Academy
Studies and high performance water polo
“Study and play water polo in Barcelona”
BIWPA is an international water polo academy based in Barcelona, Spain, that offers the best
combination between high performance water polo and academic studies.
We mainly target athletes ages 14 to 18 who are looking to combine their studies with water polo trainings and competition at a high level. We also offer bachelor's, master's and gap year programs for athletes that have finished high school.
Developing champions in life through sport.
Our programs
Under 18
High school & water polo
Annual or semester program.
Play water polo and study in Barcelona, Spain, one of the water polo capitals of the world. High performance sports program and club team competition combined with high school studies. Take your game to the next level!
Over 18
University studies & water polo
Bachelor, Master's and gap year.
A chance to juggle our high performance water polo program with a 3-year Bachelor's degree or a 1.5-year Master's degree at Geneva Business School in Barcelona. We also offer a 'gap year' program combined with Spanish courses.
Upcoming programs
- No spots available for Fall 2022 & Spring 2023 -
2022 Winter Academy
Costa Mesa, CA
- December 27 - 28, 2022
- Costa Mesa High School, California
- Goalies and field players
2023 Summer Academy
Barcelona, Spain
- Session 1: May 29 - June 30, 2023
- Session 2: August 21 - September 1, 2023
- Ages co-ed: 2009 - 2003
YEAR PROGRAM
We provide high school and over 18 student-athletes with a world-class water polo program and the best academics through our education partners.
A perfect balance between elite training and academics.
Sports program
The first water polo Academy in the world offering a high performance training program for ambitious student-athletes wishing to take their game to the next level.
High performance water polo
A methodology focused on individual technical and tactical skills.
Access to high-level
competition
Train and compete on a weekly basis with the Academy club team to develop team cohesiveness and tactics.
Strength and conditioning sessions
(dryland)
Three dryland trainings a
week with a physical
trainer.
Included services for our athletes' care
Physical therapist,
nutritionist and mental
coach.
Masterclasses with Olympians
Special practices once a month with professional and national team players.
Personalized Watlicam
sessions
Enables real-time performance analysis from under and above the water by the technical staff.
One-on-one coaching
Individualized feedback
for every athlete and their specific position with a low coach/player ratio.
Get ready for college
The experience that will
set you apart from the
crowd.
Our academic partners
We have teamed up with Barcelona's best schools and universities in order to offer our athletes excellence in education as well.
ES American School
High school program
An international school based in Naples (Florida) with a beautiful location in Barcelona. Outstanding global education following educational guidelines and standards of the Department of Education in the State of Florida. High school program for grades 9 to 12.
Geneva Business School
University program
Swiss-quality business education school with International Management Bachelor's and Master's programs and the Sports Management specialization, among others. Campus is located right in the middle of the action in Barcelona, at the epicenter of all major attractions.
BCN Languages
For our gap year athletes
A Spanish language school with more than 20 years experience in teaching Spanish to foreigners in Barcelona. The school has been renovating itself both from a technological and an academic point of view in order to offer students the best quality.
College bound
Take advantage of our recruiting service
We offer all our student-athletes interested in studying college in the US our help and resources to stand out to college coaches.
This is a tailor-made service that includes video, consulting and direct contact with some of the most important university water polo head coaches.
See an example of a highlight video >>
Hall of fame
See some of our former athletes' success
UCLA
Mark Laurlund
Spring 2018 & 2020
Pacific Tigers
Addison Mc Gowan
Fall 2018
UC Berkeley
Jordi Gascón
2017-18
Marist College
Alessia Gressi
2019-20
UC Berkeley
Ryder Hagan
Spring 2019
Stanford
Gavin West
Fall 2017
UC Berkeley
Wyatt Mundelius
Spring 2019
USC
Marcus Longton
Spring 2015
Tourism, trips and more!
Trips abroad
At least once a year, we travel abroad with our student-athletes to compete at an international tournament and/or scrimmage local club teams. Recently, we've been in Tenerife (Canary Islands),, Miami and Portugal!
Barcelona has it all!
Beach, culture, great food, warm weather... There are plenty of activities to do in Barcelona and its surroundings. Some weekends, we organize touristic and leisure activities for our international athletes.
Logistics
We offer our help and expertise in the most tedious and time-consuming paperwork and processes: medical insurance, residence permit, visa... We do our best to make the process as easy as possible.
Coaching staff
Our Sports Director
Quim Colet is currently the Men's Water Polo Head Coach at CN Sabadell, one of the most important
sports clubs in Spain, and also the Academy's Sports Director. He is two-time Olympian with the
Spanish men's national team and won three medals in World Championships and two medals in
European Championships with the junior national team. Additionally, he was in charge of the technical direction at the Catalan Swimming Federation for 7 years.
Colet has played an important role in establishing the foundations of the current water polo system in Spain, a model of succes. Our program applies a training methodology for high-performance water polo, executed by most
of the Spanish water polo players with international projection.
Coaches
"Experience, skill and a high level background"
Yuri Colet
Head Coach
Cecilia Leonard
Coach
Gabor Egedi
Coach
"In water polo an athlete's body is mostly underwater"
Real-time performance analysis above and below the waterline
Training facilities
Blume - Pool
A sports facility where the Academy athletes share their daily routine with athletes from different disciplines.
Blume - Gym
The gym is located in the very same Blume facility and has all of the necessary equipment.
Montjuic Olympic Pools
From late May until early September, all our Academy programs take place at this amazing facility.
High level competition
Being at the BIWPA Academy will give you access to weekly competition with a Barcelona club team. Clearly, the best way to put into practice all the skills learned at training.
Club team league
Non-stop from October to June
The BIWPA Academy has its own club, Barcelona Water Polo Club, with a senior team competing at the local league. All our student-athletes are eligible for joining the team.
Most of the high school student-athletes (16u and 18u age groups) will compete with and train in the evening with Club Natació Sant Feliu, thanks to our agreement with them.
Play in one of the world's top competitions for age groups.
Barcelona
An amazing place to live in
Its architecture, weather, food and culture make Barcelona the perfect destination. Besides, the city's water polo culture is prestigious with high-level competition happening every weekend.
Living away from home teaches student-athletes independence and responsibility.
Relevant Facts
Numbers that show how we work
+40 athletes
in season 20/21
10 nationalities
in season 20/21
Meet people from all over the glove and expand your water polo network.
A day in the life of an Academy student-athlete
Testimonials
See how other athletes benefited from the Academy
Mark Laurlund
California (USA) - Semester program
"I had the chance to compete with the best 16U team in Spain, Club Natació Barcelona, and winning both the Catalan and Spanish Championships. I had the best experience of my life: I played water polo, I traveled around Barcelona, and had a great time with my friends and club team."
Mark is playing D1 water polo at UCLA. Congrats!
Alison Doherty
California (USA) - Annual program
"My 4 years at the Academy have been very memorable. I would not be where I am today without the staff and the people I've met along the way; it's a once in a life time opportunity and you learn so much about yourself, about the game, about other people and about a new culture. All in all I think Barcelona has it all."
Ryder Hagan
California (USA) - Semester program
"Just the way they play water polo seems a lot more effective than at home, so I can bring that back and be a better player. The club league here is the most advanced and organized water polo I've ever seen in my life, with games going on every weekend. There's so much water polo here!"
Ryder has committed to play D1 water polo at UC Berkeley (Cal). Congrats!
Easton Hamm
California (USA) - Semester program
"We learned a lot of 6 on 5, body positioning (where to put your legs, arms...), which helped me make a better shot, a better fake, a better pass. The experience with the club team is challenging and fun, you get to know new teammates, and you also get to play against some of the top players of my age."
Easton has committed to play D1 water polo at UC Berkeley (Cal). Congrats!
Video Testimonials
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