water polo briefs

[Byron]

Here's a team I think I can name but four rogue guys interestingly not in uniform speedos:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...80975487_n.jpg

[Swimmboy]

The lack of matching suits is not surprising. Water polo is an official college sport at only a few US colleges and universities - most schools (such as FSU) simply have water polo as a 'club' sport, meaning students themselves organize the team and pay a large portion of team expenses. The college does not provide them with scholarship money, school uniforms (swimsuits, warm-up clothes, etc.), or any other benefits that official varsity sport athletes receive. Many of the polo guys simply wear their old high school suit or other favorite suits they purchased themselves (though club teams frequently pick one design and try to get their members to purchase that suit, which is usually somewhat expensive for college kids on limited budgets). The colleges do help out a little - by setting aside a couple hours per week for club polo to use the campus pool, and sometimes donating small sums (maybe a few hundred dollars per year taken from student recreation fees) to help cover team travel expenses or tournament entry fees. But for the most part, club teams are on their own.

[Byron]

Interesting to read the background to the club water polo experience there - not all it may seem just by seeing the logo on the caps in the pool and makes me feel resentful of an apparent insensibility in the sports faculties of so many academic institutions.

After all, as a spectator sport it must be more impressive than athletics and in comparison, the costs of kitting-out and the ground maintenance for an official football team, must be massive.
(all down to not attracting the dollars for commercial sponsorship I suppose)

[Torchwatch]

The debate is going on in the UK of Govt. sponsorship of national sports squads, those that are unlikely to achieve Olympic medals get nothing, while those with medal promise have money thrown at them. Since individual events score more medals per buck than team events the team events are feeling the pinch, fail to perform and lose even more support.
There is a claim that grass roots support for sport is continuing as usual, but if you have ever coached young people you discover that the amateur clubs are funded by the athletes and their parents. Facilities are built by local authorities, run by private service providers and paid for by the athletes on a weekly basis. You even need to pay the council to organise a run in the park for a few friends.

In my part of Kent we actually got a new running track and had our pool improved, but our sports centre was a training camp for London 2012.

College water polo players not having uniform speedos is no big deal so long as everyone has the same basic colour and the swimmers have access to the pool for training and competition.

[Byron]

Loyola Marymount Water Polo (and faint logo may be Turbo):
http://25.media.tumblr.com/b873d8f70...qhqo1_1280.jpg

[Byron]

From what I learn from speedopix thread now, above logo is likely to be Ducko

[Byron]

This seems to be an Italian brand of suit somehow connected to Chiavari Water Nights which are night-time water polo meets in the sea (but which appear only in Facebook).
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n...09164020_n.jpg

[Byron]

Article: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jul/...bileRedirect=1

[Swimmboy]

Great article about the water polo team - thanks for sharing. Also, I'm pretty sure you are right about the Loyola-Marymount suit being a Ducko brand.

[Byron]

This time, can anyone explain an apparent missing finger of the left hand in this pic?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0LjMsRES61...-01B40200-.jpg