Juniors

About our juniors program

Our club and coaches are wholly committed to providing a safe, fair, and inclusive environment for children to learn and play water polo.

This is aligned with our peak bodies, Water Polo NSW and Water Polo Australia. For further information refer to Water Polo NSW - Integrity

STRUCTURE

This summer, our juniors program is split into 3 streams:

U12s shallow end for all children aged 7 to 10, and any children aged 10 to 12 who are not competent to play in the deep end of the pool.
U12s deep end for children aged 10 to 12 who are competent to play in the deep end of the pool. Eligibility of children aged younger than 10 will be assessed by coaches on a case-by-case basis.
U14s - U16s deep end for children aged 13 to 16 who are competent to play in the deep end of the pool. Eligibility of children aged younger than 13 will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

All sessions are run at the Emma McKeon Pool, UOW UniActive, University of Wollongong.

❗Important: This is not a learn to swim program.

DATES & TIMES:

TRAINING BEGINS WITH 15 MIN DRY LAND WARM UP! PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MIN BEFORE STATED TIMES!

COSTS

Registration fees consist of 3 parts:

Capitation fee to our peak body, Water Polo NSW (WPNSW). This cost is set independently of the club.
Capitation fee to our peak body, Water Polo Australia (WPA). This cost is set independently of the club.
Registration fee to Illawarra Water Polo. This cost is set by the club to cover week-to-week expenses such as pool hire. Our club is a not-for-profit, meaning that 100% of surplus funds are invested back into the club, for the benefit of our members.

Registration fees ensure that all players are adequately insured. We will be enforcing a 'no pay, no play' policy.

The Water Polo NSW (WPNSW) and Water Polo Australia (WPA) season runs from 01 September to 31 August each year. The capitation fees to WPNSW and WPA are therefore for the 12 months 01/09/2026 - 31/08/2027.

To give our members flexibility, Illawarra Water Polo (IWP) charges fees for each season that you choose to play, rather than for a whole year up front.

Payment plans are available for Illawarra fees. There are registration options with built-in payment plans, however, if you would like to discuss different payment plan structures please email info@illwp.com or contact President Daniel Barnes.

Which registration type to choose

Important change for this season's juniors registrations - it is a Water Polo NSW and Water Polo Australia requirement that at least one parent or guardian is registered with our club. This is in line with child protection best practice.