Water polo leagues offered

CEDAR RAPIDS - Most people's exposure to water polo is a brief glimpse during the Summer Olympics.Now, people can become more familiar with the sport through new leagues offered at the Stoney Point YMCA.Water Polo leagues are being offered for ages 8 and older and all levels Sunday evenings, beginning Oct. 25. The session will extend until Dec. 6.Stoney Point started running the league at the end of July.“We do have a youth league, a young adult league and an adult (league)," Stoney Point YMCA Aquatics Director C.J.  Hoffman said. “Right now, all the teams are playing together. There is a wide range of ages playing together until we have enough teams to expand the league.”Registration for the fall league ends Oct. 22. Fees are only $30 per team, consisting of six to 10 people. games are 5-on-5 but teams could agree to add another player if each has multiple substitutes.“We are very accommodating,” Hoffman said. “We really want everyone exposed to it, so we can generate as much interest as possible.”Don't worry if you're new to the game. Hoffman, 24, of Cedar Rapids, helps newcomers by teaching the essentials.“Anytime we have someone new join us I cover the basics with them before we start playing the game,” said Hoffman, noting skill varies from new swimmers to former college players. “A lot of it is pretty easy to pick up if they're familiar with soccer at all.”The game is 32 minutes long and split into 8-minute quarters.“People are enjoying the athletic part of it,” Hoffman said. “That it's a continuous workout for the entire game. There's a lot of swimming up and down the pool. ... Everyone's reaping the cardio benefits of it.”Hoffman said there is growing interest in the Midwest with clubs forming in Chicago and Des Moines. Give it a try and you could get hooked.“We had some people who dragged along and were pretty hesitant,” Hoffman said. “Kind of concerned of how well they'd be able to swim in the water, but once they got in they found it was something manageable. It was something that was a very enjoyable experience.”