Hundreds converge on Jefferson County Lake for annual water polo tourney

RIGBY — Water polo is increasing successful fame successful eastbound Idaho, according to those progressive successful nan athletics successful this area. But location are definite limitations presently stunting that maturation — astir notably, a deficiency of entree to excavation time.

With nan Rigby Water Polo Club looking for ways to bring money and visibility to nan area, Brett Maxfield recommended hosting an yearly unfastened h2o invitational astatine Rigby Lake. This year, nan 4th yearly Rigby Lake Water Polo Invitational hosted 12 teams — up from “a few” successful its inception.

One of nan teams came each nan measurement from Treasure Valley to campy successful Rigby past play and compete. Shane Anderson, a personnel of that team, told 1 of nan arena coordinators, Jenna Hancock, what nan arena intends to him.

“I’ve been successful h2o polo for a agelong time, and this is nan coolest point I’ve ever done,” Anderson told Hancock.

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Maxfield is nan East Idaho Water Polo Club president and chairman. Along pinch his founding nan first event, his company, Maxfield Healthcare Solutions, has sponsored nan tourney each of nan past 4 years.

“Being that it’s a caller athletics here, it’s been a awesome measurement to expose (the players) to group that person a batch of experience,” Maxfield told EastIdahoNews.com.

While nan Rigby squad is made up of students from Rigby High School and adjacent inferior precocious schools, immoderate of nan different teams who be bring players who person completed astatine nan highest level.

“As these different teams person travel from different areas and seen that our programme is young and successful its infancy, and growing, they’ve been really awesome to return our kids nether their wing,” Maxfield added.

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The visibility astatine that level has helped amended nan players involved. But nan extremity for nan nine is to proceed nan maturation of nan athletics crossed nan area.

Hancock said she would for illustration h2o polo to spot maturation akin to what’s happened complete nan past decade.

“We really do want it to beryllium a bigger sport,” she said. “The difficult portion is excavation time. There are nary pools that will accommodate astatine this point.”

Maxfield agreed.

“One of nan biggest impediments successful southeast Idaho is we conscionable don’t person nan excavation clip available,” he said.

Seeing much sports turn successful eastbound Idaho, Hancock explained, will springiness section youths much options for productive outlets and summation nan likelihood of them uncovering “their thing.”

When kids find “their thing,” she said, “they really commencement to blossom, and travel retired of their shell.”

Learn much astir nan Rigby Water Polo Club and Rigby Lake Water Polo Invitational by visiting nan Facebook page.