USA Water Polo Releases Letter to University of Maryland Athletics Director

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California, November 15. LAST week, USA Water Polo sent a letter to the University of Maryland after receiving news that water polo, along with swimming and diving, were on the list of potential sports to be cut to help eliminate a budget crisis.

The letter, cosigned by CEO Christopher Ramsey, Director of Olympic Development Guy Baker, Men's National Team Head Coach Terry Schroeder and Women's National Team Head Coach Adam Krikorian, urges Maryland Athletic Director Wallace Loh to reject the recommendation to cut water polo.

Here is the letter in full:

Dear President Loh:

We write you today in support of the University of Maryland Women's Water Polo program on behalf of USA Water Polo, the national governing body for the sport in America and member of the United States Olympic Committee. We understand that you are reviewing a commission report that recommends discontinuing varsity women's water polo at UM. We urge you to reject that recommendation.

To remove water polo from the program at University of Maryland deprives your current and future athletes of the right to take part in a popular and growing sport that is a special part of the Maryland experience. The University of Maryland has shown leadership as the first school in the Atlantic Coast Conference to field a varsity women's water polo team, and we want to work with you to recruit other schools toward the goal of a conference championship. Your UM scholar-athletes have been recognized for their academic achievements and the sport at large is consistently at the top of the academic performance charts by NCAA metrics. Collegiate water polo players achieve success in the commercial world, and many of them may already support your campus philanthropically. In fact, women's water polo is potential annuity for the UM.

You have an extraordinary aquatic facility that hosted the NCAA women's water polo championship in 2009. This event showcased the athletic department and University nationally.

We believe there will be a remarkable effort by the water polo community across the nation to help preserve varsity women's water polo at the University of Maryland. We believe that this effort will provide more funds and resources to support the water polo program. The expressions of support will also serve as a reminder that you are part of something larger—the Olympic movement.

This summer literally billions of people will be transfixed by the Olympic Games in London. Water polo has already been identified as the toughest ticket to obtain at the games, and this is because the sport's growth and influence are on the rise. Both of our USA Water Polo teams recently won gold medals at the Pan American Games, which qualify them for the Olympic Games in London. Finally, College water polo is a critical part in our sport's eco-system. It provides an inspirational element to the age group players in our club system and a vital proving ground for our National team athletes. In fact, very few of our National Team athletes have not played at the collegiate level.

As the national governing body for water polo in America, we deeply value the University of Maryland water polo program. We respect the achievement of your coaches and athletes, and we stand ready to support your activities with technical assistance. You have a program of worth that connects you to a larger community. We encourage you to do everything in your power to preserve the University of Maryland women's water polo program.

I would like to meet with you personally to discuss this critical issue and will be in touch to arrange a mutually convenient time.

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