Staresinic Takes Helm, AQTX Waterpolo Expanding
Huge news as we name a new head coach, expand our reach in to Austin, and prepare for next summer (that’s right).
Coach Max Takes Over
We’re excited to announce that Max Staresinic is the new Head Coach of AquaTex Waterpolo Club. He takes over training and programming duties and will be the key voice in articulating and executing our competitive goals (which are ambitious!). You can read his credentials from our announcement that he was joining the club a few weeks ago. The Pittsburgh, PA native played his collegiate ball at UCLA after which he coached both in Pennsylvania and in Southern California.
Barbara (Babs) Lanier will be the Head Coach for all girls’ teams and athletes at AquaTex. Working with Coach Max she’ll lead training and competition for our girls of all ages. She will continue working with our youth boys athletes as well.
Sebastian Houng will be the Head Goalkeeping Coach and will also focus on our 14u/12u athletes.
And we’re fortunate to have Coach Anthony Gerakos with us to assist with – especially – high school-age boys. He just completed a very successful season with our Consolidated High School team.
I will remain the Team Director, focusing on communications, financing, administration, and working with Club Owner Mark Parshall. And I’ll step in to coach at Coach Max’s discretion.
As always we’ll continue to look for new coaching talent, which we hope will be necessary as we continue to grow.
AquaTex Waterpolo is Expanding
AquaTex Waterpolo will be expanding its reach in to Austin. Coach Max is starting water polo programing at Westover Hills Club in Austin in the coming weeks and those athletes will be members of AquaTex Waterpolo. We are already putting together a plan for those athletes who will likely train weeknights at Westover and weekends at Micki with the whole team, and will be on AquaTex’s competitive teams going forward. We are very excited that our reach has expanded, as we’ve hoped for some time, and that the sheer number of athletes taking part in AquaTex water polo under Coach Max’s leadership will increase. It’s a big day for the club as we extend ourselves in to Austin and, hopefully, beyond.
Parent Advisory Board
We have begun recruiting individuals to take part in a new Parent Advisory Board. Several have already committed and we’ll announce the list once everyone who has been invited has had the chance to respond. It is an informal board that will serve Coach Max in helping set the competitive and social priorities for the club. The format is still to be determined but will likely include at a minimum quarterly online meetings (perhaps some in person!).
(Re-) Registration
We have plans for our high school athletes, former and future, who are beginning to return after the end of the second UIL season (with congratulations to all who played UIL water polo in 2023). All lapsed members need to re-register with AquaTex prior to re-starting training. Contact Coach Mark if you have any issues doing so, and please remember that when you register, if you’re in high school or middle school and are NOT slotted for our Novice Waterpolo program, then specifically select “Age Group/High School Waterpolo.” Do not select “High School” or “Junior” which are swim team groups.
Ladies and gents, our aim is to send every possible AquaTex team to California for JOs in 2024. Qualification for those sessions takes place as early as it ever has in early May. The work toward competing next summer begins now. So get registered and get training with our revamped group of talented coaches.
Tournaments
TAGS
The final update regarding this tournament came out this morning. If you are attending be sure to read the important updates about parking limitations and gate entry fees. Good luck to our athletes and Coach Sebastian!
Mavericks Tourney/Armadillo Classic
They keep changing the name and location of this tourney but it’s the first opportunity for our high school athletes to play after the UIL season. 18u and 16u teams only up in The Colony, hosted by the quickly improving Mavericks Club.
Cowtown Stampede
Those who’ve been around a while know we have had some of our biggest successes at this tournament so we expect to end the calendar year with a bang and with lots of teams participating up in Keller in December.
Gear
Finally, a reminder to all our families: an AquaTex competition suit and one AquaTex tee-shirt are required for each athlete, both available year-round in our shop. Coach James has a fitting kit for men’s briefs so please ask to try one one before you purchase if you’d like.
And, as we said earlier, the shop is full of cold weather gear, which we’re going to need as the winter progresses. The deadline to order Printful gear so it arrives prior to Christmas is December 10 for gear produced in US and November 25 for stuff produced in the EU.
Team Rules Update
Though we only announced a new set of team rules in August, they are already in need of some serious revision. Such things as rules regarding suspending your account, annual registration fees, and more do not currently fit with the Club’s requirements. Stay tuned for an update.
So excited for this winter and beyond. See you on the deck.