Armed with an enduring love of water polo, Orcutt resident Kelly Porter is bringing back the opportunity for 8 to 13-year-olds to train in the sport early and eventually become the water polo teams of our area high schools.
          The group, One Way Water Polo under the umbrella of Orcutt Polo Association (OPA), offers young students training, nine months a year, with practices twice a week, to build the strength and skill that water polo requires.
          Porter, born and raised in Orcutt, has taught physical education for over 30 years. He always loved the water as a surfer and a lifeguard, which he still does. 
          In the 10th grade at Righetti High School, his cousin, biology teacher Rich Chavis, introduced him to water polo. Porter left football, wrestling, and baseball behind. “Water polo is my whole life,“he says, recounting being the first Hall of Famer in aquatics. 
From Righetti, Porter went to Cuesta College, where he is still the leading scorer of all time in men’s water polo. A full scholarship in aquatics to University of Pacific in Stockton, California, paid his college tuition, followed by a professional position in Australia.
          Porter has taught and coached at Fesler Junior High in Santa Maria for 26 years, and now teaches at Arellanes Elementary School in the Tanglewood subdivision. He is enthusiastic as he speaks about passing on empathy and social skills as well as his excitement about bringing water polo skills to elementary-aged kids.
          Along with Charlie Bell, a close friend and water polo coach at Santa Maria High School, and former coaches Kyle Schafer and Scott Turton, Porter restarted One Way Water Polo after it closed during Covid. It had operated since 2008, created by Bell and Rob Knight, and turned out experienced competitive swimmers for the high school water polo teams.
          “My junior varsity team did not have the skill to get up and down the pool because they didn’t have consistent pool access,” explains Porter, who wants the high school teams to be competitive with neighboring towns like Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo and Atascadero. Since November 2024, the group has trained at the Righetti pool. 
Porter says One Way builds discipline, much needed in competitive water polo. “It’s like wrestling in water,“he says. “It’s hard work. You become chiseled and fit.” Porter believes that because he came to the sport as a surfer, swimmer, and lifeguard, he was ready to be competitive. “I want [kids] to try the sport that changed my life and now it’s accessible for everyone.” He hopes there will be enough students interested in water polo to have scrimmages with teams in Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo. Then, these kids will become the high school water polo stars of the future.
          One Way Water Polo costs approximately $130 per 3-month session. Students can try the training for free for two weeks to see if they like it. Scholarships are available. Practices are twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays with three months rest in the fall. Players will need a USA water polo membership for insurance from waterpolo.com.
          As a non-profit organization, One Way Water Polo is always in need of financial and volunteer support. To get more information or sign up, call Kelly Porter at 805-550-9437. His email is kbpndtube@gmail.com.