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Whitney Foster, Peter Gordon, Ed Hirsch, John Testa, Ed Opalach, Jerry Mujica and other
"post collegiate" players form the Atlanta WPC, aka Georgia Tech Water Polo. Program grows
rapidly over the next year including large growth of GT undergraduate participation. Atlanta
WPC starts hosting tournaments, including several Zone Championships, and starts to build a
reputation as a great host. ATL WPC sends squads to several USWP Indoor National
Championships ('92, '93). In 1992 ATL WPC becomes the only water polo team in the U.S. sponsored
by PowerBar as part of the company's TEAM Elite program.
More and more GT students join the club and playing time becomes an issue. Knowing that
it was in the best interest of those GT student who wanted to play, ATL WPC moved on to help
start club water polo at nearby Emory University. After just over a year Emory
student participation soars and the "post collegiate" players again decide to move on. In
just over 2 years ATL WPC has been critical in the foundation of three new water polo clubs
in Atlanta: Georgia Tech, Emory (men) and Emory (women).
About the time the ATL WPC was getting ready to leave Emory, Stephen Andreades calls to
see if ATL WPC would want to move to Dynamo, with him as coach. Stephen arrives in Atlanta
and begins coaching at the Dynamo Swim Club and ATL WPC becomes Dynamo WPC. Dynamo WPC
continues to grow in size and stature. Coach Andreades often has 25+ players in the water
at one time. The Dynamo Swim Center is the Water Polo practice venue for the 1996 Centennial
Olympic Games. Legacy to DWPC includes Olympic competition lane lines, ball carries, nets and
referee platforms. Most of these items were purchased at auction by Coach Andreades as the
major water polo equipment (goals, team benches, etc.) were "donated" by ACOG to a SW U.S.
water polo program. Many DWPC players are 1996 Olympic Games water polo volunteers
(competition, results, athlete services, etc) and have a great time.
Dynamo WPC hosts the first PowerBar Cup in 1998 and is the leader in a two-year effort
to launch the Southern Water Polo League (open men) in the SE Zone. Dynamo WPC starts the
Georgia Water Polo League in 1999. 1999 sees Dynamo WPC help start the fifth water polo
program in the metro area, The Atlanta Rainbow Trout. Dynamo WPC players accept head
and assistant coaching positions with Georgia Tech (Frazier Anderson) and both Emory
programs (Rob Swingle and Meg Trexler with the Emory Women and Mike Chester with the Emory Men).
After the conclusion of a very successful 1999 PowerBar Cup, Coach Andreades leaves Atlanta
to become head coach of an aquatics program in East Georgia.
Great change was in the air for Dynamo WPC in 2000. Without a coach for the first time in 5 years
the athletes struggled to run their own program again. Participation numbers dipped a bit as
everyone adjusts to the new “coach yourself” environment.
In early 2000 Dynamo Swim Center covered the outdoor 50 meter pool with the unique
"Dynadome" structure. Goodbye Speedo tans but hello year-round access to all meters, all
deep pool time! The PowerBar Cup grows every year, and becomes the SE Zone's most-entered open
men's tournament (The 2001 PBC turned away 12 teams).
Dynamo WPC continues to be one of the most recognized and active clubs in the SE. Former
DWPC player Rob Swingle turns his coaching hobby into a career with the Emory women’s team.
Emory quickly becomes a very competitive club program. DWPC player Ed Opalach becomes Emory
men's team head coach in 2001.
Led by Manny Torres, a core group of DWPC athletes rebuild a stable environment, then move
the club to new heights.
The PowerBar Cup continues as a highlight of the annual calendar and sometimes serves
as the USWP SE Zone Championship tournament. DWPC reinstates its spring/early summer home
tournament and begins more active scrimmage and joint practice sessions with Atlanta Rainbow
Trout, UGA and GT.
In 2006, DWPC began to compete in “masters” (ages 30+) water polo tournaments in addition
to their regular schedule. The “Dynosaurs” first year included a fantastic trip to the
FINA Masters World Championships.
DWPC athletes serve as head coaches at UGA (Ed Opalach) and Georgia Tech (Torres). Led by
Mark Lefkow, DWPC also helps restart the Pace Academy (high school) program, start Wheeler
H.S. (east Cobb County) and conduct a variety of annual youth clinics. DWPC also began work
with the Georgia Games to add water polo to their competitive schedule.
Contact the club with more
information regarding the history of Dynamo Water Polo. There are many holes in this story
to fill!
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Latest Headlines:
4/13/08 - Dynamo runs through their bracket with wins over Washington, Charlotte and FSU, only to lose by one in the tournament final, 6-5, to Illinois at the 2008 Dogwood Invitational.
Spring Fever at UT
4/6/08 - The tournament's two best teams ended up in the same bracket and Florida International got the best of Dynamo in what the tournament referees called "...the best game of the weekend."
FIU Bests DWP at UGA
2/17/08 - The Dynamo Water Polo Club retained PowerBar as its primary sponsor for 2008 & 2009. The club started its relationship with PowerBar in 1992, so 2008 marks the 16th year of the mutually beneficial combination. Over the newly inked two year committment, Dynamo will receive support in the form of PowerBar products, hats, shirts, banners, etc, plus the opportunity to generate extra club revenue when Dynamo helps to get the PowerBar name in front of others through media, online and athlete exposure. Dynamo proudly looks forward to hosting the 10th Annual PowerBar Cup August 23rd and 24th at the Chamblee, Georgia home of the Dynamo Swim Club.
PowerBar Fuels DWPC
1/31/08 - The initial information for the 2008 PowerBar Cup has been posted. Keep checking the tournament page for additional updates and information up to, throughout and after the annual event.
Power it up in 2008
1/31/08 - Dynamo takes 3rd place at the Mardi Gras Invitational with a 2-goal loss to Closers in the semi-final.
Geaux Dynamo!
Past headlines...
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