Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics Welcomes World’s Best Water Polo Teams to New York City
It’s not every day you get to witness the best in the world compete in your home pool. But this month, AGUA is welcoming two of the best professional and collegiate water polo teams on the planet, along with their fans, to compete in our Upper East Side Olympic pool.
Pro Recco of Italy and FTC Telekom Water Polo of Hungary are two of the most accomplished water polo clubs in Europe. Pro Recco is the sport’s most decorated club, with a record number of European titles, including three in the past five years, plus countless Italian national championships. FTC Telekom has emerged as a dominant force in recent years, capturing Hungarian league and cup titles while securing European trophies that underscore their status as a true powerhouse. Both clubs continue to produce athletes that shine on the international stage. Now, they’re set to square off in an exhibition match at Asphalt Green on September 5.
In addition to Pro Recco and FTC Telekom, UCLA and Princeton University will also play a match and showcase some of the greatest domestic Water Polo talent on September 4. UCLA is the defending national champion and holds the preseason #1 ranking, while Princeton is also in the top 10. This preseason collegiate showdown will also be a homecoming for AGUA athletes who’ve gone on to compete at Princeton at carry on AGUA’s history of producing collegiate athletes.
At AGUA, swimmers, coaches, and water polo athletes can’t wait to watch. This is not only a chance to have fun alongside teammates, but also to learn from seeing the best compete against one another. Ahead of the big games, we spoke with AGUA Coach Andrew Ross to get a preview and inside perspective of what to look out for.
Why do you think Pro Recco and FTC Telekom chose us to host their exhibition match in the states?
Asphalt Green is home to the only Olympic sized swimming pool in Manhattan, and New York City is one of the most famous cities in the entire world, so it’s no wonder they wanted to come here! Any time you advertise “World’s best competing in New York City,” people will come, and this will be a great opportunity for the teams to showcase their talents to an international audience.
What do you think athletes can learn from the matches, and what are some things we should look out for?
Being able to watch the world’s best is always a privilege we don’t take for granted in this city. We have the defending champion New York Liberty playing in Brooklyn, and the world’s best tennis players at the US Open in Queens. And, depending on your allegiance, we have two of the best hitters in baseball in different boroughs. Now we get to watch two of the best water polo clubs in the world in our home pool. It’s going to be an amazing opportunity for us.
We are excited to see first-hand how the athletes conduct themselves before, during, and after the matches, as well as their play calling and how they communicate with each other. What does their warm-up routine look like? What sort of things are they doing during the match that stands out? What are they doing during timeouts and after the match? It’s always a privilege to see the world’s best and we hope our athletes can absorb as much as they can from watching them.
Two AGUA WATER POLO Coaches, Samu Csordas and Miklos Gor-Nagy both played for FTC. What is it like to have some of the world’s best at Asphalt Green, and what are the values our coaches aim to instill in Water Polo athletes?
Being able to have coaches with such rich knowledge is always a point of pride we hold at Asphalt Green. We are fortunate to be a part of an organization that holds itself to such a high standard – Miklos paved the way for our club to get to where it is today, and Samu has done a tremendous job in bringing his expertise to the players. These guys know firsthand what it takes to be the best, and have instilled that in our program, and the players have responded greatly.
From a coaching perspective, what do you take from professional teams like Pro Recco and FTC that you can use in our Water Polo training?
As coaches, you are always learning. Even when you think you’ve seen it all, there’s more to be discovered. That’s one of the great parts about being a coach, and it’s going to be fun to be able to watch not only the players compete, but the coaches as well. These teams know each other well, and they’re excited to come to New York, and we know they’re going to put on a show. That’s so cool for us. Being able to see two teams from a different continent is going to expose us to a different type of play and we are excited to see what that looks like.
In addition to the professional teams, two of the top college teams in the country are playing. AGUA Water Polo has had plenty of college commitments in recent years at top programs including Princeton. What do you attribute that success to?
Asphalt Green has a tremendous history and standard of excellence. When you have teammates that have competed and studied at a high level, it raises the level of everyone else. Seeing your teammates succeed in school and in sports can inspire others to reach that goal as well.
Using sports as a vehicle for growth, both physically and mentally, is a point of emphasis we hold for our athletes at Asphalt Green across all sports. New York City has such a competitive academic culture, and then these kids come to the playing field and work just as hard. It’s this balance that helps them get into these prestigious schools and succeed later on in their life.
Compete With the Best at AGUA Water Polo
AGUA Water Polo offers memberships for youth and adult athletes that allow talented athletes to play, learn, and potentially compete for New York City’s best water polo program.
If you’re feeling inspired after watching the upcoming matches and want to dive in and play water polo yourself, find out how you can join coed instructional classes or competitive teams at AGUA Water Polo below!
