{"id":461050,"date":"2021-02-02T04:00:48","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T11:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=461050"},"modified":"2021-02-01T14:18:34","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T21:18:34","slug":"swimming-world-presents-the-pride-of-gateway-city-st-louis-lions-to-be-citys-first-all-girls-polo-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/swimming-world-presents-the-pride-of-gateway-city-st-louis-lions-to-be-citys-first-all-girls-polo-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming World Presents – The Pride of Gateway City: St. Louis Lions To Be City’s First All Girls Polo Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

The latest issue of Swimming World Magazine<\/em><\/span>
\nis now available for download in the<\/span> Swimming World Vault<\/span><\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

Non-Subscribers Can Download This Issue Here<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

THE PRIDE OF GIRLS\u2019 POLO
\nIN THE GATEWAY CITY<\/span><\/h1>\n
By Michael Randazzo
\nPhotos by St. Louis Lions Water Polo<\/span><\/p>\n
When COVID-19 lockdowns last spring stopped polo, Rob Peglar and Abby VerMeer didn\u2019t hesitate: they focused on getting girls water polo untracked in the Gateway City. The result: the St. Louis Lions, the city\u2019s first all-girls team.<\/strong><\/p>\n
The launch last year of St. Louis\u2019 first-ever all-girls water polo club was a development to cherish during a pandemic.<\/p>\n
Prior to the pivotal year 2020, would-be girl water polo players either competed on coed squads or struggled to stay out of the shadow cast by boys-only polo.<\/p>\n
Then came the St. Louis Lions, the culmination of decades-long advocacy for girls to have a team of their own. Before the COVID-related lockdowns last March that paralyzed communities across the U.S., a handful of St. Louis high schools had agreed for the first time on a girls-only league, one that would officially crown a Missouri girls\u2019 state champion.<\/p>\n
The coronavirus changed all that.<\/p>\n
According to Rob Peglar, a long-time St. Louis coach, the shutdown of 2020 was \u201cdepressing.\u201d With no polo for an extended period, Peglar and his fellow coaches brainstormed about how to continue their girls-only dream.<\/p>\n
Their solution: the Lions, a club by and for girls.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsidering all of this happened during the pandemic, it\u2019s all the more amazing,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if the Lions would have formed without that catalyst.\u201d<\/p>\n
WHAT TOOK THEM SO LONG?<\/span>
\nThe 1904 World\u2019s Fair, an unusual combination of exposition and Olympic Games, drew attendees and athletes from all over the world to St. Louis\u2014except for polo. Top European water polo teams declined to attend, allowing the American men to capture gold, their only top finish in Olympic polo competition.<\/p>\n
St. Louis clubs were regular contenders at the AAU Indoor Championships, and the 1960s saw the emergence of the Clayton and Daisy clubs\u2014among the country\u2019s oldest. Then growth stagnated. According to Miguel Figueras, a Clayton age group coach and regional coach with USA Water Polo, despite being sanctioned by the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA), growth of polo in the \u201cShow Me\u201d state has barely nudged. In 1990, the city had 16 high school teams; 30 years later, only five more have been added.<\/p>\n
Peglar, who began his polo career in 1973 at what is now called Ladue Horton Watkins High School, recently retired from a decades-long career as a coach and referee. What bedeviled him and others: how to convert girls\u2019 swimming in St. Louis high schools into a viable all-girls polo program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe (main) impediment to all-girls water polo was that no one believed it could thrive, so no significant attempts were made to start a club or form a high school league,\u201d he explained. \u201cFew realized…(that) there was a mostly unspoken feeling high school girls didn\u2019t want to play with the boys; they wanted to play against each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Figueras pointed to structural obstacles. Carefully brokered arrangements with the MSHSAA allowed adventurous girls to compete on boys\u2019 teams. But there was a restriction that prevents those playing with the boys from also participating on all-girls squads.<\/p>\n
Pool time made scarce due to existing aquatics programs also seemed insurmountable\u2014that is, until last year, when sheer persistence resulted in six high schools (Ladue, Lafayette, Lindbergh, Marquette, Oakville and Parkway North) agreeing to conference play and a state championship tournament for the top four finishers.<\/p>\n
Once COVID shut down their dreams, Peglar, Michael Clay (head boys\u2019 polo coach at Ladue) and two of Clay\u2019s assistants\u2014Jacob Jagodzinski and Abby VerMeer\u2014realized there was only one thing to do: pick up the pieces and
\nstart over.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
To read more about the formation of the St. Louis Lions,
\n<\/a>Click here to download the full February 2021 issue of Swimming World now<\/a>!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
$\"SW$ <\/a>[PHOTO BY DELLY CARR, SWIMMING AUSTRALIA]<\/p>\n
<\/h3>\n
Get Swimming World Magazine<\/em> and Swimming World Biweekly<\/em> FREE When You<\/span>
\nBecome A Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n
New! 30 Day Membership to ISHOF AND<\/em> Digital Swimming World Subscription for just $10 a month!<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\nWant more? Get a 1 Year ISHOF Family Membership With Swimming World Print AND<\/em> Digital Subscription<\/span> Order Now!<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/h3>\nNon-Subscribers can click here to download this issue for only $5.94<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/h2>\n
<\/h2>\n
Swimming World Magazine February 2021 Issue<\/span><\/h2>\n
FEATURES<\/p>\n
012<\/span> THE PRIDE OF GIRLS\u2019 POLO IN THE GATEWAY CITY<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Michael Randazzo<\/strong>
\nWhen COVID-19 lockdowns last spring stopped polo, Rob Peglar and Abby VerMeer didn\u2019t hesitate: they focused on getting girls water polo untracked in the Gateway City. The result: the St. Louis Lions, the city\u2019s first all-girls team.<\/p>\n
014<\/span> ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Dan D\u2019Addona<\/strong>
\nThe popular motto of The Musketeers, built on supporting each other as well as the group, is just one of many reasons why the University of Texas remains among the strongest in men\u2019s college swimming and diving.<\/p>\n
020<\/span> READY FOR A BREAKTHROUGH<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Andy Ross<\/strong>
\nMelanie Margalis is an Olympic relay gold medalist and a three-time relay champion at Worlds, but a podium finish in an individual event has eluded her on the world\u2019s biggest stage. After ranking No. 1 in the 400 IM and No. 3 in the shorter medley for 2020, her turn to win a medal for the United States could take place this year in Tokyo.<\/p>\n
022<\/span> PERSEVERANCE AND HARD\u00a0 WORK PAY OFF<\/strong><\/span>
\nby David Rieder<\/strong>
\nAfter not qualifying for Australia\u2019s Olympic team in 2012, Emma McKeon was ready to quit…but over the next several months, she had a change of heart and understood what was necessary to compete at a higher level. Since then, she has become a significant international force, a consistent podium presence and one of the world\u2019s most impactful relay swimmers.<\/p>\n
026<\/span> TAKEOFF TO TOKYO:\u00a0TARNISHED GOLD<\/strong><\/span>
\nby John Lohn<\/strong>
\nEast Germany\u2019s Kristin Otto will long be remembered as a highly decorated athlete, and for turning in one of the greatest Olympic outings in history, winning six gold medals at the 1988 Games. But because of the links to her and performance-enhancing drugs, what she accomplished\u2014before and in Seoul\u2014will always be tainted.<\/p>\n
029<\/span> WHO \u201cSHOT\u201d THE\u00a0SWIMMERS? (Part 2)<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Bruce Wigo<\/strong>
\nShortly after the 1936 Olympics in a lab in Boston, Harold \u201cDoc\u201d Edgerton, an electrical engineering professor at MIT, began tinkering with equipment that would change the way science explains natural phenomena\u2014and with it, the art of aquatic sports photography\u2014forever.<\/p>\n
032<\/span> NUTRITION: TO BE THE BEST, YOU NEED TO EAT THE BEST!<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Dawn Weatherwax<\/strong>
\nEach year really does build onto another\u2014nutrition is an imperative part of the process, even at an early age.<\/p>\n
COACHING<\/p>\n
016<\/span> SELLING PROCESS TO\u00a0SWIMMERS (Part 2)<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Michael J. Stott<\/strong>
\nIn 1993, psychologist Anders Ericsson wrote that greatness wasn\u2019t born, but grown. Fifteen years later, author Malcolm Gladwell suggested that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in a skill or field. Known by the term, \u201cprocess,\u201d swim coaches use that learning curve to improve the performance of their swimmers.<\/p>\n
036<\/span> SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: FREESTYLE TECHNIQUE FOR SPRINT AND DISTANCE (Part 2)<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Rod Havriluk<\/strong>
\nOptimal freestyle technique for sprint and distance is identical with respect to the arm motion throughout the stroke cycle, but the arm coordination is different. While a swimmer can swim a wide range of velocities with opposition coordination, a swimmer will only achieve his\/her fastest velocity with superposition coordination.<\/p>\n
040<\/span> SPECIAL SETS: TRAINING THE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE\u2014THEN AND NOW<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Michael J. Stott<\/strong>
\nIn his lengthy career, Gregg Troy has mentored athletes of all ages and abilities, which has given him a unique perspective of how to prepare post-college grads for excellence at the international level.<\/p>\n
042<\/span> Q&A WITH COACH JOE PLANE<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Michael J. Stott<\/strong><\/p>\n
044<\/span> HOW THEY TRAIN ANDREW IVERSON<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Michael J. Stott<\/strong><\/p>\n
TRAINING<\/p>\n
035<\/span> DRYSIDE TRAINING: TIME TO GET STRONG…AGAIN!<\/strong><\/span>
\nby J.R. Rosania<\/strong><\/p>\n
JUNIOR SWIMMER<\/p>\n
038<\/span> GOLDMINDS: JUST GO WITH THE FLOW<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Wayne Goldsmith<\/strong>
\nHow can you control\u2014and even master\u2014your emotions? The answer is by learning to become a more resilient swimmer. Here\u2019s how…<\/p>\n
046<\/span> UP & COMERS: RICHARD POPLAWSKI<\/strong><\/span>
\nby Shoshanna Rutemiller<\/strong><\/p>\n
COLUMNS<\/p>\n
010<\/span> A VOICE FOR THE SPORT<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
011<\/span> DID YOU KNOW:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
ABOUT FREDERICK LANE?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
047<\/span>\u00a0 GUTTERTALK<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
049<\/span> PARTING SHOT<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Swimming World is now partnered with the International Swimming Hall of Fame. To find out more, visit us at ishof.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The latest issue of Swimming World Magazine is now available for download in the Swimming World Vault! Non-Subscribers Can Download This Issue Here THE PRIDE OF GIRLS\u2019 POLO IN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5977,"featured_media":461054,"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":[3,16],"tags":[127183,127181,127185,127184,127182,127180,126926,54417],"class_list":["post-461050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-swimming-world-magazine","tag-abby-vermeer","tag-gateway-city","tag-jacob-jagodzinski","tag-miguel-figueras","tag-rob-peglar","tag-st-louis-lions","tag-swimming-world-february-2021","tag-swimming-world-magazine"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nSwimming World Presents - 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