Because they're a blast! Athletes compete against diverse opponents in different pools with official referees- something scrimmages can't replicate. These events build resilience, sportsmanship, team bonding, and lasting friendships, which are all core to LOWPO's mission. 

Our coaching staff look at a variety of factors, such as dates, location, what other clubs are competing, historical results, etc. when determining which tournaments to enter. Water polo is still an emerging sport in our region, and gauging the level of competition at a tournament can sometimes be a moving target. With that in mind, LOWPO also enters competition teams into tournaments which require travel to seek higher levels of competition.  

Click on an event under the Event Registration tab to learn more about each tournament or scrimmage, including which level athletes and ages should register. Register your athlete if you would like to participate in that event. For competitive tournaments, coaches may then make roster decisions based on factors such as skill, participation, and attitude.  

Each season, LOWPO strives to create game opportunities for athletes at every level. If you ever have a question about whether you should register your athlete for a tournament, our coaching staff will be happy to provide guidance.

For your child to qualify for a tournament they must be the age or younger of the divisions they are entering by a set cutoff date. You can always play up an age group assuming your coach approves, but you can not play down. 

Tournaments can sometimes be expensive. The cost to register a single team in a tournament can range up to $1,000! Coaching fees and travel expenses are additional cost considerations. The amount we ask for from each registrant per tournament is somewhat dependent on these expenses, and we do our best to make accurate estimates for participation. As the tournament date gets closer, we may need to adjust the price up or down to reflect the actual participation level.

For local tournaments, our goal is to limit the cost to $40 per athlete for a single day, and $70 for a double day, even when our actual costs as a club may be two or three times that cost. 

For more information on how travel tournament costs are calculated, see the section below. 

Travel tournaments are a ton of fun and are an excellent way for teams to bond! LOWPO encourages all athletes to remain together as much as possible while travelling. LOWPO's team travel policy differs depending on the age of the athletes. 

12U and Under - This age group will arrange their own travel and lodging and will stay with a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult as designated by the parent or guardian. We do encourage this age group to plan to travel and stay together! Depending on interest, a team van may be rented or a group rate for airfare and hotel may be arranged. Parent volunteers are asked to help facilitate this. Costs charged by the club for this age group will cover the tournament and coaches' fees and will be divided evenly among the participating athletes.

14U and Up - LOWPO policy requires 14U and older athletes to stay together as a team once they arrive. Athletes will room with teammates and travel in team vans. This is to foster camaraderie and personal responsibility.

Unless a group booking is pre-arranged, travel to the destination (airfare or other) is the responsibility of the athlete's parent or guardian. Athletes may travel with or without parents or guardians. Coach/chaperone flight information will be shared and athletes can travel with them if they choose. The club will arrange group bookings whenever possible. 

Trip costs include van transportation, lodging, tournament fees, and coaches' fees (not usually athlete airfare). These costs will be shared among participating athletes. Athletes should also bring a reliable way to pay for snacks, meals, and souvenirs (e.g., Apple Pay, debit card, or cash).

Chaperones for these trips include coaches and official LOWPO chaperones, all of whom have completed background checks and SafeSport training.

Parents are always welcome and encouraged to attend tournaments! Volunteers are also appreciated for providing essentials like shade/rain tents, coolers, and drinks. To become an official LOWPO chaperone, please contact Corrin at admin@lowpo.org.

Please register your athlete as soon as you can! This greatly helps our coaching staff plan accordingly. In general, we try to plan far enough in advance to allow us to close athlete registration 2 weeks before the tournament date. For travel tournaments, the deadline may be months in advance. This gives our coaching staff time to form rosters and plan travel.

Tournament game schedules in Oregon are always very unpredictable and subject to last minute changes. Year to year, water polo clubs in the Pacific Northwest have had very erratic participation. Also, there are not enough clubs between Washington and Oregon to guarantee a full tournament. So, the combination of erratic participation and the small number of clubs makes predicting a tournament game schedule nearly impossible. It's very typical for a tournament schedule to change 2-3 times the week before the event. If you are on the roster for a tournament, check the schedule often for updates.

Even large travel tournaments may not have a complete schedule until a week before the tournament and are often subject to change as teams drop out or are added.

When you register your athlete for an event, you show interest in the event and no payment will be collected. Once our coaching staff has finalized the roster for a tournament, athletes will receive confirmation that they have been rostered. An invoice will be sent through TeamSnap.

The exception to this is Parkrose scrimmages where ALL 14U athletes are welcome and a $5 cash fee is due to your coach at the pool. 

Please feel free to reach out to:

• Corrin Beaumont (admin@lowpo.org)
• Chris Alexander (calexander@lowpo.org)
• Daniel Ramirez - 14U (coachdaniel@lowpo.org)
• Austin Sechrest - HS (coachaustin@lowpo.org)