A new university women’s water polo league in Quebec is looking to expand the sport in Canada.
Players from four different universities in Montreal gathered to form the Montreal University League: McGill, Concordia, Université de Montréal and UQAM.
The aim is to address the problem of players who stop participating when they enter university.
“We want athletes past 18-years-old in university to keep playing water polo,” said David Paradelo, the Canadian women’s national team head coach.
“To build a big basin of athletes to keep playing the sport.”
With limited options in Canada, most athletes are forced to head south of the border to the NCAA if they want to continue playing water polo.
“The league is pretty much everything I have right now to keep playing water polo,” said Zoé Guèvremont, a UQAM student.
The league also works well around the athletes’ school schedules.
Practices take place twice a week and games are mostly on the weekends.
“I think it’s been a good balance for me,” said Kelsey Millward, a McGill student.
“It’s been working out quite well,” added Shae Fournier, a Concordia student.
The women admit competitiveness isn’t hard to find – and that forces them to better their game.
“This league makes me improve the skills because the level is just so high,” Guèvremont said.
“You have to keep improving and getting better.”
The league is hoping to expand to compete with already established Ontario university-level teams to give the players more experience.
“From Quebec to Ontario, having a nice channel of teams that are within driving distance,” explained Paradelo.
“On a very long term goal, it’s having the same level, competing against the NCAA system for water polo.”
The league isn’t recognized by the universities as a varsity sport yet, but it is being funded by Water Polo Canada and Water Polo Quebec.
The championship games are this weekend.