polo (1975-76-77) at UC Irvine, where he scored a school-record 110 goals in the 1977 season and earned MVP honors at the NCAA Championships that year.
Figueroa, an eight-time USWP All-American, played in the 1978 Olympics before missing the 1980 Olympics due to the U.S. boycott. He quit competing for a few years after that, then returned to play in the 1984 Games.
And Figueroa, the Salinas High water polo coach, will bring that experience and expertise to the Morgan Hill Water Polo Shooting Clinic at the Aquatics Center on Sunday.
According to Live Oak High water polo coach Mack Haines, Figueroa gained the bulk of his fame as an outstanding scorer, and his knowledge in that area of the sport will be an invaluable resource for area water polo players.
“He’s a tremendous communicator and teacher,” Haines said. “He’s incredibly quick and he has incredible knowledge. It’s a great deal to be with one of the best of all-time.”
Haines said there is still room for additional participants at the clinic.
Figueroa, whose son Sam plays water polo and dives for Salinas High, is part of a famous water polo family. His father-in-law Ed Newland, and two of his brothers-in-law George Newland and Kevin Robertson, are all in the USWP Hall of Fame.
Haines said Figueroa will be joined by the Live Oak coaching staff, and perhaps a few of his old friends from his USA Olympic water polo days.
The clinic, which will be broken up into two sessions, will focus on different shooting situations and shotmaking techniques, including 2-meter shots, field tactics, faking, skip shots, extra-man situations, penalty throws, drills and theories.
Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for high school players and seniors, and from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for moms and novice players. Cost is $25 per player with a $10 discount for siblings. Participants must be a registered member of USA Water Polo to attend this program. Membership registration forms will be available at check-in.
Details: call (408) 776-8675 or visit
dl******@ga****.com
