OTTERS SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE IN WAKE OF SPORTING CUTBACKS

Pride, passion and hard work are just three of the qualities that are required to reach the Olympic Games, the pinnacle of an athlete’s career.

All three it would seem were in abundance in the case of Josh Smith, formerly of Huddersfield Otters water polo club.

Smith was a young Olympic hopeful who had been called up to the Great Britain side, after a string of impressive displays for the West Yorkshire outfit.

The dream, however, turned sour in early 2009. Paul Bentley, coach at the Otters explains: “Josh was training with the GB team in Manchester, although he was only third choice. However, the funding for it went and that was a big blow”.

A cut in funding to the sport, in preparation for 2012, meant that Smith became disillusioned with the sport, and headed for pastures new, which is an extremely sad state of affairs when you consider the amount of talent that seems to be slipping through the grasps of British sport, not only in water polo.

In an ailing sport, Bentley and other volunteers are seemingly swimming against the tide, with regards to the resources at their disposal. “We have to train in shallow pools (here at the Sports Centre) which isn’t ideal as water polo should be played in deep pools really.

Despite working on a shoestring budget with limited resources, it is a testament to Bentley and his team, that players like Smith can even think of entering the “Greatest show on earth”. It would certainly seem that they punch above their weight and only last year, the Otters claimed the under-16 Yorkshire championship, which just foes to show the potential that exists within the club.

Despite that success, the veteran coach confesses that the club does face a struggle to attract new blood: “we do find it hard to attract new members, as it is hard to teach good swimmers to be good at water polo, and vice versa.”

“We are always looking to improve, but as lads get older they’ve got families and friends and it becomes harder to remain dedicated.

However, instead of trying to find ways to combat that, it seems the club cannot compete with its more popular counterpart – swimming. Bentley states: “the difference in sports is massive: Swimming (in Kirklees) gets 20 hours a week, whilst we get only 2½ hours.”

That revealing figure highlights the struggles that water polo faces in the coming years.

However, money is not necessarily the answer, although it does help.

It is dedication shown by clubs like the Otters that is keeping the sport afloat.