Greenwich Local Makes Youth Water Polo Grow

Kim Tierney Wang has been involved with water polo in her hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut for more than two decades. The first and only female to play for legendary coach Terry Lowe on the boys’ Greenwich High School water polo team, she is a graduate of Bucknell—where she was an All-American, team captain (1996-97) and totaled over 500 career goals—and Columbia, where she was the leading scorer and an assistant coach in her two years with the Lions.

In 2007 Tierney Wang helped launch Greenwich Aquatics, the Greenwich YMCA’s water polo program, which has become the strongest youth program in the Northeast. She recently spoke about her age group club, the challenges of growing water polo in New York City and the sport’s future on the East Coast.

According to Tierney Wang—Senior Manager of Water Polo Operations at Greenwich Aquatics—overlapping swim and water polo programs in the Y’s impressive aquatics facility has been crucial to the growth of her age-group club.

“We’re limited because most of the kids who are coming, at least for us, are swimmers, so they come from swim programs after they get bored with it…” she said. “They’re watching the water polo team practice, and are like ‘Ooh that looks more fun!’”

The sport is perceived differently, depending upon which coast you inhabit. “On the East Coast water polo is a niche sport. It’s not the ‘in’ sport like it is in California,” Tierney Wang explained. “Around [Greenwich] parents [say] ‘I want my kids to play soccer, football or lacrosse.’ They’re pushing those sports… water polo’s not even on their radar.”

Besides exposure, competition remains the most important element to growing the sport.

“What the Northeast needs… [is] more teams playing,” she said. “The more teams, the better it is for all of water polo. The three components for having successful water polo are to have coaches, pools and competition. If you don’t have those three things you’re lacking.”

Tri-State Water Polo League, the youth league Tierney Wang oversees, is providing competition and structure to Northeast youth programs.

“A lot of clubs—including [Brooklyn Heights] St. Francis and [Imagine Swimming] Makos—say Tri-State has really helped them get more kids because there’s more structure. You’re playing every Saturday and this is a league and you buy into that whole thing,” she said.

Tierney Wang, who spent significant time competing in New York pools, is baffled by how few youth clubs call the Big Apple home.

“In New York City, think about all those people who live there—I’m sure there’s a good amount of swimmers—there’s no water polo.”

She cited Asphalt Green and the New York Athletic Club, two of the city’s most prominent swim programs.

“I don’t think Asphalt Green has embraced age-group programs,” Tierney Wang said, then—referencing Asphalt Green’s youth swim program, considered the city’s best—added: “I assume that has to do with the swim team.”

Could they start [a youth club]? Sure, but they’re not going to get the backing of the club because it’s not of interest to them. Little kids are not going to bring Olympic gold.”

Lia Neal, a Brooklyn native who struck bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay at the 2012 Beijing Olympics, trained at Asphalt Green.

When asked about the New York AC, which regularly dominates the US Masters National Championships but does not support a city-based youth program, the former member of NYAC’s women’s squad was blunt.

“They’re interested in winning gold medals at the Olympics and youth is not going to get [that]… They’ll take players but they’re not interested in developing [them].”

In addition to pool access and competition, Tierney Wang identified coaching as a necessary component for success.

“Typically if you see who’s running the program—even out in California—it’s either high school coaches that have an umbrella of a club team because they have access [to] coaches [or] because they’re a coach and have a staff and have access to pool [time].”

Tierney Wang believes that universities, particularly those in the Ivy League, could do more to develop young athletes. Princeton and Navy— where she competed while in high school—support age group clubs. Harvard and Brown, which field varsity men’s and women’s teams at the intercollegiate level, do not.

“Why doesn’t Brown have an age group?” she wondered.

One program that Tierney Wang holds in high regard is St. Francis Brooklyn. Not only does the college’s successful intercollegiate program support the Brooklyn Heights St. Francis youth club, players recruited from abroad have gone on to success after their Terrier playing days were over.

“St. Francis is doing a great thing bringing [European] athletes over and giving them scholarships,” she said. [Peter Felvegi] was a coach at the AC for a bit on the women’s side. He went to St. Francis, got four years of education, great playing time, got introduced to the New York Athletic Club. Those people helped him get a job in finance and now he’s doing [amazingly well].”

For Tierney Wang the message is clear: “Peter came from nothing and he’s so grateful for water polo.”

PHOTO CAPTION: Kim Tierney Wang with her YMCA of Greenwich Aquatics 12U Girls Water Polo Team in 2012
PHOTO CREDIT: Greenwich Time