Nike Water Polo Camp at UC Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, California
The Nike Water Polo Camp at the University of California, Santa Cruz is designed to help youth and high school water polo players improve their overall game so they can compete at the next level.
UC Santa Cruz is an easy drive from the Bay Area and beyond. The campus, defined by rolling meadows and towering redwoods, is a perfect environment for the Nike Water Polo Camp and has always been a camper favorite! UC Santa Cruz offers an Olympic-sized pool with an ocean view, comfortable dormitories, and an excellent dining hall.
Upon arrival at camp, campers are placed in groups with other players having similar abilities and goals. Our camp staff will do their best to accommodate your needs, keeping in consideration your experience and desire to improve.
Highlights Include
- Open to all ability levels
- Low camper to staff ratio and 24 hour supervision
- Two daily water sessions; one daily dry-land session
- Fun evening activities
- Every camper receives a Nike Camp T-shirt
Co-Director
Randy Whitchurch
Camp Director Randy Whitchurch returns as lead instructor of the 2012 Nike Water Polo Camp. A longtime Nike Camp director, Randy was the head water polo coach at UC Santa Cruz from 2000-2007. Prior to that, Whitchurch was the Head Coach at Foothill College, Sacred Heart High School, and Castilleja High School, where he led his team to the first of three CIF CCS section championship games. Whitchurch is a graduate of Stanford, where he played water polo and was an All-American swimmer.
Co-Director
Kim Musch
Kim Musch, UCSC’s Aquatic Director and Head Swim Coach. Coach Musch has been involved with coaching for over 25 years and brings a wealth of water polo knowledge to this camp.
Coach
Genai Kerr
Genai Kerr is a member of the United States Men's National Water Polo Team and played in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Surprisingly, Genai got involved in water polo by accident, following the whistles to what he thought was a basketball game and ended up at the pool. He excelled at both water polo and basketball at Coronado High School and received a water polo scholarship to UC Irvine to play under Coach Ted Newland. Genai went on to become a NCAA All-American in 1998 and 1999 and was awarded Big West Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the Year his senior year.
USA National Team
- 2010 Volvo Cup, Hungary, 3rd place
- 2009 FINA World Championships, Rome, Italy, 4th place
- 2009 FINA World League Super Final, Podgorica, Montenegro, 4th place
- 2007 FINA World League Super Finals, Berlin, Germany 5th place
- 2007 Pan American Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1st place
- 2007 FINA World Championships, Melbourne, Australia, 9th place
- 2006 ASUA Cup, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1st place
- 2006 FINA World League Super Finals, Athens, Greece, 5th place
- 2004 Olympic Games, Athens, Greece, 7th place
- 2003 FINA World League Super Finals, New York, NY, 3rd place
- 2003 Pan American Games, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1st place
- 2003 FINA World Championships, Barcelona, Spain, 6th place
- 2003 U.S. Cup, Stanford, CA, United States, 2nd place
- 2002 FINA World Cup, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 7th place
- 2001 FINA World Championships, Fukuoka, Japan, 7th place
- 2001 World Championships Qualifier, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 1st place
- 1998 First Appearance on the Men’s National Team, Long Beach, CA
- 1995 Jr. North American Games, Calgary, Canada, 2nd place
Genai has been a US Ambassador for the USADA (U.S. Antidoping Agency) since 2003 promoting clean sports for young athletes. He was founding faculty for Sage Hill School where he was the Dean of Students, taught art and physical education. He also started all of the aquatic programs. He's started several community outreach programs to help help mentor children in lower income school districts.
Camp Details
Campers stay 2 per room in Cowell College Circle and are assigned by age and roommate requests. If you don't have a roommate request, you will be placed in a room with someone near your age. It will be a great opportunity to meet someone new!
Supervision
Campers are supervised 24 hours a day. The staff live in the dormitories with the campers and participate in evening activities. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are strictly prohibited, and constitute, along with general misconduct, grounds for dismissal from camp without a refund.
Discounts Available
Jackson H.
Loved camp!
In this camp, great food, experienced instructors, and tons of great water polo are all there is to find. You learn many new tricks, and you perfect your techniques, whether you are an advanced player, or just learning to throw the ball. I definitely recommend this camp to Water Polo players of all levels.
Fun, positive experience.
My daughter was apprehensive about going to camp because she had a "not so good" experience earlier in the summer. WOW, she was so impressed with the coaches, their kindness and instruction, and besides that, it was a whole ton of fun!!!! She can't wait to go back next year.
Thanks!
Nike's Water Polo Camp was the highlight of my daughter's summer! Because she was only 12, we were a little nervous sending her to the overnight camp but the staff and counclers were so great, our apprehensions were gone the first day! She improved so much that her home coaches noticed a difference right away. I'd recommend this camp and we'll be back next year!
Fantastic!
The camp was fantastic. Intense, but lots of fun. Counselors were very enthusiastic and the quality of the polo played was outstanding.
UC Santa Cruz Overnight Camper
Improve your technique!
Nike Water Polo Camp works on techniques rather than just working out.