When kids from Commerce, a small working-class city outside of Los Angeles, are asked who their heroes are, they will, more often than not, mention local residents Brenda Villa and Patty Cardenas. Villa and Cardenas were both key members of the Women’s Olympic Water Polo Team from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and they are both products of the Commerce Water Polo Club. 

Recognizing the impact that the water polo club could have on the youth of the community, the City of Commerce employs five coaches—two full-time and three half-time—and spends over $250,000 on water polo programs each year. The city pays for tournament travel, for entry fees, and for pool time in a state-of-the-art facility – all with the goal of keeping kids busy swimming and practicing water polo. To date, the efforts are paying off. Communities surrounding Commerce all have rampant gang activity, but it is absent in the city of 12,500. 

Weekends are filled with games and tournaments for members of the Commerce Water Polo Club, and the pool is the social hub for this community of mostly Latino-Americans. Their “aquatorium” offers something for all ages, six months to 60+ year olds, with swim lessons, aerobic classes, recreational swims, and first aid classes.

The team atmosphere of the water polo club and the pool’s role as a community center fosters a sense of belonging and pride in Commerce. Success in the athletic arena can also transfer to success in the academic arena—Villa played water polo at Stanford, Cardenas is a senior at the University of Southern California, and high school teams take the center stage during the academic year.

Whatever occasion is celebrated in Commerce, water polo will likely be involved. What began as a break from monotonous swim practices 30 years ago has exploded into one of the best known water polo clubs in the country, one that has instilled a sense of community pride in the citizens of Commerce.

For more information, visit: http://www.commerceaquatics.org/Home.jsp?team=comm