If you’ve been by the Community Center pool lately, you’ve probably noticed it.
It’s louder. Whistles are sharper. Splashes are bigger. You hear quick play calls, goal celebrations and kids reacting on the fly. The pace picks up. The movement becomes less predictable.
That’s water polo season on Key Biscayne.
Every aquatic season on this island has its own feel. Swimming season is focused and steady, with swimmers moving in rhythm, heads down and eyes forward. Water polo flips that. Heads come up. Eyes start scanning. It’s fast, physical and demands awareness.
And it fits this island.
Key Biscayne has always been a place where awareness matters of the ocean, its conditions, and everything that comes with it. Water polo asks for the same thing. Like the ocean, you can’t play it alone. You have to communicate, trust the people next to you, and stay composed when things get rough.
What I love most about water polo season is what it brings out in the kids.
You see them speak up, support one another, recover after mistakes, and keep moving forward. Confidence doesn’t come from everything going right—it comes from staying engaged when things get messy. From learning that success isn’t about doing it all by yourself, but about timing, teamwork, and trust.
That energy carries beyond the game. Even parents gather differently. The deck fills with encouragement from every angle. Shared moments like big plays, small wins and tough lessons start to stack up. It’s a reminder that the sport, at its best, isn’t just about competition. It’s about connection.
So, if the pool at the Community Center feels louder lately, if the energy feels sharper and more alive, that’s not by accident. That’s the sound of a season challenging kids to think, react and grow together. It’s an opportunity to lift our heads, look around and move forward as a community.
See you poolside!
A Key Rat, Coach Iggy is a fixture at the Key Biscayne Community Center as the Coach, along with his brother Gaby, of Team Key Aquatics (TKA), the Village’s swimming and water sports academy. An avid surfer, Coach Iggy travels annually to El Salvador to surf.