Our Swim Ulster Water Polo Conference, in partnership with Swim Ireland Education, took place at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre on Saturday 3rd January 2026.
The Conference was led by Ireland National Head Coach, Goran Sablic and with 29 Ulster & 1 Leinster coach registered, this was the highest attended conference in recent years by coaches.
The Conference opened with Goran presenting an overview of the tactics, game plans and game analysis which he employed at the U18 Womens European Championships held in Malta over the summer. This was a unique opportunity for our coaches to explore thoughts and ideas with Goran and the necessary planning details relevant to delivering high-quality standards at an international level.
In subsequent Conference sessions, Goran discussed Hole Forward & Hole defender roles and responsibilities, before looking in some detail at shooting skills and techniques.
These ‘shooting at goal’ techniques and related skills were for explored during a practical session in the pool, which was supported by senior players from the Clonard Club, who were called upon to demonstrate the shooting techniques discussed in the earlier classroom sessions.
Immediate feedback from all in attendance was extremely positive and have taken a wealth of knowledge from the conference.
Swim Ulster would like to thank Goran for providing our conference with an insight into coaching water polo at the highest national and international level. Finally, a thank you to all the coaches and players in attendance of the conference – without these two key groups, the conference cannot go ahead, so we are grateful for your help and support. We look forward to seeing our coaches and players development over the next coming months!