Women's Water Polo

 

Water Polo Coaching Staff

   
Picture of Coach - Kopp
 Kyle Kopp
Head Coach

Kyle Kopp named Women’s Water Polo and Swim Coach at Golden West College.  Kopp will become the first full-time faculty member at Golden West for Women’s Water Polo and Swimming.  He has an extensive background in water polo where he has been an assistant coach for the Women’s National Team since 2001.  Kopp (current National Team Assistant Coach) will finish out the summer with the Olympic Team where the Women’s Water Polo Team are seated #1 in the world, and are this years favorite to take home the gold in the Beijing Olympics.  
 
Kopp is a 1996 and 2000 Olympian, and during his career he was known for his aggressive style of play and tireless work ethic. While with the National Team, Kopp was party to a 1997 FINA World Cup gold medal and two Pan American Games gold medals in 1995 and 1999.  In his playing days at Long Beach State, Kopp was a three-time All-American and All-Big West selection, capturing All-Tournament Team honors at the NCAA Championships in 1988 and 1989. In 1988, Kopp was named the Big West Most Valuable Player after leading all scorers at the NCAA tournament. 

Guy Baker (US National Team Head Coach) and Kyle Kopp are responsible for the development of P.A.C.E clinics which are geared towards teaching and educating local coaches, and athletes on the system that is identified as one of the best in the world.  “I am really excited about the opportunity to teach and coach at Golden West.  Huntington Beach is a great location to help with development of water polo in and around our surrounding community,” remarked Kopp.
Picture of Coach - Moody
Heather Moody
Assistant Coach

Heather begins her sixth season as a coach at Golden West College. She is also the assistant coach for the Women's National Team. Heather was the captain of the National Team from 2001 to 2004. In 1999 and 2001, Heather was United States Water Polo Player of the Year.

In 2000 she took a leave of absence from coaching at Golden West to play professional water polo. Moody became the first American woman to play professional water polo, signing with Club Voulagmeni in Greece. Over the next 4 years, she was a member of the gold medal team at the 2003 world championships in Barcelona, earned an Olympic silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Games in water polo and represented the United States again in 2004, taking home the bronze medal in the Athens games.