August 19, 2024
Orlando Thunder Water Polo Club Shines at 2024 Water Polo Junior Olympics In Texas
By Kyle Coppola
Orlando Thunder Water Polo Club Shines at 2024 Water Polo Junior Olympics In Texas
Orlando, FL — August 17, 2024 — The Orlando Thunder Water Polo Club achieved remarkable success at the 2024 Water Polo Junior Olympics, held in Dallas, Texas, from August 1-4, 2024. Returning home with an impressive haul of medals and accolades across all three age groups that represented the club, the 16U Girls clinched the Gold medal, the 16U Boys earned Silver, and the 14U Boys secured a Bronze medal.
This year’s tournament brought together the most elite youth water polo teams from across the United States, making the Orlando Thunder’s achievements even more extraordinary. The club’s dedication, hard work, and relentless pursuit of excellence were on full display as each team showcased exceptional skill, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the competition.
Gold for 16U Girls:
The 16U Girls team delivered a stellar performance, dominating their matches and ultimately winning the Gold medal. Their relentless drive and cohesive teamwork were key to their success.
Silver for 16U Boys:
The 16U Boys fought valiantly in a series of hard-fought games, earning the Silver medal. Their resilience and determination were evident as they battled their way through a highly competitive bracket, only narrowly missing out on the top spot.
Bronze for 14U Boys:
The 14U Boys also made a significant impact, securing the Bronze medal after a series of intense matches. Their tenacity and growth as a team throughout the tournament were promising. There’s a bright future ahead for these young athletes.
Based on the official data analyst of USA Water Polo, Orlando Thunder had the top impact players of every medal game with an Orlando Thunder team, including Aaron Dunn for the boys platinum bronze medal round, Braden Carrel for boys platinum gold medal round, and Lindsay Gato for the girls platinum gold medal round. Additionally, Syndey Schaber earned Most Valuable Player out of all 16U girls.
“We are incredibly proud of our athletes and coaches,” said Marta Wladyczka, Secretary, Board of Directors, Orlando Thunder Water Polo Club. “This year’s results at the Junior Olympics are a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with the club. To have all three of our teams come back with medals is an outstanding achievement and reflects the strength of our program.”
The Orlando Thunder Water Polo Club has long been committed to developing young athletes in Central Florida, providing them with the skills, training, and opportunities to compete at the highest levels. This success at the 2024 Junior Olympics underscores the club’s role as a powerhouse in the youth water polo community.
The club extends its gratitude to all the players, coaches, parents, and supporters who contributed to this remarkable achievement. The Orlando Thunder Water Polo Club looks forward to building on this success and continuing to foster a love for water polo in the next generation of athletes.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
