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1The KAP7 Water Polo Trainer™The ideal tool for introducing beginning swimmers to water polo.•Enables young athletes {ages 5-10 years) to move from Learn-to-swim programs into the sport of water polo. •Helps young athletes to develop strength, stamina and the skills needed to play water polo. •Enables young athletes to have a full range of motion in vertical and horizontal positions on the back and stomach. •Helps the sport of water polo by introducing the sport a younger demographic and helping it grow.

21HOW TO WEAR KAP7 Water Polo Trainer TM23The Kap7 Water Polo Trainer™ is designed to be worn in the space just below the rib cage and above the hips. The belt has a snap buckle and two adjustments in the front and a single adjustment in the back. When properly adjusted, the oval floats should be positioned in a line parallel to the line of the long axis of the body, as shown in figure (1). The first adjustment should be to made to the back belt, by tightening or loosening as needed as in image (2). There are two adjustments on the front of the belt, as in figure (3). The belt should fit snugly and comfortably. Not so loose that it will slide up or down the torso, but not so tight as to feel uncomfortable.

3First Swim: Once the The KAP7 Water Polo Trainer™ is properly fitted and properly adjusted let yourAthlete get used to wearing it. Let them float for a while on their backs. Get them to imagine floating on their backs off a deserted island. Let them move their hands and feet slowing an enjoying the experience of floating. The next steps are designed to improve your athlete’s overall coordination and swimming skills essential for playing water polo.

4BASIC HAND SCULLING MOVEMENTSSculling is one of the most important skills a water polo player can learn. It teaches a “feel” for the water and a basic understanding that the body will move in the opposite direction of the hand pressure applied to the water. In these sculling exercises, the hands do all the moving, while the legs remain motionless. Before trying sculling in the water, try moving your hands at your side in a a “figure eight” motion as in illustration 1. When in the water, floating on your back, try to repeat the same motions and feel the pressure of the water on your hands, as in 2. 1 2

5Sculling in the direction of your headOn your back, body straight, ears back in the water and toes pointed, Hands are at the sides, with palms up. Then flex your wrists, pressing your palms towards your body, pushing the water back towards your feet as you move towards your head. This is done not bring your hands far out from your sides, rather almost parallel to the sides of the body. Your arms are straight except for a slightly loose elbow. As your hands are turned the entire arm is used.

6Sculling in the direction of your feetOn your back, body straight, ears back in the water and toes pointed, Hands are at the sides. To move in the direction of your feet, apply pressure against the water by flexing the wrists with palms flat and fingers down and out. Start with small motions and as you get the feel of the water, you can make larger and more powerful movements.

7Spinning Like A Top32211Side ViewStart from a back float position with your hands at your sides. With the support of sculling, drawyour knees toward your chest, with toes pointed. To spin in a clockwise circle, the arms move alternately. As the right hand pulls water towards the body (R1 - R3), the palm of the left hand is flat as it moves from L1 - L3. When the hands reach the body, the right and moves from R3 - R1 with a flat palm, and the left hand pushes water away from the body from L3 -L1. Then try spinning in the opposite direction.3R LBack View

8Hand Sculling in a Vertical PositionHand sculling in a vertical position is one way to support yourself and keep your head out of the water without using your legs. While keeping the legs hanging straight down, move the hands back and forth in a sweeping, figure-eight motion. To get lift, force the water down by keeping the palms at a 45 degree angle with thumbs down. Starting in position 1, the hands move away from the body and then at 2, turn the palms over to 45 degrees with thumbs up when pulling toward the body. TheMiracleFloat will support you while you learn to support yourself through vertical sculling without moving you legs. 112 2

9Learning the Eggbeater KickThe eggbeater is one of the most important and useful skills any swimmer will ever learn. It enables you to hold your body upright in a vertical position, with your head out of the water higher than you can by just hand sculling. The eggbeater enables you to look around and see where you are, easily talk to someone or hold objects out of the water. It is also an essential lifeguarding skill that enables you to call out and wave your arms in the air or to help support you while helping someone who may be in trouble. It is also the primary foundation upon which all skills in the sports of water polo and artistic swimming are built. The eggbeater kick is a skill that is most easily learned by using theMiracleFloat.

10Learning the Eggbeater (1)The body position for learning the eggbeater kick is similar to when you are sitting in a chair, with the legs extending out at a 90 degree angle from the torso (A). But the legs are more wide-spread, with the knees wide apart (B). AB

11Learning the Eggbeater Kick (2) (A) It is the downward pressure from the shin, instep and sole of the foot that creates upward lift. As this downward pressure is applied, the hip rotates to make the knee point forward and then upward to maintain a high knee position.A(B) At the end of the kick, the knee is pointing up and the toes are pointing down. (C) The heel is then raised up and inward toward the rear end, as the hips and knee rotate outward. When the heel reached near the bum,(D) the hip rotates inward, pointing the knee forward with the heel behind it. The foot then turns out from the ankle, with the toes flexed toward the shin, as the foot moves outside the knee to (E).!(go back to A)The legs move alternately in a clockwise motion around the knee. When one leg kicks down, the other recovers up.BCD E

12Learning the Eggbeater Kick (3)From the side view, you can see the short, piston-like pumping action of the knees from (A) to (B) and (A) to (A). The knees must be maintained in a high position throughout the kick to maintain support. (C) As the foot moves out from near the rear end to outside the knee, the foot turns out from the ankle, with the toes flexed toward the shin. When the shin and instep are parallel to the water’s surface and the knee is pointed forward, apply downward pressure with the foot. It is the downward pressure from this shin and instep that creates lift.! As pressure is applied downward, the hip rotates in and the knee lifts up (B to A) AB C

13Hand Sculling and the Eggbeater KickOnce you’ve mastered hand sculling, the extra buoyancy you get from The Kap7 Water Polo Trainer™float your hands will help you assume the proper body position for lear ning the eggbeater kick.

14Progression drills to build Strength, Stamina and a feel for the ball.The extra buoyancy helps younger and weaker Swimmers practice longer and get stronger.

15Advanced Skillshttps://learning.fina.org/swim-play-ball/The KAP7 Water Polo Trainer™: can be utilized to learn any skill presented in the FINA Swim & Play Ball manual. To download a copy, click on the link below.

16For more information and how to order The KAP7 Water Polo Trainer™Contact: Janson@Kapinc.com