This month we hear from Kaitlin Howarth, a Senior Women's Player who has just completed her studies overseas in the USA. Hear about Kaitlin's experience below:

I have just finished up playing 5 years of NCAA College Waterpolo at California State University, Fresno. During my time there I completed a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology - Exercise Science, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Technology. My experience at Fresno State had many ups and downs, like anything, but overall was a very positive experience for me. I learned so much about our sport, and myself, and had many opportunities and experiences I wouldn’t have had if I had stayed in New Zealand.

Having the opportunity to play Waterpolo while also studying is a very special thing and something that I absolutely loved. I met so many amazing people along the way which helped make my experience so much better, and made friends that I will keep for a lifetime.

During season we trained about 20 hours per week. We had a mixture of film sessions, gym sessions, and pool sessions, as well as some culture and team building type sessions. We would typically train in blocks of about 3 hours with some adjustment based off travel and how our bodies were feeling that week. This season we had a lot to live up to as a team, and we managed to conquer many challenges. We won our conference, the Golden Coast Conference, for the fourth time in a row, and made it to the NCAA Tournament, going down to Cal Berkeley in the quarter finals. Personally, I grew a lot as a player and a person, and I am excited to continue growing and improving going forward.

Now that I am home, I am training and playing with the North Harbour Hammerheads and getting back into New Zealand training. I am also coaching U18s while I am back and helping out where possible. I am looking to go play overseas this upcoming season, and am excited to see what’s next.

Article added: Thursday 30 May 2024