Ottawa Titans Newsletter - October 11, 2024
Happy Thanksgiving!!
The Canadian Men’s Senior National Team will be in Ottawa next weekend, participating as a special guest team taking part in the Ravens Cup at Carleton University. See details below.
2024/25 Season Sets Off With a Splash
Titans water polo is off to another great start, with new and returning athletes back in the pool, ready for another season of training, fun, and competition.
We have lots of information to convey in this edition, so let’s get to it. Our annual General Meeting is fast approaching, as is our Holiday Party. But first, a major water polo event is happening next week: The Ravens Cup. Our men’s head coach, Andras Szeri, is back at the helm of the Carleton Ravens, and has organized some special offerings to go in hand with the many games of high-level polo that will be played at the tournament (details below).
We are also excited to announce the resumption of our in-house NCWPL (National Capital Water Polo League) after a brief hiatus last year. Game days are back on, with the entire Nepean Sportsplex filled with our younger athletes getting awesome game experience on a weekly basis. Our Sunday night recreational House League is back and is bigger than ever. And there is also some hope of the return of the OWL (Ottawa Women’s League), which is great news for the development of women’s polo in Ottawa.
A huge thank you to all the organizers, volunteers, and employees who make the Titans the kind of club that caters and provides to all levels of water polo enthusiasts – from recreation to competitive.
Good luck this season! If you are new to the club, welcome, and if you are returning, welcome back!
GO TITANS!
National Team Heroes Featured in Clinic
CENTER FORWARD CLINIC WITH NICHOLAS BICARI AND TITANS’ VERY OWN ALEKSA GARDIJAN
Nicholas Bicari: Captain of the Canadian National Team. Played professionally for 10 years in some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Ferencvaros (FTC), Jug Dubrovnik and Italy’s AN Brescia. One of the best center forwards in the world.
Aleksa Gardijan: Center back / outside shooter on the Canadian National Team. He’s been a starting line-up player for over 6 years. Famous for his amazing shooting. He has played professionally in Europe in Greece and in Australia.
When: Thursday October 17th, 8 to 9:30 PM – U18 Men and Women Friday October 18th, 6:30 to 8 PM – U16 Boys and Girls
Where: Ottawa University
Cost: $30 per player. * limit of 20 players per session, first come first serve.
In addition to the clinic, you’ll be able to see these incredible athletes in action all weekend at Ravens Cup, October 18-20th at Carleton University. Canada’s National Team is participating along the Carleton Ravens; Ottawa U GGs; Western U Mustangs, Titans U18; Titan WaterWalkers (Senior A Team)
Don’t miss this special event where you get to meet the National Team players and you get to see incredible water polo action.
Weekend Schedule (Wednesday, Oct. 16- Sunday, Oct. 20):
Save the Date!
There are actually two dates suggested to keep on your calendar: The Titans Annual General Meeting October 27, and our annual Holiday Party on November 30.
Titans Holiday Party, Saturday, November 30th
Please note that the date is set for our yearly winter celebration. Mark it on your calendar! As always, this great, spirit-building activity helps bring us together as a club and is a lot of fun! The event will once again be at the Serbian Centre on Prince of Wales. The party starts at 6 pm and will include dinner and desert with a cash bar. Popular favourites will be back including karaoke, wine raffle, and 50/50. Full information will follow in the next newsletter. Until then, if you would like to volunteer to help organize the party, please let us know at volunteer@titanswaterpolo.ca
Annual General MeetingSunday, October 27, 2024, 2-4:00 pm Ottawa Public Library – Main Branch, 120 Metcalfe, Ottawa – Auditorium All club members are welcome to attend the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Ottawa Titans. Members over the age of 18 (coaches, athletes, and parents) are eligible to vote at this AGM. Last year’s performance and financials will be discussed, as well as a proposed budget for the 2024/25 season. All members can discuss and make comments and suggestions. An overview of this year’s programs will also be on the agenda. We encourage you to attend to see how the club operates and have a voice in future decisions. Your input is valuable, and your presence sends a message of support to all volunteers and staff for the work they do every day. Hope to see you there. Bosko Vukojevic |
Huge Thank You to Green Team
Once again you answered the call! There were some new and some familiar faces at the Army Run edition of the Titans Green Team, but one thing is for certain – your help was greatly appreciated! Thanks to all who gave their time on Sunday, September 22 to the Race Ottawa organization for one of our city’s top running events, the Canadian Army Run. Sunny skies shone over this year’s event, which was a great success, with many Titans helping keep our city clean and coming together as a team. Go Titans!
New Coaches on Deck
The growing Titans club continues to bring on talented and motivated individuals to join our dynamic coaching team. In this issue we are proud to introduce four more young coaches who’ve come back to contribute and share their skills.
Julia Decaire
Competitive Girls Assistant Coach
Julia grew up in Ottawa and joined the Titans when she was 10. After playing with the Titans for 8 years, she went on to play at the University of Toronto. At UofT she got the opportunity to play against top-ranked NCAA schools across the east and west coasts of the US. In her final year as co-captain she also helped the team bring home their 7th consecutive NCWP banner.
As a recent graduate, Julia returns to Ottawa with a Bachelor’s of Science with double majors in genome biology and neuroscience. In Ottawa, she is excited to start building her career and to be back around more nature. She also continues to play water polo as a Titan with the Senior Women’s Major League team.
Liz Aldrich
U14 Girls Coach
Liz grew up in the west end of Ottawa and joined the Ottawa Titans club when she was 13-years-old after a short-lived swimming career with NKB. At the age of 14 she was invited to join Team Ontario, which also provided her the opportunity to train and compete with Junior National Teams in Brazil, Holland, and Hungary.
She went on to play as a Carleton Raven while completing her undergraduate degree, bringing home OUA Champion Banners for 3 of 4 years – one of which as Assistant Captain to her sister, Rachelle. While studying abroad in Sydney, Australia, she competed with the Macquarie University club team before returning home to the Great White North.
Liz now lives in Chesterville with her 2 girls, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 1 husband (1 fish, and 1 frog). She works in Strategic Client Relations in the tech industry, and enjoys hoarding craft supplies (and sometimes actually using them…), kitchen dance parties, and a good Netflix binge. Her daughters have just begun their water polo journeys, playing ILWP (2015) and Water Fun (2019).
Alex Moggridge
ILWP Coach
Alex first hopped into the pool with the Titans at age 10. He won gold at the Cadet Canadian National Championship in 2004 and Best Male Athlete of the Year with the Ottawa Titans. Alex competed, trained, and travelled all over with Team Ontario, as well as with the Youth and Junior National Teams. At 17, Alex received a scholarship to Merychurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania to play polo in the NCAA. While completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Chemistry, he received multiple All American awards and offensive athlete awards.
After graduation, Alex moved back to Ottawa and now swims with Nepean Masters Swim Club. He enjoys competing in open water swim races, going for hikes with his Great Dane and Boston Terrier, and travelling with his partner wherever there’s sun and surf. Alex is the owner of The Thirst Responder Mobile bar, putting a little bit of that Business and even some of that Chemistry he learned in the states to good use.
Tracy Deyell
High Performance Swim Coach
Tracy grew up in Ottawa and swam competitively with NKB for 10 years before going off to university on an athletic scholarship. She swam NCAA Div. 1 at Illinois State University, where she was named co-capitan and broke school and conference records in breaststroke and IM events her senior year.
After attending graduate school in Colorado, Tracy moved to Charlottetown, P.E.I. and started coaching competitive swimming. After a year of part-time coaching, she moved to Newfoundland to take a full-time position with the St. John’s Legends swim team as the head age group coach. Over 5 years, her swimmers broke over 30 provincial records and many made national qualifying times. To be clear, Tracy knows nothing about water polo, but A LOT about swimming.
In 2021, Tracy moved back to Ottawa to be closer to family, worked in health care research, and now works for the House of Commons. She’s living that single cat lady life in Westboro with her two cats, Ebbers and Professor Feather Duster, and loves cooking her way through cookbooks Julie and Julia-style while listening to podcasts.
Ottawa Titans Water Polo Club Partners with the Ontario Lifesaving Society
The Ottawa Titans Water Polo Club is excited to announce our new affiliation with the Ontario Lifesaving Society! This esteemed charitable organization is dedicated to preventing drowning and water-related injuries through its comprehensive training programs.
Why Lifeguarding?
Becoming a lifeguard is not only an exciting and rewarding job, but it also comes with significant responsibilities. Lifeguards undergo rigorous training to prepare for situations they hope will never occur, working tirelessly to prevent emergencies. When prevention is not enough, these trained professionals are ready to act as expert rescuers.
Steps to Become a Lifeguard:
- Strong Swimming Skills: Lifeguards must be proficient swimmers.
- Lifesaving and First Aid Training: Begin with the Lifesaving Society’s Bronze medal and first aid awards.
- Bronze Cross Certification: This award is a prerequisite for the National Lifeguard certification.
- National Lifeguard Certification: Candidates must be at least 15 years old and hold both the Bronze Cross and Standard First Aid certifications.
Integrating lifesaving courses with for our athletes training
To support our young athletes in achieving their lifesaving certifications, the Ottawa Titans will be offering some lifesaving training initiatives in combination with some of their existing water polo training. These initiatives will provide our members with the opportunity to gain the necessary qualifications while enhancing their water skills in a familiar and supportive environment.
We are thrilled to support our athletes in pursuing their lifesaving certifications and look forward to a successful partnership with the Ontario Lifesaving Society!
25% off Show Price for Titans Members
Lemon Bucket Orkestra is coming to the Shenkman Arts Centre on Tuesday, October 22, 8 pm. The 10-piece band who are described as the original Slavic-Balkan-Klezmer-Party-Punks are sure to put on an amazing show. Members of the Titans Water Polo club receive an exclusive 25% discount. Use promo code LEMONS.
