Setting Up The 68 Challenge
Goalie Drills
Player Drills
12.5 m Sprint
Place a cone 12.5 meters from the edge of the pool, starting from a corner.
- Have the athlete start with one hand on the wall and their legs out. On a “Go” command, start your stopwatch. The athlete should then swim down the pool and through the cone; they may not push off the wall when they start.
- When the athlete reaches the cone, stop your stopwatch and record the elapsed time in seconds.
Medicine Ball Hold
Give the athlete a 10 lb medicine ball.
Have the athlete hold the medicine ball above their head, keeping their elbows and chin out of the water as long as they can. The rules for this exercise are that the chin and elbows are absolutely not allowed to touch the water. Athletes are also not allowed to lean back (must stay completely vertical). Athletes can get one warning from the assessor if they do not use proper form.
Start your timer on a “Go” command and give the athlete one warning when either elbow or chin touches the water, or they stop maintaining the proper posture (see video) including leaning back. Stop your timer the second time either elbow or chin touches the water (or athlete leans back) and record the elapsed time in seconds.
Vertical Jump
Setup
Assemble the vertical jump apparatus by connecting the poles. See diagrams below for height options.
Place the apparatus just over the edge of the pool placing your foot on the holding rod and a hand at the top to stabilize it.
Assessment
From an eggbeater position below the apparatus, athletes have three tries to see how high they can touch on the apparatus.
Move the measuring sticks around 180 degrees between attempts to give athletes a clear shot on their next attempt.
Record the distance from the surface of the pool to the highest stick touched by the athlete. For ease of measurement, note that the sticks are 1 inch apart, so knowing the distance from the surface to the pool to the lowest stick on the apparatus provides a starting point from which you can add 1 for each stick reached by the athlete.
Obstacle Course
On Deck Setup
Attach a 6-8 shooting target, or water polo cap, to the center of the top bar of a water polo cage.
Secure two water polo balls in their Velcro holders from the buoy kit.
In Water Setup
Place the cage in the water and secure it to the deck as necessary.
Place a ball buoy 2 m in front of the left side of the cage (as viewed from the deck). Position the ball just inside the post. Secure the buoy to the bottom of the pool.
Place a second ball buoy 5 m in front of the right side of the cage (as viewed from the deck). Position the ball just inside the post. Secure the buoy to the bottom of the pool.
Assessment
Athlete starts from an eggbeater position in the center of the cage.
On a “Go” command, the athlete touches each vertical post of the cage — going side to side — four times for a total of eight touches.
After their eighth touch, toss a ball to the athlete who then swims with the ball around the outside of the 2 m buoy, passing it with their right shoulder. Then swim the ball around the 5m buoy, passing it with their left shoulder.
After passing the 5 m buoy, the athlete takes a shot on the goal. Stop your timer when the ball hits the cage. Reduce the athletes overall time by 2 seconds if they hit the target on the cage.
Radar Gun
Setup a water polo goal in the water and secure it in place. For this drill the only other equipment you will need is a radar gun and a water polo ball.
Crouching low behind the center of the cage, have the athlete shoot from approximately 5 meters, throwing the ball as fast as they can. Pull the trigger on the radar gun when you instruct the athlete to shoot and release the trigger when the ball hits the cage. Record the ball speed in miles per hour (MPH).
Athletes get one attempt at this drill. Allow a second attempt if their first was a wild throw or you obtained an inaccurate reading.
Two Buoy Drill
Setup
Assemble the ball buoy kit on deck and place at the edge of the pool.
- Place the ball buoy in its approximate location, attaching the clamp and/or weights to the bottom of the pool and adjust the length of the buoy rope.
- Using the rope, starting from the corner of the pool, measure along the wall from the third S hook (#3) to the fourth S hook (#4) and place a cone at that location.
- Using the rope, starting with the third S hook (#3), measure along the wall from that S hook to the second S hook (#2) and place a cone at that location.
- Using the rope, measure from the second S hook (#2) into the water to the first S hook (#1), and adjust the location of the ball buoy to that location.
Assessment
Have the athlete start with one hand on the wall and their feet out. On the go command, start your stopwatch and have the athlete:
- Touch the buoy
- Touch the wall at the #4 cone
- Touch the wall at the #2 cone
- Touch the first buoy again
After the athlete has touched the first buoy for a second time, stop your watch.
Passing Drill
Setup
Attach the rope with a weight or clamp to the goalie shooting ring. Place the ring:
- 12.5 meters from the wall or cage if you use a 25 meter course
- 15 meters from the wall or cage if you use a 30 meter course
Assessment
The goalie gets five (5) attempts to shoot the ball inside the ring. If the ball hits the edge of the ring, it counts. If the ball goes in the hole, it counts. And if the ball bounces in, it counts. Record the number of shots that count based on this criteria.
Goalie Four Corners
Setup
Attach a 6-8 shooting target to each corner of the cage:
- Lower Left
- Upper Left
- Upper Right
- Lower Right
Ensure the target covers the entire corner; do not leave any space between the target and the bar. Secure the cage in the pool.
Assessment
Athletes start from an eggbeater position in the middle of the cage. When the timer says “Go”, the athlete must touch each of the four targets. Stop your timer when the athlete touches the fourth target.
Goalie Eight Touch
Setup
Secure the cage in the pool.
Assessment
Athlete starts from an eggbeater position in the center of the cage.
On a “Go” command, the athlete touches each vertical post of the cage — going side to side — four times for a total of eight touches.
After their eighth touch, stop your timer and record the elapsed time in seconds.
Goalie 25 m Breast Sprint
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS
The goalie should swim a 25 meter breaststroke as fast as they can. Starting on the wall, start your watch on a “Go” command. The athlete may push off the wall and must swim legal breaststroke for a distance of 25 meters. Note the goalie may not start from a dive; they must start in the water from a push. Stop your timer when the athlete reaches the 25 meter mark. Record the elapsed time in seconds.