Dual Olympian and captain of the Australian Team at the Sydney 2000 games, Daniel Marsden ran three coaching clinics at the Mittagong pool last weekend.

While the weather saw many sports affected, getting into the pool was a relief, especially with such a talented teacher.

"I just love to see the kids enjoying this great sport and having fun, that's my motivation, I have taken a great deal from the game and it is nice to put something back," an enthusiastic Daniel Marsden said.

Daniel started playing as a 12 year old, following in the footsteps of his older brother at Drummoyne Boys High. He made the Combined High Schools (CHS) side, as a year 7 student, an honour usually reserved for Y11 or Y12 students.

"I started as a goalie, but it was frustrating when our players weren't scoring goals, I wanted to get out there into the attack, so I changed to a field player. One of my early coaches advised me to stay in goals as I'd never make it as a field player, I'm pleased I didn't take his advice!"

Daniel put the young players through a series of different drills and introduced some skills that are not often used in games.

"These skills are fun and they teach the children awareness of their body in the water in relation to the ball, it also gives them an awareness of other options and ways of thinking in the game, they need to be able to think outside the square."

"Sports, such as water polo give children confidence, if they get into a game and try new things then that's great and I think it carries over into other aspects of their lives," he added.

"Daniel has been involved with our local juniors for a number of years but it has usually been in Canberra, this year he has come to our local pool to especially help the younger players who may not have been able to get away for a whole weekend. We are lucky to have people of such high quality and calibre willing to help us. Highlands Golf Club should be thanked, as they helped us bring this about as well," Bowral Water Polo Club president Miles Lockhead said. With a number of our local juniors now making it into representative teams, including Erin Douglass making it into the National squad, it shows what can happen from the depths of Mittagong pool. What is for certain is that there are plenty of young players being given the opportunity to enjoy this game, at what ever level they choose to aspire to, here in the Southern Highlands.