Coach Johnny Bega
Coach Johnny Bega is the owner and co-founder of Santa Clara Valley Water Polo Club. Coach Bega is the Head Coach of Santa Clara Valley Water Polo Club. He creates and runs all training sessions, scrimmages and tournaments hosted by the club. He also serves as the Associate Head Coach of San Jose State University's Women's team and the Head Coach of the Los Altos High School Boys Water Polo team.
Coach Johnny Bega has successfully coached athletes at the youth, high school and college level since 1996. As the head coach of the Long Beach Shore Aquatics Club from 1996 until 2002, his teams won five gold medals, seven silver medals and four bronze medals at the Junior Olympics. He has also 3 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 3 bronze medals at the Speedo Cup (National Championships for 14U boys and girls). He was also successful in creating and running his own water polo club Viking Aquatics in Long Beach. His high school team, Long Beach Wilson High School, earned the CIF boys Division I title three times (1997, 1998, 1999)
Coach Bega has USA water polo coaching experience as well. He was the coach of the National Youth Teams for boys and girls. He has also coached the National Junior boys teams and one of the first National Cadet coaches for USA.
Experience in coaching at camps around the Nation is highly recognized. Coach Bega has run water polo camps at the Colorado Springs Olympic training center (1998 to 2002), Texas Camps (2002, 2003), Philidelphia Camps (2009, 2010), Florida Camps (1998 to present) and California (1998 to present). He has also designed his own camp "Hyperformance Shooting and Goalie Girls ONLY Camp".
Coach Bega moved to Northern California in 2005 to coach SOLO Aquatics Club, located in Menlo Park, California. Coach Bega led the Menlo-Atherton High School boys team to a CCS boys Division I championship in 2007. The team also made CCS semi-final and final game appearances in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.
Coach Bega is currently the Head Coach of the Los Altos boys water polo program in Los Altos, California. He has helped the Los Altos Eagles to a CIF-CCS Semi-Final appearance in 2010 and 2011 coached his team to the CIF-CCS Division II Finals. He has developed a great respect and program here at Los Altos high school.
Coach Bega is currently in his 6th Season as the Associate Head Coach for San Jose State University's Women's program. He has helped coach his teams to great success and one of the top teams in the Nation. This past season SJSU Spartan's finished ranked 5th Nationally.
Coach Beth Harberts
Coach Beth joins us as the High School Girls Head Coach and assistant youth coach. Beth is a four-year letterman for San Jose State’s Division 1 Women’s Water Polo Team. She led the Spartans as team captain in 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons. While competing for SJSU, Beth was named NCAA All American by the National Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches in 2007 and 2008, All- MPSF Conference team in 2007 and also received the Adriane Riddle Award for Most Inspirational Player in 2007 and 2008. She is currently finishing up her graduate research in Sport Psychology through San Jose State. Coach Beth is the Head Women’s Water Polo Coach at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA.
Coach Chris Love
Chris Love joins Santa Clara Valley Water Polo club after coaching at the University of Hawaii (ranked 4th in the nation) for 3 years. He was the assistant coach for Michel Roy who is now the head coach of Canadian Junior National team. Chris is from the North shore of Oahu, Hawaii. He graduated from Kahuku High School, where he was the league’s Most Valuable Player for two years in a row. He began his collegiate career at University of Massachusetts, then spent the next three years back in Hawaii with Brigham Young University. After graduating college, Chris coached at several successful high schools in Hawaii before joining the University of Hawaii. Chris had the opportunity to coach an NCAA championship team, working with Olympic athletes and some the best shooters in the nation.Chris is currently the Head Coach of Los Altos Girls water polo progrm and guided the Eagles to a CIF-CCS Division II Final appearence, 2011.
Coach Aaron Waldrip
Aaron Waldrip is just joining us from Hawaii and brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience. Aaron has played and coached for the past 25 years in California and Hawaii. He was a scholar athlete at BYU-Hawaii as well as team captain. Aaron was the head coach of Kahuku and Miliani high schools where he helped guide the teams to multiple state championship tournaments. He also ran his own club in Hawaii and helped develop boys and girls of all ages. This past year, Aaron attended the Olympic Development Camp at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. Most recently, Aaron worked with Chris Love and Michel Roy at the University of Hawaii as an assistant coach for the women's water polo program. We are excited to have him with SCV water polo club and working with our athletes here in the Bay Area.
Coach Alex Bega
Coach Alex Bega is the owner and co-founder of Santa Clara Valley Water Polo Club. She is the club coordinator for all games, tournaments, coaches and events. Coach Alex Bega also assists Coach Johnny Bega with water polo practices and games.
Coach Alex Bega has taught private swim lessons since 1996 and has since served as an Aquatics Director, Head Lifeguard, swim team coach and water polo coach. She began her water polo officiating career in 2000, earning opportunities to travel nationally as a water polo referee.
Coach Alex Bega played collegiate water polo for Santa Clara University. She currently teaches mathematics at Saint Francis High School and coaches the Saint Francis Varsity boys water polo team.
Coach Alex Bega played collegiate water polo for Santa Clara University. She currently teaches mathematics at Saint Francis High School and coaches the Saint Francis Varsity boys water polo team.
Coach Lou Tully
Coach Lou Tully is the Head Coach of the Women's 18+ Water Polo team. He is in his 15th season as San Jose State University’s women’s water polo head coach. As the only coach of the SJSU Spartan program has ever known, Tully has taken the team from its infancy to a burgeoning national power. He also brings a wealth of knowledge from the high school level and club level. Coach Tully has great insight as a water polo referee for many years and a mentor to many as a coach and referee.
With his years of coaching experience, including 11 spent at various local high schools, winning league championships at Mt. Pleasant High School in 1977 and at Leland in 1997, Tully knows the importance that defense plays, starting with a strong, steady goalkeeper.
Tully’s connection to San Jose State runs deeper and longer than his years of coaching service, owning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the school in physical education.
As a long-time water polo official - he has officiated at every level, including the Junior Olympic Nationals, U.S. Senior Men’s and Women’s National Championships, community college state championships and NCAA Division I men’s and women’s matches - Tully knows well the physical nature of the game and how he needs to draw upon a number of players throughout a season.
As a teacher who holds a California Life Teaching Credential, Tully draws upon his years of experience as he continues to nurture the growth of the Spartan program.
With his years of coaching experience, including 11 spent at various local high schools, winning league championships at Mt. Pleasant High School in 1977 and at Leland in 1997, Tully knows the importance that defense plays, starting with a strong, steady goalkeeper.
Tully’s connection to San Jose State runs deeper and longer than his years of coaching service, owning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the school in physical education.
As a long-time water polo official - he has officiated at every level, including the Junior Olympic Nationals, U.S. Senior Men’s and Women’s National Championships, community college state championships and NCAA Division I men’s and women’s matches - Tully knows well the physical nature of the game and how he needs to draw upon a number of players throughout a season.
As a teacher who holds a California Life Teaching Credential, Tully draws upon his years of experience as he continues to nurture the growth of the Spartan program.
Coach Alex Popp
Alex is the 12 & under and 14 & under assistant coach for Santa Clara Valley Water Polo Club. He is currently a two-year letterman for Harvard University Men's Water Polo Team, for which he started as a sophomore. Alex graduated from Menlo Atherton High School, where he was the three-year starting goalkeeper on the Varsity Water Polo team. As co-captain of the water polo team in 2007, he led the Bears to a CCS Division I championship, the first in program history. As a senior, Alex was tabbed Peninsula Athletic League's Most Valuable Goalkeeper. He also received first-team All-CCS, third-team All-Norcal, and 8th team CA/HI All-American accolades. As a junior, he was an honorable mention All-CCS and All-PAL selection as Menlo Atherton reached the CCS finals. Alex played club water polo for SOLO all four years in high school, leading the 18 & under team to a club-best 11th place finish at the 2007 Junior Olympics, where he received honorable mention All-American honors.