Humbert Uses Technology to Promote Water Polo

LONG ISLAND — Between hours spent in the pool training, competitions and dry-land conditioning and weight training, United States Water Polo National Team member Chris Humbert, Lodi, Calif., doesn’t have a whole lot of free time. In the time he is free from his obligations as a professional water polo player, Humbert is doing all he can to promote his sport.

Humbert runs a website devoted to water polo and is currently developing an interactive CD-ROM featuring the sport. Much of his extra time is spent learning new web-publishing techniques and building his programming skills.

"I think water polo is one of the greatest sports, but the public only sees us once every couple of years, when major international events occur," Humbert said. "These Goodwill Games are a chance for people to see water polo and the Olympic Games happen every four years."

United States Water Polo Executive Director Bruce Wigo applauds Humbert’s efforts to put water polo in the public eye.

"Chris is among the most recognized athletes in Greece, where he competes for a club team," Wigo said. "He can’t walk around in public without being mobbed ? he is a hero to the town of his club. He is one of the world’s best players, MVP of the World Cup and named World MVP by World Waterpolo magazine in Europe, and yet he plays in anonymity here in the United States. He is a smart guy and he’s putting his love of sports and love of technology to good use."