Inner Tube Water Polo Scores As A Workout
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
A new twist on water polo is getting more adults in the water. As NY1 Health & Fitness reporter Kafi Drexel explains in the following report, while the men's U.S. team may have won silver in Beijing last summer, the creators of inner tube water polo medal in gold when it comes to having fun.The protective head gear for Olympic goal-scoring gets dropped for floaties with inner tube water polo.
Inner Tube Water Polo is one of the latest activities from the group New York City Social Sports Club, which aims to keep the 20-to-30-something crowd moving.
"Basically, it's adults reclined in inner tubes, paddling around like mad, trying to score goals à la polo or soccer or something," says Matt Archambault of the New York City Social Sports Club. "It is hilarious to watch adults playing this sport."
Don't let the tubes fool you; the activity this isn't water polo for slackers. There's a lot of paddling involved, giving teams a serious cardio workout. The players can get competitive, all while keeping things pretty light-hearted.
Just like some of the other activities from the Social Sports Club, inner tube water polo teams come up with some pretty unique names.
"For this, it is all nautical things, 'Floatilla of Pain' 'Shrinkage,'" Archambault says. "There's always a bit of a naughty twinge in the names. If you can make someone blush by saying it on NY1, then it's a winner."
Some people get such a kick out of the competition, that it actually can draw a crowd.
"It's very funny. I've had a lot of friends come and watch," says participant Colleen Walsh. "They laugh their heads off. They have no idea what to expect when I tell the about this sport."
When it comes to staying active and socializing at the same time during the winter, this can perhaps be seen as the ultimate icebreaker.
"This is a fun way to get to the gym and have a workout in the pool, and all the barriers are really broken down," says NYCSSC President Amy Short. "In inner tube water polo, flipping is legal. If you have the ball, someone can come and flip your tube out from under you, and you have to give up possession. Doesn't get much closer than that, huh?"
For more information on inner tube water polo, go to NYCSSC.com.