GENAI KERR CONDUCTS TRAINING CAMP FOR JAMAICAN WATER POLO TEAM

August 27, 2005

Genai Kerr, who played on the USA’s 2004 Olympic Games Water Polo Team, left the island today after completing a 6 day training camp with Jamaica’s Men’s Junior Water Polo Squad currently preparing for October’s Junior World Championships. Following their Bronze Medal performance at the recent Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships, the team has been in intensive training led by National Coach and Technical Director Laszlo Borbely. The squad of eighteen players is currently training twice a day, five days a week.

Kerr arrived in the island from Los Angeles on August 22 and went directly to his first training session at the National Stadium Pool. He focused on the tactical aspects of the game, and introduced a number of new training drills which will not only improve the fitness level of the players, but prepare them for the physical rigors of world class water polo.

When Jamaica opens their campaign in the World Championship on October 6, they will play against Serbia-Montenegro, whose senior team captured the Gold Medal at the World Championships held in Montreal last month. Croatia, who placed forth at the World Championships are also in Jamaica’s group. The Jamaican men certainly have a high mountain to climb, however Kerr noted that the players “had made tremendous progress” since his last visit in November 2004. He sensed that the “players had grasped the importance of making the most of the opportunity to play against the best in the world” and had committed themselves to improving their performance. No Jamaican Water Polo Team has ever qualified for a World Championships.

The National Water Polo Squad will resume training at 9:00 on Monday August 29^th in the National Stadium Pool.