The advent of interval training that permeated the aquatics culture in Northern California in the late 60s and through the 70s led to the success of George Haines at Santa Clara Swim Club which he founded and expanded into a world class swim program, utilizing a reservoir for their first practices prior to the construction of the legendary Santa Clara International Swim Center (sadly, now defunct, with no timeline of re-opening.) Santa Clara’s swim program was so successful in the late 60s and early 70s, that it would rank in the top 10 for medal counts for NATIONs in the Olympic games. Disciples of this interval training style spread throughout Northern California in the 70s and 80s and when explosive swim speed was combined with the tactics and ball movement of basketball and football teams (sports many of the coaches had backgrounds in), combined with a game with fewer whistles (therefore, less grappling on the perimeter/more swimming focused game) the results were pretty impressive.
Legends Art Lambert at De Anza (1968-1973), Dante Dettamanti at Stanford (1977-2001), Lee Walton at SJSU (1961-1972) and Pete Cutino at Concord Water Polo/Cal-Berkeley employed similar training methodologies and were some of the key figures responsible for a golden age of Northern California water polo. The games rules during this time allowed for far less holding and grappling on the perimeter, which made movement the centerpiece of every offense. Since Northern California at the time was producing several of the fastest swimmers on planet Earth, this provided a unique advantage on the international water polo stage, especially when there is a premium on agility, speed and, change of direction being prime drivers for success.
The period from 1970 to 1984 was a golden era for Northern California water polo, marked by significant achievements at both the collegiate and high school levels. 1970 marked a turning point, with UC Irvine winning the NCAA championship, defeating UCLA 7-6 in triple overtime. This victory signaled the prominence of Southern California schools in the sport, but throughout the 1970s, Northern California teams dominated the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship:
University of California, Berkeley (Cal) won five titles (1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1983, 1984).
Stanford University won four titles (1976, 1978, 1980, 1981).
UC Santa Barbara claimed one title in 1979.
Cal's and Stanford’s success was due to the leadership of legendary coaches mentioned above and a robust, hard-training, talent pool. Under Cutino’s guidance, Cal won eight NCAA titles between 1973 and 1988, developing numerous Olympians during this period. Cutino would invite Pete Newell - legendary basketball coach- into his offices frequently and they would run through plays on the whiteboard. Concord Water Polo, coached by Cutino, represented the US National team in 1976. Pete was big on water safety advocacy and even argued the coast guard should adopt eggbeater kick for water recovery. Some quotes attributable to Pete include:
“To compete in sport is to eliminate the comfort zone.”
“Do sports reveal character? I contend, they reveal it.”
Stanford's program also flourished under coaches Art Lambert and Dante Dettamanti. The 1981 Stanford team, coached by Dettamanti, had a perfect 31-0 record. Dettamanti is the only water polo coach to win a national championship in 4 different decades and also ended his career with 8 national titles to his name, coaching stars Tony Azevedo, Wolf Wigo and Jody Campbell during his tenure at the Farm.
At the high school level, Miramonte High School in Orinda emerged as a powerhouse. Under coach Bill Brown, who started the program in 1967, Miramonte became one of the most successful high school water polo programs in Northern California. Many Miramonte players went on to play at top college programs and represent the USA in the Olympics. The success of Northern California water polo during this period can be attributed to several factors:
Strong high school programs feeding talent to colleges.
Excellent coaching at both high school and collegiate levels.
A culture of competition and excellence in the region.
The development of year-round swimming and water polo club programs.
This era laid the foundation for continued success in Northern California water polo, producing numerous All-Americans, Olympians, and professional players. The dominance of Northern California teams during this period helped establish the region as a hotbed for water polo talent in the United States.
Let’s go make it a little better today!