BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) looks back at the outstanding athletes, referees and coaches who made Hall of Fame caliber marks on the league.
A Fall 2013 inductee to the league Hall of Fame, Simon Gould helped place the University of Arkansas-Little Rock on the national stage as the two-time All-America selection led his team to the 1988 and 1989 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship tournaments.
A four-time Southern Division Championship Most Valuable Player (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990) and three-time Arkansas-Little Rock Scholar-Athlete Award pick (1987, 1988, 1989) with Chancellor’s List honors in the Fall of 1989, Gould was the leading scorer for the program during all four-years (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990) and was selected First Team All-Conference each season during his intercollegiate career.
Selected to the All-Eastern Championship, now known as the CWPA Championship, All-Tournament Team three-times during his career, he garnered Eastern Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in 1989.
Following a freshman season in which Gould claimed Southern Championship MVP and All-Conference First Team notice, Gould once against claimed Southern Championship MVP and All-Conference First Team honors as he guided Arkansas-Little Rock to a seventh place mark at the 1988 NCAA Championship hosted in Long Beach, Calif. and received All-America Honorable Mention accolades.
His best season came in 1989 as a junior as he picked up his third Southern Championship MVP award and received MVP honors at the Eastern Championship hosted by the United States Naval Academy for leading Arkansas-Little to the league title against Brown University. Gould guided the program to an eighth place finish at the NCAA Championship hosted in Indianapolis, Ind. and claimed All-America Third Team honors.
The 1990 Southern Championship MVP, he graduated in the upper 25 percent of his class from Arkansas-Little Rock in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Health Education and Science.
He continued his playing career on the international level as he played for his native Australia in 45 international contests between 1984 and 1994, including a pair of Junior World Championships and two World University Games competitions. During one of the World University Games, he led Australia to a fourth place mark.
His list of accomplishments on the International Level are significant:
- 45 International Representative Games for Australia in Water Polo, 1984 – 1994
- Australian Men’s Water Polo Squad, 1990 – 1994 (participated in the Test Series vs U.S.A, Italy and China)
- Prospective member for the Australian Olympic Water Polo Team, 1992
- Australian Institute of Sport Water Polo Squad, 1991, 1992, 1994
- Australian Water Polo Team – World Universiade Games, 1991 (4th Place in Sheffield, United Kingdom, highest goal scorer for the Australian Team) and 1993 (Buffalo, U.S.A)
- Australian Junior Men’s Water Polo Team, World Championships 1985 (Istanbul, Turkey) and 1987 (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
- Member of the West Water Polo Club, Runners Up in the National League Water Polo Championships, 1994, 1993 (Third Place in 1992)
- New South Wales Water Polo Representative and Gold Medalist at the National Water Polo Championships, 1994, 1993, 1992
- Australian Schoolboy’s Water Polo Team (1984, 1985-Captain)
For his performance, Gould was inducted into the Albury/Wodonga Sporting Hall of Fame in 1996 and received one Full Blue from the University of Canbarra Sports Association in 1993.
He served as Junior/Senior Water Polo Coach at Footscray Water Polo Club in Melbourne (2001-06) and Open and Junior Water Polo Coach at Loreto Mandeville Hall in Melbourne (2002-03), while leading the Ovens & Murray Water Polo Association to the 2001 New South Wales Country Districts title in 2001.
The Australian Schoolboys Water Polo Head Coach and Selector from 1996-98, he oversaw the team’s tour of Italy and New Zealand in 1997.
The Assistant Swimming Coach and Supervisor in Charge of the Learn-to-Swim Programs for Leichardt Park Aquatics Centre in Sydney (1997-98), he served as coach of the Sydney University Lions Water Polo team in 1997-98 and led the team to the New South Wales Water Polo Association Championship in both the Junior and Colt divisions.
He served as head water polo coach for The Scot College in Sydney, Australia (1996-98), leading the team to the New South Wales Independent Schools Invitational Championship, in addition to serving as head coach/selector/referee convener for the New South Wales Combined Independent Schools Invitational Water Polo Team/competition from 1996-98. Further, he served as the New South Wales All-Schools Water Polo Head Coach and a Committee Member from 1996-98 and guided the team to the National Schoolboy Championship.
The 1998 New South Wales Combined Independent Schools Coach of the Year for significant contribution to the sport of water polo, he garnered the 1996-98 New South Wales Combined Independent Schools Outstanding Team Secondary Award.
He has volunteered his time as a Team Liaison Assistant for the German Men’s National Water Polo Team at the 12th FINA World Championship in Melbourne (2007), in addition to serving as the Development Director and a Board Member of Victorian Water Polo, Inc. (2003). The Water Polo Secretary for the New South Wales Combined Independent Schools in Sydney (1997-98), he served on the Sports Management Sub-Committee for the Sport of Water Polo and the New South Wales Combined Independent Schools Invitational (1997-98).
On the academic level, Gould continued his education following his days in Little Rock by earning a Bachelor of Education Degree in Physical Education and Science from the University of Canberra in 1994, a Masters of Education Degree in Health Education from the University of Sydney in 1998 and a Graduate Diploma of Sports Business from Victoria University of Technology in 2003.
He is currently accredited by the Australia National Coaching Scheme in water polo, swimming and soccer, and is a certified teacher in Health Education (Year 7-12), Physical Education (Year 7-12) and Science (Year 7-12).
