Washington Wetskins Water Polo Team

 

 

Founded in 1985, the Washington Wetskins is the longest continuously operating water polo team in the U.S. to openly welcome individuals who identify as gay, straight or bisexual. The team welcomes both men and women. Our common goal is learning, improving and excelling in the sport of water polo with no specific political agenda, other than tolerance and inclusion.

The Wetskins have proudly represented the Washington metro area in numerous national and international competitions. Our journeys have included local competitions in the Washington area as well tournaments in Paris, Amsterdam and Sydney. The Wetskins are members of the USA Water Polo association as well as IGLA, the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics organization.

In 2007, the Wetskins will compete against teams in Pennsylvania, Toronto, Paris, and other locales.  In 2006, we participated in the Gay Games in Chicago, competing against teams from around the world.  The Wetskins also host our own tournament, the Capitol Games, in October this year.  The Wetskins will host the water polo tournament portion of the 2008 IGLA games, to be held in DC.


The Wetskins is an entirely self-supporting team.  We currently have no corporate sponsorship and rely on our fund-raising activities to remain viable competitors. We welcome all support from the community at large.

 

Contact: Call Tom at (703) 299-0504 or click on the email link below.

The Wetskins welcomes newcomers whether or not they have played water polo before. We are also open to members of other swimming and water polo teams wishing to play water polo with us.

To be included on our mailing list write to:
secretary@wetskins.org

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Water Polo and the Wetskins

When and Where?

The practice schedule is:

Monday & Wednesday evenings: 7:30 - 9:00pm

Takoma Community Center Pool

Practices are held at the Takoma Community Center Pool, located at 300 Van Buren St., NW, DC. The phone number for the pool is (202) 576-9533.

The nearest Metro stop is the Takoma station on the Red Line. It is about a 5-block walk from the station to the pool. For help in planning your trip, there's an online Metro map.

For those who drive, there is a parking lot behind behind the pool, off Third Street, and there is usually plenty of street parking as well.

What is water polo?

It is the most exciting sport to ever hit the D.C. area. Water polo combines the best of all the top sports: a little bit of basketball, a pinch of soccer, a shake or two of football and a lot of swimming. For more information about the sport of water polo, here is a useful guide.

Who are the Wetskins?

Beside being some of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet, the Washington Wetskins are members of the world's first water polo team to actively recruit and promote gay and lesbian athletes. While the team competes in tournaments across the globe, it is a very social club (did anyone say brunch?).

Can I play?

You sure can. Most of the players on the team never saw a water polo ball before they came to their first Wetskins' practice. Water polo is easy to learn and fun to play. Every practice is also a challenging workout. The team welcomes first-time players.

Do I have to know anything before I play?

If you can swim a lap at a pool, you're ready to start practicing with the Washington Wetskins. Lack of swimming skills can be easily overcome by hard work and a willingness to learn. Members of the team start at all levels, from beginner to those who played in college. We're all dedicated to having fun and helping each other improve. If you want to play a new sport, we're here to help you.

It looks like there are mostly guys on the team. Can women play too?

We do have women playing on the team, ready to go and compete with the Wetskins. Women of all experience levels are encouraged to join.

I'm straight! Is it O.K. if I practice and compete with the Wetskins, even though they are a gay, lesbian and bisexual team?

Yes, it's OK to be straight and play on the Wetskins Water Polo team. The purpose of our organization is to provide a positive environment for members of the gay, lesbian and bisexual communities, but our members are of all orientations (yes, we have "straight" members too, including our coach!).

Where do I sign up?

You can just show up at any practice. Since we serve the D.C. area, we try to have our practices within the city limits.  Please feel free contact us directly at secretary@wetskins.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

secretary@wetskins.org