With all that being said, we have gotten away from the topic, National League 2025 and should get back to that.
moved conversation here:
Did anyone notice that the NYAC is now 95% foreign players in national league. Sad to see a team that was once a place for US olympians to continue playing now a training ground for euros. Times are changing. It would be good to hear from some former Olympians who later played for nyac to see their take. There was a time where if you were an Olympian NAYC was were you went to play after. They did however lose to Mission and Olympic club.
Poloforlife, I donât know where your 95 percent figure comes from. The roster shown on 6-8 Sports for Sundayâs game between Mission and NYAC shows 7 of NYACâs 16 players are from the United States. The other 9 players play or played for American colleges, including 4 players from nearby Fordham University. (Two of Fordhamâs top players play for LAAC.)
Many of Americaâs 2024 water polo Olympians are playing internationally because thatâs where the best water polo is played. We will know that menâs water polo and menâs soccer have taken off in the United States when many of the worldâs top players play professionally in the United States, as they do in basketball, baseball, and hockey.
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Give me the Olympic Club all day. I bet those guys have some nice golf perks.
Players not rosters. Look at the line up in the pool. Minutes played. Maybe a goalie and a field player from the US at best in any given time.
I guess my point is that a once powerful primarily us team has now changed. These ratios of euros to Americans would never be tolerated by European water polo teams. 3 foreigners can cap up thatâs it. Let s make it the same here and fill those spots with kids from our country. That way they can develop with the best foreigners that are chosen to play. Development of USA kids in a USA water polo event.
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The usual NYAC suspects are playing abroad as Jeff already said. Who cares who is on NYAC. The talent in the NL is spread around very nicely this year and it has created competitive games that has never really existed
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Having a limit of Europeans on a US roster isnât the same as having a US limit on a European roster is because Europe has a stronger league than we do. The general incentive is for the strongest players to play in the strongest leagues which are in Europe right now.
There is no shortage of talented American HS/College/Alumni players in the NL right now. Many capable alumni are missing or retired but the incentive to play after college in USA is thin outside of love for the game and competition.
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Hoping that @waterpolowednesdays releases the National League finals schedule today!
Have to tune in to find out ;)!!!
There is a TON of NL news coming this week so be sure to keep your eyes peeled. We are dropping a HUGE news worthy piece on Friday as well!
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Just curious, do the winners of National League get any sort of awards or prize money? Junior Olympic winners in the Platinum Division get medals, shirts, and a plaque. CIF winners always get rings. I wonder if National League will introduce something similar? Seems like it would add a bit more incentive for teams going out to compete.
Hmmm, gonna guess a new NTeam signing fresh from the European league :).
There will be trophies!!! I believe pretty legit ones as well. Hoping to have 5000 people show up to semi finals and finals. Spread the word!
canât wait for the finals !
Thanks @waterpolowednesdays for the link â https://youtu.be/Zu5AYj-2Jeo
The brackets look great. Do you have any idea when the schedule will be released and where/when the first-round games are? Is it one and done, or are there games for places? Are all games at Mt Sac after play in rounds?
Are these games streamed, either live or after the fact?
Overngt just like the league games.
Thanksâwhere can we find them?
https://www.overnght.com/sport/water-polo
Coverage has gotten better throughout the year and itâs worth the small fee now.