January 30, 2008

Titans Cadet Invitational Tournament February 1-3, 2008
Submitted by Paul Hébert and Bev Davis

A few minor officials are still needed for the Cadet Invitational Tournament at the Nepean Sportsplex this weekend. THANK YOU very much to the many parents who have already volunteered to help in various capacities. To volunteer, check the latest version of the volunteer schedule available at the club website by clicking on: Volunteer Schedule, then contact Paul Hébert at hebert.jjp@forces.gc.ca

People are always needed for small jobs during the day, such as posting the scores on the schedules posted around the pool doors, or helping to stock the hospitality suite, so if you can lend a hand for a short time please speak to Bev Davis (she will be around the pool area and wearing a name tag). Thanks to everyone for helping out!

Titans Cadet Invitational Message

Submitted by Paul Massel, Competitive Program Director

The Titan's Cadet Cup 2008 is the Titan's annual tournament for the U16 or Cadet age group. It will be held the weekend of 1-3 Feb at the Nepean Sportsplex and we welcome the 16 teams from Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan who will be in attendance and are looking forward to an active and competitive weekend of water polo. The objective of this tournament is to emphasize skill development, team play, tactics, and play time in a competitive environment in preparation for major provincial and national club competitions later in the year.

This year's competition will involve four divisions, an AA and AAA division each for the boys and girls. This is reflective of the changes in the direction the sport is taking for this age group as agreed to with the Ontario Water Polo Association, namely to begin to introduce a tiered structure to better place teams in the age and skill appropriate competitive environment. This year's format will be based upon round robin play within each of the four divisions and will ensure that each of the 16 teams plays four challenging and competitive games of water polo over the course of the weekend.

The tournament organizers were pressed to accommodate the number of teams that made application to play in this tournament and, as a consequence, have had to make some concessions to the overall tournament format. In the case of the Girls AAA division three teams are entered and they will play a double round robin amongst themselves with no championship round. The Girls AA and Boys AAA divisions each have four teams entered and will start with a round robin followed by a 1^st plays 2^nd and 3^rd plays 4^th championship games. The Boys AA division has five teams entered and due to pool time limitations will only play a single round robin with no championship round. The other accommodation that is being made to the limited pool time and the number of teams that are registered is that all games will consist of quarters of 8 minutes running time with shot clocks.

With the 16 teams now finalised and the schedule set Bev Davis and her eager crew of volunteers are looking forward to additional help from other volunteers in a number of areas involved in the overall running of the tournament. This promises to be a very successful tournament for all involved whether as a player, coach, referee, volunteer or fan. Go Titans!

Paul Massel David Hart

Titan's Competitive Director Titans Head Coach

Titans Athletes Selected for Provincial Quest For Gold Carding

Congratulations to Titans athletes John Conway, Calum Norton Kendrick, Rebekka Steenkamer, Evie Marshall, Rachel Stein, Lyle Brooks, Logan Seaman and Stéphanie Lessard for being succesful in receiving Quest for Gold funding. 'Carding' (financial assistance) is available to a select number of athletes based on demonstrated commitment to high performance sport, and will assist in allowing them to pursue athletic excellence at the highest levels of national and international competition. The Quest For Gold program is funded by the Provincial Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Health Promotion. These eight Titans athletes were part of a group of 18 from across the province to receive funding in water polo.

2008 Junior National Men's Team- Summer Pan-American Games

Submitted by Linda Conway

Water-Polo Canada recently announced the top 18 athletes invited to the next round of training as preparation for the 2008 Junior Pan-American Games. John Conway, from the Titans Club, was selected amongst the top 18 men after a Montreal training camp held during the Christmas period which regrouped the top 26 athletes of this age category. The selected top 18 players are expected to centralize after the end of the school year until the team's departure this summer for the Pan-American games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Kasia Hart Recipient of OUA Women of Influence Award

Kasia Hart is pictured accepting the OUA Women of Influence Award from this year's guest speaker Canadian LPGA golfer and recipient of the Order of Canada, Lorie Kane on the OWPA home page www.ontariowaterpolo.ca. The Women of Influence event honours female student-athletes who have excelled in their chosen sports and fields of study. Kasia along with her 18 colleagues were honoured at a Luncheon, in Toronto, on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008. The full details about her OUA Women of Influence Award can be found here:http://www.ontariowaterpolo.ca/ShowNews193.aspx

Rick Mercer Goes to Practice With the Canadian Women's Water Polo Team
On a lighter note, for those of you who missed Mercer Report last week, check this out! Rick Mercer joins both the Canadian Women's Water Polo and Synchro teams at practice. http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/backissues.php (season 5, episode 12, the synchronized swimming clip).