{"id":353449,"date":"2019-02-23T10:00:16","date_gmt":"2019-02-23T17:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=353449"},"modified":"2019-06-04T01:48:26","modified_gmt":"2019-06-04T08:48:26","slug":"south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/","title":{"rendered":"At South Florida International Water Polo Tournament, Emphasis is on International"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: Swimming World is down in Coral Springs, Florida for the annual\u00a0South Florida International Tournament<\/a>. Offered by\u00a0Michael Goldenberg<\/strong>,\u00a0his daughter\u00a0Elina <\/strong>and extensive coaching staff from\u00a0the South Florida Water Polo Club<\/a>, this annual age group tournament\u2014started in 2003 by Istvan Csendes<\/strong>,\u00a0James Shomaker<\/strong> and Bruce Wigo<\/strong>\u2014draws teams from all over the East Coast as well as from the Bahamas, Calgary, Chicago, Peru, Puerto Rico, Rome and other locations.<\/em><\/p>\n

Coral Springs, FL. The atmosphere for water polo at the Coral Springs Aquatics Center on a Sunday afternoon in February is as captivating as anywhere in America, including California, where the sport thrives as part of the culture.<\/p>\n

Three pools teem with action, as polo players from parts distant and near splash about in crystal deep blue water that gleams in the sunlight. \u00a0Parents scurry hither and yon, speaking animatedly to their children, coaches or even the random spectator on the scene to take in the phenomenon of the Florida outdoor polo scene.<\/p>\n

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Michael Goldenberg is the maestro conducting the East Coast’s best age group tournament. Photo Courtesy: Annie Tworoger \/ 3rd & Ocean<\/p><\/div>\n

At the center of the frenetic activity is Michael Goldenberg<\/strong>. Sporting a mottled straw hat to fend off the intense sunshine, the brawny Goldenberg\u2014he looks more linebacker than the referee, coach and high school teacher that he is\u2014accompanied by his equally imposing daughter Elina, stands out among the throng. Both are constantly on the move, herding teams for photographs, dictating where signage should be placed, and, in the father\u2019s case, as a long three days of 100+ matches draws to a close, doing what he does best\u2014directing South Florida Water Polo\u2019s 16U and 19U boys, hopefully to gold medals.<\/p>\n

After all the teams are gone, and while friends and player families are clearing out the gear and tables, Goldenberg takes a deep breath and contemplates what he and his club have wrought.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis tournament is like a trademark already,\u201d he said, finally removing the battered chapeau that has been perched on his head for days. \u201cPeople around the U.S. and people outside the country know about this tournament, they start preparing for it a long time in advance. It\u2019s known for high quality games, high quality officiating\u2014and we\u2019d like to keep it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recognizing that the tournament\u2014now in its 17th year\u2014is a highly desirable destination for so many clubs that don\u2019t get into the California scene, Goldenberg acknowledges that his creation has become a leading indicator of East Coast polo\u2019s health.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s very important, because if we want to grow water polo as a sport, we have to present a good product. Otherwise, you\u2019re not going to get anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n

A competition with broad appeal and a diverse turnout<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Based on this year\u2019s turnout, the South Florida Invitational indicates excellent prospects for age group polo in the Sunshine State and beyond. Forty-eight teams\u2014including seven from the Miami area\u2014came from as far away as Calgary, Lima and Rome to enjoy the perfect weather and a tournament as tightly orchestrated as any conducted by USA Water Polo in its home base on the West Coast.<\/p>\n

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Polo in Paradise; a view from behind the Miami Riptides bench. Photo Courtesy: Annie Tworoger \/ 3rd & Ocean<\/p><\/div>\n

Goldenberg is quick to acknowledge this fact\u2014and to draw a contrast with the verdant SoCal and NorCal polo scenes.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople in Southern California and even Northern California\u2014those areas are over-saturated with competition,\u201d he said. \u201cTo them it\u2019s not much fun because they have it almost every weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo these kids that live on the East Coast, South Florida, other countries\u2014when they come here, they enjoy every single game because games [for them] don\u2019t happen as often. And high-level games happen even less\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which is not to say that all West Coasters are oblivious to what\u2019s happening in the distant East or that California isn\u2019t represented among the Invitational\u2019s competition.<\/p>\n

Year after year, the Olympic Reserve Water Polo Club<\/strong> (ORWP), for example, a primarily Armenian organization, makes the trip from Glendale, California; ORWP\u2019s coach Davo Gharagezyan<\/strong> started coming when he was a 16U player more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve been on and off throughout the years. It\u2019s a great tournament, well-hosted, and the weather\u2019s really beautiful,\u201d Gharagezyan said after his club, consisting mostly of 16U athletes, claimed silver in the 19U boys bracket. Despite the distance and the loss in the finals, he has no regrets.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I would have loved to win this game just as a coach, I\u2019m very proud of what they did. Just to be in second place is a huge deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a global esprit de corps that generally exists among the polo community that seems especially heightened here, with Cubans and others from the Miami region speaking Spanish both inside and outside the pool, while snippets of various Soviet republic languages\u2014Goldenberg emigrated from Russia more than two decades ago\u2014bubble up from spectators and combatants alike.<\/p>\n

For the group of young men from Campus Roma<\/strong> who traveled more than 5,000 miles to play a total of ten matches, the revelation was in both the competition and the environment. But all appeared satisfied with their visit and a fourth-place finish for their 16U boys, coupled with a tenth-place finish in 19U.<\/p>\n

Riccardo DiGiuseppe<\/strong>, Campus Roma\u2019s 15-year-old goalie, was frank about the challenge of another style of play\u2014and what it means for his team\u2019s development.\u00a0 \u201cMy teammates and I learned a lot at this tournament,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were so used to the Italian way; now we know the American way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their team organizer is Alain Guillen<\/strong>, a Cuban native now at home in South Florida. Tall, fit and distinguished looking\u2014Miami suits him perfectly\u2014Guillen was philosophical about the benefits of the American polo experience for his young charges.<\/p>\n

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There’s NO question that polo’s a physical game. Photo Courtesy: Annie Tworoger \/ 3rd & Ocean<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe most important thing that they\u2019re going to bring back to Italy from water polo down here is that the style of play is so different,\u201d he said. \u201cIn Europe and in Italy, it\u2019s so physical\u2014so they can get away with a lot\u2014grabbing and pushing\u2014and the referees don\u2019t call much.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, they don\u2019t allow a lot. I guess it has to do with safety and the philosophy in America. This has been an extreme contrast for them and they feel frustrated.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a sly understatement with reference to possible future Roma journeys, Coach Guillen added, \u201cIt\u2019s something that next time they need to adjust to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Excellence in every area\u2014and an audition opportunity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As Goldenberg noted, the essential attribute of the tournament is quality\u2014meaning not just the facilities and the competition but also referees. In this, the South Florida International is certainly fortunate that its chief organizer just happens to be one of the top referees in America. Goldenberg recruited his buddies from all around the world and\u2014despite what parents, players and coaches might say\u2014they are some of the finest officials anywhere.<\/p>\n

One such man in white\u2014or in this case, the teal blue that signifies this year\u2019s Invitational\u2014is Alex Stankevitch<\/strong>. A FINA-rated official who, by some measures, is considered our country\u2019s top referee, Stankovitch is generous with his time and opinions. It\u2019s all in the service of making polo better, especially on the East Coast, where he lives and where he saw only positives for both international and national teams who took the Presidents\u2019 Day holiday plunge in the South Florida pools.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity for American teams to be involved in this tournament, because there so many different ways of playing the game represented here.\u201d \u00a0Said the veteran referee, \u201cTeams from different countries and different continents do play in a different way. It is good for our kids to experience the game when it\u2019s not played the way it\u2019s often played in California. Our players should have more exposure to these kind of games\u2026.<\/p>\n

An indicator of the lure of this tournament is the dedication of the Calgary Renegades<\/strong>, who also traveled great distances to compete in the Invitational\u2014and have done so for as long as head coach Brooke Coburn<\/strong> can remember.<\/p>\n

\"joy-soflo-feb19\"

Joy is in ample supply in South Florida. Photo Courtesy: Annie Tworoger \/ 3rd & Ocean<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been coming on and off since 2009,\u201d she recounted. \u201cFor a while we were coming every year. In the past, we\u2019ve had some very good competition\u2014and we enjoy the sun. We came out four days earlier to get some good training in and development. That really is what this is for\u2014getting some unity as a team and individual drills and tactics.\u201d<\/p>\n

That, and some important exposure, not only to the American style of play but also to NCAA varsity coaches who might be in the stands to observe and recruit. Coburn, who said she\u2019s been playing polo for 26 years, found her way from Calgary to Bloomington, where she played for years under Barry King<\/strong> at Indiana.<\/p>\n

The Canadian talent pipeline from Calgary has proven to be quite generous to U.S. coaches; Kyra Christmas<\/strong>, star lefty for the Pacific Tigers and the 2018 Golden Coast Conference Player of the Year, is a Renegades graduate who spent many a Presidents\u2019 Day weekend in South Florida.<\/p>\n

Home girls in SoFlo<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Unmistakable in the shimmering sun are Donna Johnson<\/strong> and her younger daughter Chelsea<\/strong>. Now graduated from a four-year stint at Princeton University, where she and her older sister Ashleigh changed the trajectory of Tiger polo, probably forever, Chelsea seems entirely at home among the parents and players from the Miami Riptides, where she, her sister and their three brothers first learned the sport.<\/p>\n

Now a coach under legendary Riptides Head Coach Carroll Vaughan<\/strong>, the younger Johnson is clear what has compelled her to devote a lifetime to what is often an unforgiving athletic pursuit.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the people that you meet that have made this a home for me,\u201d she said. \u201cI just love playing this sport with people that I\u2019ve known for my whole life. So, my connection is both to the sport and my club.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been playing water polo for a really long time. I can\u2019t see myself without it,\u201d she confessed.<\/p>\n

\"soflo-referees-feb19\"

Everything at the Invitational was top-notch, including the officiating. From left to right: Irakli Sanadze,
Val Vasilchikov, Ulrich Grude, Jose Garcia. Standing is Alex Stankevitch. Photo Courtesy: Annie Tworoger \/ 3rd & Ocean<\/p><\/div>\n

Donna, the Johnson family matriarch, is equally at home among the varied polo groups assembled at the Coral Springs Aquatics Center; in fact, for someone who knew nothing about the sport until her children became some of the country\u2019s best practitioners, it makes perfect sense that Donna Johnson is now a water polo lifer\u2014in her own, quiet way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not really evangelical about it; I don\u2019t go out looking for people to play water polo at all, \u201c said Johnson, whose daughter Ashleigh likely is one of the world\u2019s most recognizable polo athletes. \u00a0\u201cBut people have asked me because of Ashleigh, how they can get their children into water polo. I of course refer them to the Riptides.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goldenberg\u2019s deep satisfaction<\/strong><\/h3>\n

And as the Miami sun begins to set on what has been a successful and satisfying event on every level, South Florida Water Polo\u2019s primary evangelist takes a moment to savor the warm glow of a job well done.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a holiday for everyone\u2014especially when the weather cooperates,\u201d said Michael Goldenberg. \u201cIt makes everything just great!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: Swimming World is down in Coral Springs, Florida for the annual\u00a0South Florida International Tournament. Offered by\u00a0Michael Goldenberg,\u00a0his daughter\u00a0Elina and extensive coaching staff from\u00a0the South Florida Water Polo Club,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4875,"featured_media":353905,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[74399,39795,51705,74400,1247,74398,74401,74396,67295,74404,74406,74395,74222,65801,74443,74444,62670,74397,74221,74405,63372,74402,74223],"class_list":["post-353449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-water-polo","tag-alex-stankovitch","tag-ashleigh-johnson","tag-barry-king","tag-brooke-coburn","tag-bruce-wigo","tag-calgary-renegades","tag-campus-roma","tag-carroll-vaughan","tag-chelsea-johnson","tag-coral-springs-aquatics-center","tag-davo-gharagezyan","tag-donna-johnson","tag-elina-goldenberg","tag-indiana-water-polo","tag-istvan-csendes","tag-james-shomaker","tag-kyra-christmas","tag-miami-riptides","tag-michael-goldenberg","tag-olympic-reserve-water-polo-club","tag-pacific-water-polo","tag-riccardo-digiuseppe","tag-south-florida-water-polo-club"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nAt South Florida International Water Polo Tournament, Emphasis is on International - Swimming World<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The atmosphere for water polo at the South Florida International Tournament in Coral Springs Aquatics Center is as captivating as anywhere in America.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"At South Florida International Water Polo Tournament, Emphasis is on International\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The atmosphere for water polo at the South Florida International Tournament in Coral Springs Aquatics Center is as captivating as anywhere in America.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Swimming World\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SwimmingWorld\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-02-23T17:00:16+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-06-04T08:48:26+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/stretch-sfwp-feb19-1024x520.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"520\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Randazzo\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@swimmingworld\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@swimmingworld\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Michael Randazzo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Randazzo\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/fb1d58ba008040c3ad837f46defed7bb\"},\"headline\":\"At South Florida International Water Polo Tournament, Emphasis is on International\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-23T17:00:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-06-04T08:48:26+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/\"},\"wordCount\":2018,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/vmrw8k5h.tinifycdn.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/stretch-sfwp-feb19.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Alex Stankovitch\",\"Ashleigh Johnson\",\"Barry King\",\"Brooke Coburn\",\"Bruce Wigo\",\"Calgary Renegades\",\"Campus Roma\",\"Carroll Vaughan\",\"Chelsea Johnson\",\"Coral Springs Aquatics Center\",\"Davo Gharagezyan\",\"Donna Johnson\",\"Elina Goldenberg\",\"Indiana Water Polo\",\"Istvan Csendes\",\"James Shomaker\",\"Kyra Christmas\",\"Miami Riptides\",\"Michael Goldenberg\",\"Olympic Reserve Water Polo Club\",\"Pacific Water Polo\",\"Riccardo DiGiuseppe\",\"South Florida Water Polo Club\"],\"articleSection\":[\"-Home Slider\",\"Water Polo\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/south-florida-international-water-polo-tournament-emphasis-international\/\",\"name\":\"At South Florida International Water Polo Tournament, Emphasis is on International - 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