BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Longtime collegiate and international official/Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Coordinator of Officials and varsity officiating assignor Michael Goldenberg adds another trophy to his collection as the head coach of the Florida State Champion St. Thomas Aquinas High School team was named the Florida High School Athletic Association Boys’ Water Polo Coach of the Year,
Goldenberg led his Fort Lauderdale based Raiders’ squad to a 26-4 record and the FHSAA boys’ state title. For Goldenberg, it was his seventh appearance in the state championship game since 2012 with two other title-game wins (2013 and 2023).
In 2025, he led the Raiders to district and region championships, further solidifying the program’s reputation for sustained excellence. Additionally, he has secured multiple regional championships throughout his tenure, demonstrating a standard of consistency that few programs can match. His coaching abilities and leadership have earned him recognition as Broward County Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel Coach of the Year on multiple occasions.
In addition to coaching at St. Thomas Aquinas, Michael manages the South Florida Water Polo Club, a highly competitive travel program based in Pompano Beach, Fla.
A long-time official on the collegiate and international levels, Goldenberg – who also serves as the Water Polo Technical Committee Chairman for the 2029 International University Sports Federation (FISU)-Summer World University Games – handles assignments for varsity contests at all CWPA/Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)/Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) institutions in addition to serving as a conduit for the recruitment, management and support of the varsity officiating ranks.
Among highlights of his officiating career, he called the Gold Medal match at the 2019 World Championships and the men’s Gold Medal match at the 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The recipient of the 2022 Bret Bernard National Referee Award (Elite) from USA Water Polo, he officiated collegiate competition from 1993-to-2024 and called CWPA, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship finals. He became an international referee (FINA) in 2003 and officiated Gold Medal games on a variety of levels around the globe.
