BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Penn State Behrend head men’s and women’s water polo coach Gina Bella Mata’afa will present the February 12 “Coaches Corner” episode on “Defensive Strategy/Recognizing Team Strength and Weaknesses”.
A webinar series on Zoom to help club teams have the resources and confidence to run productive practices throughout their season, archives of each “Coaches Corner” discussion are available under the Membership tab of the CWPA website for later viewing.
All presentations are open for collegiate club, varsity, fans, officials and the general public to view at no cost.
Gina Bella Mata’afa
, Penn State Behrend Men’s & Women’s Varsity Head Coach
Wednesday, February 12 / 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Coaches Corner is a webinar series to help club teams have the resources and confidence to run productive practices throughout their season. Special guest Gina Bella Mata’afa, head coach of the Penn State Behrend men’s and women’s water polo teams, will discuss “Defensive Strategy/Recognizing Team Strength and Weaknesses””.
- Zoom Link: CLICK HERE
- Meeting ID: 883 0011 9660
- Passcode: 8tHs9e
In her first season as head coach of the Penn State Behrend men’s program, Mata’afa was named the 2023 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) East Coach of the Year, becoming the first-ever head coach in program history to receive this honor. She led the Lions to seven regular-season wins, tying the program record that was achieved just two other times since 2000. Behrend also picked up two conference victories this season, which is a program first. Mata’afa is also the first head coach in program history to land six student-athletes on the All-MPSF Team.
Prior to Behrend, Mata’afa spent the last four years in Italy, including three as a professional athlete and one as an assistant coach for the U-18 team. In 2017, she led the Rari Nantes Imperia to win the League Championship as their top goal scorer and starting center. Mata’afa also spent two years with the Rari Nantes Bologna team. She helped them to three championships playoffs and was in the Top 10 in the league for scoring.
Mata’afa played four years at Notre Dame College in Ohio and graduated with a degree in public relation and communication in May 2015. While at Notre Dame, she was a two-time captain and CWPA All-Conference selection. In 2015, Mata’fa earned her third Offensive Player of the Year Award and the team’s Most Valuable Player.
After graduation she spent a year at England’s Durham University while getting a master’s degree in international management. It was after that final season that she was contacted by a sports agency called Palombella, which recruits players for professional teams in Italy.
