BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — University of Michigan women’s water polo head coach/former Harvard University assistant coach Cassie Churnside and former Brown University men’s & women’s head coach/Arizona State University women’s head coach/Villanova University assistant coach Todd Clapper are among the presenters announced for the Fall 2025 USA Water Polo Virtual Coach Academy Education Series.
Virtual Coach Academies are $35 for USAWP members or $45 for non-members. The project is funded partially funded by the World Aquatics Support Program.
Sunday, September 14 — Todd Clapper (1:00-3:00 p.m. Pacific/10:00 a.m.-Noon Eastern)
“Your Season Just Ended — Now What?!”
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Learn how to conduct a 360-degree review and SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity,Threat) analysis of a program through the lens of athlete development. This session will also guide you in structuring a comprehensive annual plan by breaking down the four key phases: off-season, pre-season, in-season and post-season. Discover how to build individualized development plans that align with both team goals and athlete growth.
Clapper was a four-year letter winner for Slippery Rock University, helping the team attain a Top-15 national ranking. As the starting goalie, he captained the team as a senior in 1996, the same year he was also selected second-team all-conference. A walk-on that became the starter in goal by the end of his sophomore season, he graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in Exercise Science (aquatic emphasis) and also attained a minor in Adapted Physical Activity and Rehabilitation.
He stayed on with his alma mater and served as an assistant coach for the women’s team for one season before taking on assistant coaching duties at Villanova.
After a one-year head coaching stint at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pa., Clapper took over at Brown University where he mentored a pair of teams as the head coach for both the men’s and women’s water polo squads from 1998-2004. For his efforts at Brown he earned several Coach of the Year awards, including New England (2000), Eastern Championship (2001 and 2003), Northern Division (2002) and Northeastern (2004). He closed out his tenure with the Bears’ women’s program with a record of 105-73 while seeing his team post 18 or more wins in each of his last four seasons, including 22 victories in 2001 and 20 in 2002.
He was hired as head coach of the Arizona State women’s water polo team in 2005 after serving as an assistant coach for the team for a single season. He has led the Sun Devils to perennial placements in the national Top-10 rankings and two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship appearances prior to stepping down in 2022.
During his time in Tempe, Clapper served as the 2005 United States Junior National Team assistant coach before being selected as the 2006 U.S. Youth National coach. That year, he led the youth team into the Pan-Am Championships in Montreal, Canada where the team, playing up an age level, brought home gold. For his efforts he was named the 2006 USOC National Water Polo Coach of the Year. In 2008 and 2009 Clapper was the head coach of the New Zealand Women’s National Team.
Sunday, November 9 — Cassie Churnside (1:00-3:00 p.m. Pacific/10:00 a.m.-Noon Eastern)
“Beyond Drills: Developing Training Environments Conducive to Real Learning”
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Learn how coaches can move beyond traditional, static practices and focus on creating dynamic training environments that promote real, transferable learning. We’ll explore how to design sessions and create drills that reflect the game, encourage decision-making, and foster deeper understanding so athletes not only improve but retain and apply what they have learned. Ideal for coaches looking to elevate the purpose and impact of every minute spent in the water.
Cassie Churnside played a pivotal role in Stanford Universty’s national championship victories in 2011 and 2012 as a standout athlete. After graduating from Stanford in 2012 with a degree in communication, she spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at Harvard University shaping both the men’s and women’s programs. During her time there, she guided the Crimson women to their first-ever Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship game appearance, and was integral to the Harvard men posting a historic undefeated regular season and conference championships. In 2022, Churnside was named head coach of the University of Michigan women’s water polo team. In her debut season, she led the team to a 23–10 overall record, a 9–1 conference showing, and a third-place finish at the CWPA Championship.
From winning national titles as a player at Stanford to building competitive success at Harvard and now leading Michigan’s program, Cassie Churnside has made it a priority to create training environments that mirror the realities of game play. In her session, “Beyond Drills: Developing Training Environments Conducive to Real Learning,” she draws on this experience to show how coaches can make every minute in the pool purposeful. Her approach blends dynamic, game-like scenarios with intentional decision-making opportunities, ensuring athletes not only improve but also retain and apply what they’ve learned. It’s a philosophy she has carried throughout her career, and one that has consistently translated into athlete growth and competitive success.
Information courtesy USAWP
