This game belongs to its community.
We exist for the clubs, athletes and people who make water polo happen across Tāmaki Makaurau.
Our role isn't to sit above our clubs. It's to work alongside them — connecting the region, creating opportunities, solving shared problems and helping water polo thrive.
The way we work together.
Not words for a wall. These are the expectations we hold ourselves to when we make decisions for Auckland water polo.
Clubs at the centre.
Our clubs are where water polo lives. We respect their identity, understand their needs and focus on what helps them and their people succeed.
Think regionally.
We look beyond one team, one pool or one part of Auckland. Our job is to make decisions for the health of the wider game.
Work with, not at.
The best ideas exist throughout our community. We listen, ask questions and build solutions with the people affected by them.
Our clubs are where the game lives.
They're where players discover the sport, coaches build teams, volunteers give their time and communities form. AWP exists because our clubs and their people exist.
Someone has to see the whole pool.
Sometimes the right decision for Auckland is bigger than one competition, one club or one local area. We balance different needs, make the hard calls and explain why.
Better together.
We focus on the things where doing something together makes more sense than seven clubs doing it alone.
Competition
Meaningful, fair and enjoyable opportunities to play.
Development
Pathways for players, coaches, referees, officials and volunteers.
Connection
Sharing knowledge and bringing the Auckland community together.
Leadership
Regional decisions, coordination and advocacy where it matters.
New ideas
Testing, learning and finding better ways to grow the game.
What you should expect from us.
Listen before we act.
Understanding the problem comes before designing the answer.
Make the hard calls.
Regional leadership means making decisions even when different people want different things.
Explain why.
People may not always agree, but they should understand how and why a decision was made.
Own our mistakes.
When we get something wrong, we acknowledge it, learn from it and work to make it better.
Welcome feedback.
Feedback is a gift. We value people who challenge, suggest and take the time to work through ideas with us.
Seven clubs. One Auckland community.
There are things we can achieve together that we can't achieve alone.
Water polo has been played in Auckland for more than a century. The organisation around it has changed, but the need for a strong regional community remains. Our responsibility is to respect what has been built before us while helping the next generation take the game further.