If you were CEO of USA Water Polo

General
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So, we have a new CEO of USA Water Polo. Who knows maybe he is lurking in on the forums :). So, I thought I would start a threat of what folks believe top 10 initiatives would be if they were CEO. I played around with ChatGPT 01 and after some back and forth came up with a thoughtful list and even some high level KPIS:

Top 10

1. Enhance Athlete Support and Development Programs:

Prioritize robust training, mental health resources, and athlete wellness initiatives to improve retention, performance, and long-term growth for both the national team and developing athletes.

2. Secure Sustainable Funding and Sponsorships:

Aggressively pursue and diversify revenue streams—corporate partnerships, philanthropic donors, innovative fundraising models—to ensure stable financial support for national teams, grassroots efforts, and facility improvements.

3. Strengthen Domestic Competition Structure and Address Foreign Player Inclusion:

Reassess and refine the national championship calendar, youth leagues, and inter-regional play to foster higher-level, more consistent competition. In coordination with the NCAA, examine how foreign athletes in college water polo can both enrich the playing environment and create challenges for domestic talent development. Seek balanced policies that maintain opportunities for U.S. players while leveraging the competitive benefits and cultural exchange provided by international athletes.

4. Advance High-Performance Pathways:

Create a transparent, data-driven athlete pipeline—from youth and scholastic levels through collegiate and national programs—ensuring that selection criteria, coaching education, and developmental benchmarks are clearly communicated. Adjust pathways as necessary to account for shifting player demographics and the influence of foreign talent on domestic rosters.

5. Expand Grassroots Participation and Accessibility:

Implement initiatives to introduce water polo in underrepresented regions and communities. Provide low-cost equipment, coaching clinics, and structured youth programs that reduce barriers to entry, grow the player base, and increase diversity.

6. Improve Governance, Transparency, and Communication:

Clarify decision-making processes, issue regular stakeholder updates, and establish transparent organizational structures. Open channels for feedback—especially around sensitive topics like foreign player integration—fostering trust and community involvement.

7. Prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI):

Advance actionable DEI programs ensuring that athletes, coaches, and administrators reflect a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. Encourage cross-cultural engagement that respects domestic and international participants, strengthening the sport’s global character and appeal.

8. Strengthen Safeguarding and Compliance Efforts:

Reinforce SafeSport training, uphold strict anti-tampering rules, and enforce zero-tolerance policies against misconduct. Consistently apply compliance measures across domestic and international athletes, maintaining a secure and respectful environment.

9. Improve Marketing and Brand Visibility:

Develop a cohesive brand strategy that showcases the excitement of U.S. water polo. Invest in media coverage—live streaming, social media, storytelling content—that highlights both homegrown stars and top foreign collegiate players, engaging fans and raising the profile of the sport.

10. Foster Collaborative Relationships with Key Stakeholders:

Collaborate closely with the USOPC, World Aquatics, NCAA, and international counterparts. Align on event calendars, officiating standards, and shared developmental goals to ensure the U.S. remains a prominent force in global water polo while preserving opportunities for domestic players navigating a landscape that includes foreign talent.

Measurements:

Below are potential metrics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and evaluation methods for each of the top 10 priorities. While each area may require a tailored approach, these examples provide a starting point for quantifying progress and assessing impact.

1. Enhance Athlete Support and Development Programs

• KPIs:

• Athlete satisfaction survey results (annual baseline vs. yearly improvements)

• Number of accredited coaching clinics and certifications earned by coaches

• Frequency and utilization rates of mental health and wellness resources

• Measurement Methods:

• Annual athlete surveys

• Tracking attendance at training camps and coaching workshops

• Regular reviews of athlete feedback and performance data

2. Secure Sustainable Funding and Sponsorships

• KPIs:

• Total sponsorship revenue year-over-year

• Diversity of revenue streams (e.g., percentage from corporate sponsors, private donors, grants)

• Growth in long-term sponsorship agreements (multi-year deals)

• Measurement Methods:

• Financial statements and audits

• Sponsorship renewal and retention rates

• Comparing actual fundraising results against set annual targets

3. Strengthen Domestic Competition Structure and Address Foreign Player Inclusion

• KPIs:

• Increase in the number of sanctioned domestic tournaments and matches

• Improvement in the competitiveness of U.S. teams in international competitions (e.g., medal counts, match results)

• Monitoring ratios of domestic vs. foreign athletes in NCAA programs and assessing their impact on domestic player outcomes (e.g., improved skills, roster spots)

• Measurement Methods:

• Event participation counts and qualitative feedback from coaches and players

• Longitudinal analysis of U.S. player development metrics (improvement in skill evaluations, scouting reports)

• Surveys/interviews with collegiate coaches and athletes regarding the balance and influence of foreign players

4. Advance High-Performance Pathways

• KPIs:

• Clear, published criteria for athlete advancement at each developmental stage

• Improved retention rates of identified talent from youth levels to senior national teams

• Performance improvements in World Championships, Pan American Games, and Olympic qualifications

• Measurement Methods:

• Tracking the number of youth players advancing through established tiers

• Comparative year-over-year analysis of national team performance metrics

• Evaluations of pipeline data and athlete progression timelines

5. Expand Grassroots Participation and Accessibility

• KPIs:

• Increase in USA Water Polo membership numbers, particularly in new regions

• Growth in youth and community-based water polo programs

• Percentage increase in participants from underrepresented groups

• Measurement Methods:

• Registration data and membership databases

• Surveys of local clubs and community centers tracking participation levels

• Geographic spread of sanctioned clubs and teams

6. Improve Governance, Transparency, and Communication

• KPIs:

• Timeliness and frequency of policy updates, board meeting notes, and financial reports made public

• Stakeholder satisfaction survey results (coaches, athletes, club administrators) regarding clarity and accessibility of information

• Reduction in grievances or disputes related to unclear governance processes

• Measurement Methods:

• Auditing public communications on the organization’s website and newsletters

• Annual stakeholder feedback surveys

• Assessing resolution times for compliance and governance-related inquiries

7. Prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

• KPIs:

• Diversity metrics among athletes, coaches, administrators, and board members (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity)

• Inclusion ratings from athlete and staff climate surveys

• Increased DEI training participation and certification among staff and coaches

• Measurement Methods:

• Annual demographic reports and comparisons over time

• Anonymous inclusion and belonging surveys for athletes and staff

• Tracking completion rates of mandatory DEI education modules

8. Strengthen Safeguarding and Compliance Efforts

• KPIs:

• Percentage of coaches, officials, and volunteers completing SafeSport training annually

• Reduction in reported incidents of misconduct or rule violations year-over-year

• Average case resolution time for compliance issues

• Measurement Methods:

• SafeSport and background check completion logs

• Incident tracking and trend analysis of reported cases

• Regular compliance audits by internal or external reviewers

9. Improve Marketing and Brand Visibility

• KPIs:

• Growth in social media following, engagement rates, and content impressions

• Increase in online streaming viewership and broadcast ratings for major events

• Media coverage volume (press mentions, articles, features) and sentiment analysis

• Measurement Methods:

• Website and social media analytics (followers, impressions, engagement)

• Tracking number and reach of televised or streamed matches

• Media monitoring services for coverage and sentiment tracking

10. Foster Collaborative Relationships with Key Stakeholders

• KPIs:

• Number of formal partnerships or agreements with the USOPC, NCAA, World Aquatics, and other federations

• Joint initiatives launched (co-branded events, shared training programs)

• Regular attendance and representation at international governance meetings

• Measurement Methods:

• Documented Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and partnership agreements

• Post-event reports and evaluations of jointly hosted competitions or camps

• Annual reviews of collaborative projects and their outcomes

Overall Evaluation Strategy:

• Conduct annual and quarterly performance reviews, comparing results against defined benchmarks for each KPI.

• Use a combination of quantitative (e.g., membership numbers, revenue, demographic data) and qualitative (e.g., surveys, interviews, stakeholder feedback) methods.

• Adjust goals and metrics as the organization evolves, ensuring continuous improvement and responsiveness to the sport’s changing landscape.

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re: your #7

NCAA Men WP Demographic
NCAA Men WP Demographic2830×1594 319 KB

NCAA Women WP Demographic
NCAA Women WP Demographic2830×1594 335 KB

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wow, TL:DR
#1 We’re too white, the sport costs too much $ to play club.
#2 The refs are always the punching bag, expected to travel for free, conduct roster checks for free, assign refs for free, and there is no formal USAWP referee training, so they get yelled at for free too
#3 The growth of the closed club model has consolidated talent, leading to a drop in overall club participation - ex: with the studs coalescing around CDM, Newport and MD, where do kids from Estancia, Costa Mesa, and Fountain Valley HS play?
#4 The college game is key, so long as water polo is a way to open doors to college, we’ll have players. Lose college and it’s all kaput. Support colleges (beyond the big-4) with official USAWP events at their pools.

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I must have a low IQ because the AI guide seems like a giant useless world salad to me.

Good ideas Rational.

I would argue the new CEO should act like a CEO—a businessman asking “what service do I provide?”

College is key. Think of the little kids watching. If they can’t see themselves or kids from their club playing in college games, neither they or their paying parent will continue the investment.

Especially with DEI—what’s the sell if not cash or college? This is true in all youth sports especially with NIL. Parents must see what’s in it for them. Why would parents sacrifice their time and money for water polo? The answer isn’t “play D3.” Do football parents sign up their kids for a chance to play in Canada? No.

I would invest in referee pay before spending another dollar on DEI or mental health. The DEI numbers seem stable and I’m certain there’s been an increase in funding the last decade. Why didn’t LMU recruit girls from commerce?

The growing youth water polo numbers, I believe, are reactionary. It will slow as parents watch the chance of top 20 schools diminish with more internationals.

I’m grateful the board hired a businessman not a coach. I read the new CEO got volleyball on Tv. Hopefully he can get better cameras to the schools hosting.

Did the Women’s US coach sign a contract extension before the Olympics? Why? The US Women, despite endless developmental resources, are a sinking ship—losing at the youth level internationally last year and losing spots at college level to those same internationals. If Adam is the captain of the ship, he sunk it. His extension seems like an inside job that isn’t in the best interest of the Women at any level.

I’d argue the club situation is exacerbated by the favoritism of those same clubs on the odp level. Odp takes their 20 even year birth kids at 12u and holds on. It’s the same names being promoted repeatedly. Theres an idea sharing gap at USA wp as well. The same people offering up ideas and opinions repeatedly are self serving to their club or job. Although, I don’t think sending a survey about a website will help either. Is that all we’re good for usawp? Survey about how pretty the website is? :roll_eyes:

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Agree with much of what the previous posters wrote, especially that college participation is a much bigger lynchpin than national teams and needs USA WP advocacy on several levels.

But ask those with both female and male ODP or collegiate athletes: they do it a lot better on the women’s side, and the coach has a lot to do with it.

Compare the two. The records speak for themselves. Jeff has detailed the (puzzling) longest ever contract on the men’s side versus performance in world champs and Olympics.

Separate from the national teams, the head coach has a bigger responsibility to establish a vision down to 10u and be visible. The women’s coach is on deck from small tournaments to JOs to high schools games. He is approachable by coaches. He communicates well with the girls at ODP and beyond.

Of course other countries are catching up. Inevitable. And yes it’s key that our HS girls get spots in college and are not squeezed out (as occurs on the men’s side). But look at his overall extraordinary performance.

Are there no US coaches who should be considered on the men’s side considering post collegiate development is overseas for 9 months/year?

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Just clarifying, these are NOT my top 10. This was a means to get the discussion going. I will post some of my top if I were CEO later.

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Well you’re very proficient in the use of AI. You are the future.

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Good points GtG. I would argue the Mens side seems there is lots of opportunities to show yourself and prove yourself for many years—with lots of opportunities for visibility in America. And on the developmental side, if you’re good, you play.

The womens side, seems like a tight, exclusive, secretive group towards the top. And overly political to get in at the bottom—if that makes sense?

So his success to me could be from lack of competition the past 20 years. I agree he is the face of all water polo and there’s zero comparison w the mens on what he does. But someone is running the mens side good enough to win.

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It is in no particular order but numbered for reference so you can poke holes. As Jeff would say, here are my often-proven- wrong thoughts.

  1. Modernize IT from the ground up. This will drive major productivity gains and scale people with the use of AI (yes, I said it :)). With the right tech, you can scale at least 2-5X. Someone mentioned the website does matter. I cannot disagree more. The digital strategy of the website, social media, and items such as registration are critical.

  2. Double down on a modern digital marketing strategy. There are so many good storylines that are going untold. So many games that are not streamed. This is a LOT cheaper than you would think. Look at what Water Polo Wednesday guys have done with two mics and cameras. Youtube is the way to go all in on streaming all major games. The social media is how the next wave of players and parents are absorbing information and content is key to this. Content is king and solid quality and timely delivery matters. Shorts, vignettes, and long form all good. Nobody talked more about polo when the underwater cameras were at Olympics.

  3. Major corporate fundraising strategy and execution. This goes hand and hand with the digital marketing strategy. More followers and more interactions = more corporate interest. You cannot always rely on your participants to fund you.

  4. World Class live events. The online presentation of the sport is critical (please no more shadows so we can’t see the pool and silent streams), but it needs to be paired with amazing in-person experiences. UOP Spring tourney (bummer about rain) and the Quicksilver and good starts here as examples. Shoot to fund a couple world class tournaments per year where the best teams in the world compete.

  5. Bridge NCAA and USA Water Polo. This does not seem to be aligned, organized, and often is counter. Strong NCAA polo is hypercritical to polo success.

  6. Shake up JO’s. Unlike others, I am a big fan of JO’s as an incredible event that serves a very large set of players ground up. Yes it has room to improve ! However, use the opportunity to elevate some of the play with a small batch of the top of the top for better competition. Perhaps work with the Futures Group or something new to create an International tournament.

  7. Be overly transparent. Share the plan, ask for commentary, provide updates quarterly on the metrics, do semi-annual (or more) YouTube streams or X live sessions.

  8. Reboot the National League and even Club. There needs to be a viable path for college players to continue their playing post graduation and even during. The new club rules with colleges should help some here but double down on it.

  9. I know there are years of conflict here but, find a friend in swimming not a foe. The majority of players are going to come through swimming for some time. Grass roots programs, clinics during meets, and other ways to collaborate.

  10. Fund a professional team in Europe made up of all Americans. Yes, they do not allow this now, but where this is a will there is a way. If it works expand.

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Incredible write up and business plan polo fan. I have some in common with you on this, primarily grass roots. If I am the CEO, I feel it starts with pools and access to them. No pools, no people, no diversity, limited marketing, limited impact, limited business plan, limited monies. You can’t be a one hit wonder - California. I am in disagreement about College talk. Like all other sports, it is a very small minority who will make it to that level. I would focus on the broader audience. I would be looking at Club Youth thru High School participation, then see if I could promote Rec League - Club - Semipro thereafter. Basketball and Soccer have a large following because many people have played it, know good from bad, and recognize greatness because they match it to their own skill level. The 99% who played never had a crack at College, If you don’t understand the sport, how do you have a following?

Some other thoughts:

Ex. 1 Low hanging Fruit. Year round sun Arizona where every other house probably has a pool has only 3 Clubs when I do a 100 mile search on USAWP Club Locator with a downtown Phoenix ZIP of 85004…website need updating? 2025 Mountain Zone ODP Camps in LV, SLC, and Denver areas but not Phoenix. According to link far below, no High School Water Polo programs, but there are 163 Arizona High Schools with Swim. Phoenix being 5th largest city would have my head scratching as to why?

Ex. 2: Diversity. Commerce Aquatics (Polo and Swim) is the Platinum standard on this one. Great program ran by great people. Follow their example and it starts with, again, a Pool. Talk to Brenda Villa on this.

Ex. 2B Diversity Geographically. Like Arizona above, States with High School Swim but no Polo: Ohio 434 Schools Swim, North Carolina with 305 Swim, and Indiana with 245. Ask CT Premier or Greenwich how they have built it in a State that has 110 High School Swim programs but not one Polo.

Disclaimer: I cannot verify below data is accurate :grinning:
2023-24-nfhs-participation-survey-full.pdf

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@polofan Thank you for kick this off.
You might be start with stating the goals as you mostly listed ‘to-dos.’
I including a link to USA WP Strategic Plan. I googled it as I have never seen it, likely buried in their site.

USA Water Polo Strategic Plan

I will also direct a handful of USA WP board members I know to this thread and also ask whether leadership is engaging with WPE site.
This site is singularly unites individuals that are passionate and care about the future of the sport in the USA. Some of us also donate $$$ to USA WP.

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Yup on purpose was to do’s vs goals. I think there are a lot of goals already published. Biased to action FWIW.

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Targeting pools used by swim teams is great, but a coach needs funding to start. Providing grants to the coaches in target areas could be helpful or waiving their tournament fees, providing low cost local tournaments, etc.

We will never be similar to soccer and those sports. To get started in AYSO/Elite it’s $150 for three months, includes two practices and weekly games. To get started in California swimming (to really get to water polo), $250 per MONTH plus swim meet costs. After the cost already to get the child competent in swim strokes. It’s good to target parents of kids who are used to the cost. We can’t change the cost, its only increasing. We can show value in the investment which is the lure of college.

To grow AZ, send team USA women there to train for a year? ASU has a womens program for years, one would hope the clubs would have followed?

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I guess I could add an 11th…

  • Build/buy and maintain a world-class dryland training program specifically for water polo that is shared.

There is a LOT of training that can be done outside of the pool that is not today. I would bet less than 1-2% of programs even have such a thing. This will not just help drive competitive advantages and health, but also make good use outside of expensive pool time, and drive injury prevention.

It’s also very good for mental and physical health when done properly of course.

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That’s a pretty short term perspective. Krikorian has been head coach since 2009, and delivered gold medals in 2012, 2016, and 2020. Nobody thought that would continue forever, and the recent decline saw the women lose the bronze medal game by one goal, lose a semifinal to the silver medalists in a penalty shoot out, and lose a first round game to the eventual gold medalists by two. That more consistent top level performance over the last 15 years than any other mens or womens water polo program in the world. Krikorian has earned the benefit of the doubt to see if he can bring our women back to the finals.

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Was the extension signed pre-Paris? I’m not certain. It was posted here.

I’d be very supportive if his extension was signed after the Olympics. That would tell me the new CEO and Board were in recognition of his poor performance but had faith he’s still the right man moving forward. Which he could be! He clearly has the USAWP folks behind him. But you yourself said “if” he can get the women back on top. As CEO, I’d hire someone I knew could do it.

Three losses at the Olympics when playing only 7 games, with junior/youth teams getting beat, signals to me as CEO something should change on the Women’s side.

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Ok CEO, who is your choice? You are saying your choice would 100% win gold every 4 years. This is absurd. No one in the world has accomplished as much as Coach Krikorian in the last 20 years. Men’s and Women’s NCAA Championships at UCLA, along with 3 Olympic gold medals.

I look forward to seeing who you would choose.

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Krikorian is an excellent coach. The main problem is that the level of play at NCAA has been inferior for quite some tome to the level of the top European leagues (Spanish, Hungarian). Our NCAA advantage is no more. In addition, the best 16-year-old European girls train and compete side by side with highly experienced Olympians.

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A lot of the top international women still come here to play in the NCAA. It may be true that they’re coaching up their youth a little better, but the NCAA is still top dawg in the women’s game.

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Lol, first I would like to note, if Adam Wright got 4th at NCAA last weekend, with all his resources and roster, we wouldn’t talk about his past wins, his nice emails, or smiling on deck persona.

Because everyone likes Adam, there seems to be a vibe we can sacrifice Women’s development and success at all levels.

As CEO, I’d check in with Jack Kocur, as the brains. And actually walk the DEI walk and look hard at Villa. Or is DEI only for the bottom?

If you’re ok with losing, why does it matter who the coach is though? We already know Adam lost.