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GBR star Ciaran James tells us about life as a professional polo player - June 30, 2018
Ciaran James has enjoyed a hugely successful water polo career, playing professionally for several clubs across Europe and representing Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics.
With Ciaran, 26, now playing in Lille, France, and having recently returned to the national senior team, our Alice Reeves-Turner took the opportunity to chat with him about his time in the sport…
Q: How and when did you first get into water polo?
A: I was 10 and I remember it very clearly – I had just finished a one-and-a-half-hour swim session and the older guys were sorting the pool out for the polo session after. I asked my mum if I could join in and with two words she started off my career: “of course”.
Q: What do you feel gave you the edge over others to allow you to reach such a high level?
A: My first coach was Ron Winn. He taught me from the time I started polo, through to when I left Lancaster for Grantham collage. He ingrained in me that hard work beats talent, and so I go into every training session with the attitude and mind-set of working as hard as possible to be the best.
Q: Which clubs have you played for?
A: My first professional contract was in the Netherlands for PSV Eindhoven. I was put up in a two-bedroom apartment with three other players and given a job at a local supermarket for extra cash while we trained twice a day.
My second club (the year before the Olympics) was SC Cannstatt in Germany. Whilst there, I was able to prove I deserved a place in the London 2012 squad and following the Games I was lucky enough to negotiate a new professional contract in Barcelona.
After that I played for Sete, Bucharest, Aix en Provence and Balmain Tigers before joining my current side – EN Tourcoing in Lille
Q: How did your training compare in England to in Europe and Is it the same level or better?
A: Training always changes because you don’t have the same coach and coaches. All of them have different styles and experience. You also have the choice in yourself to work hard or not, and if you work hard, the training for everybody in the pool will be better, I assure you.
Q: How does it feel to represent your country and when did you first do so?
A: It is and always will be an honour to play for my country. Each time evokes the same sense of pride I experienced when I first played for the Great Britain senior team. I had just turned 17 and went to Slovenia for an international tournament.
Q: How does it feel being back playing for your country and hearing the national anthem again before games?
A: It’s a great feeling and I hope to continue to represent my country in the future.
Q: What sacrifices have you had to make to reach this level?
A: I wouldn’t be able to list all the sacrifices I’ve made, as I have given most of my life to the sport, but I have no regrets at all. When I am able to show people what I can do in the water, it makes it all worth it.
Q: How does your sport affect your life outside the pool?
A: In Lille I have 10 pool sessions a week with 3-4 gym sessions, plus a match each weekend, so it’s a full-time job that keeps you fit. As I train so much, I need to eat a lot of the right foods to keep my energy levels high. Taking on-board protein at night and making sure I eat healthily comes high on the list of importance.
Q: What was the experience of representing Great Britain at London 2012 like?
A: To be involved in those Olympics was and always will be one of the biggest highlights of my life. The memories of the build-up and the two weeks of competition will stay with me forever. I have to also mention the great support we had from friends and family – they were awesome and made the whole team feel blessed.
Q: How do you feel about your recent return to the England/GB team and what’s your view on the immediate future of the set-up in the UK?
A: It’s great to have the national squads back up and running, and I’m very excited about performing with the team again. We have some old boys within the set-up, who I am familiar with, and some young lads wanting to make their mark. This has turned out great, as there is some real healthy competition for places.
Q: What advice would you give to any junior players reading this and hoping to emulate the success you’ve had, playing abroad and as a professional?
A: I would tell them to stand out as much as possible, score goals that nobody else can score, steal balls off players who are better than you and, most of all, work hard at all aspects of the game so you can destroy the opposition and come out of the pool with the win.
Q: Water polo is often viewed as a niche sport,so how do you think awareness of it could be raised?
A: Having the senior national teams back is anessential component of leading the way to Europe, and providing a standard for young kids, who are maybe starting their training, to look up to. I remember a GB match being played in Manchester and I was lucky enough to be there to watch. The lads were up against Italy in the World League and I was sat next to a father with his kids. He had just spotted a poster promoting the match and had decided to take his kids, despite knowing next to nothing about the sport. The atmosphere was amazing and there weren’t enough seats for everyone watching. Hopefully we can recreate more special nights like that in the future.
Many thanks Ciaran for taking time out to speak with us, and we look forward to watching you playing for England, and GBR, soon!
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Latest News
GBR star Ciaran James tells us about life as a professional polo player -
Ciaran James has enjoyed a hugely successful water polo career, playing professionally for several clubs across Europe and representing Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics.
With Ciaran, 26, now playing in Lille, France, and having recently returned to the national senior team, our Alice Reeves-Turner took the opportunity to chat with him about his time in the sport…
Q: How and when did you first get into water polo?
A: I was 10 and I remember it very clearly – I had just finished a one-and-a-half-hour swim session and the older guys were sorting the pool out for the polo session after. I asked my mum if I could join in and with two words she started off my career: “of course”.
Q: What do you feel gave you the edge over others to allow you to reach such a high level?
A: My first coach was Ron Winn. He taught me from the time I started polo, through to when I left Lancaster for Grantham collage. He ingrained in me that hard work beats talent, and so I go into every training session with the attitude and mind-set of working as hard as possible to be the best.
Q: Which clubs have you played for?
A: My first professional contract was in the Netherlands for PSV Eindhoven. I was put up in a two-bedroom apartment with three other players and given a job at a local supermarket for extra cash while we trained twice a day.
My second club (the year before the Olympics) was SC Cannstatt in Germany. Whilst there, I was able to prove I deserved a place in the London 2012 squad and following the Games I was lucky enough to negotiate a new professional contract in Barcelona.
After that I played for Sete, Bucharest, Aix en Provence and Balmain Tigers before joining my current side – EN Tourcoing in Lille
Q: How did your training compare in England to in Europe and Is it the same level or better?
A: Training always changes because you don’t have the same coach and coaches. All of them have different styles and experience. You also have the choice in yourself to work hard or not, and if you work hard, the training for everybody in the pool will be better, I assure you.
Q: How does it feel to represent your country and when did you first do so?
A: It is and always will be an honour to play for my country. Each time evokes the same sense of pride I experienced when I first played for the Great Britain senior team. I had just turned 17 and went to Slovenia for an international tournament.
Q: How does it feel being back playing for your country and hearing the national anthem again before games?
A: It’s a great feeling and I hope to continue to represent my country in the future.
Q: What sacrifices have you had to make to reach this level?
A: I wouldn’t be able to list all the sacrifices I’ve made, as I have given most of my life to the sport, but I have no regrets at all. When I am able to show people what I can do in the water, it makes it all worth it.
Q: How does your sport affect your life outside the pool?
A: In Lille I have 10 pool sessions a week with 3-4 gym sessions, plus a match each weekend, so it’s a full-time job that keeps you fit. As I train so much, I need to eat a lot of the right foods to keep my energy levels high. Taking on-board protein at night and making sure I eat healthily comes high on the list of importance.
Q: What was the experience of representing Great Britain at London 2012 like?
A: To be involved in those Olympics was and always will be one of the biggest highlights of my life. The memories of the build-up and the two weeks of competition will stay with me forever. I have to also mention the great support we had from friends and family – they were awesome and made the whole team feel blessed.
Q: How do you feel about your recent return to the England/GB team and what’s your view on the immediate future of the set-up in the UK?
A: It’s great to have the national squads back up and running, and I’m very excited about performing with the team again. We have some old boys within the set-up, who I am familiar with, and some young lads wanting to make their mark. This has turned out great, as there is some real healthy competition for places.
Q: What advice would you give to any junior players reading this and hoping to emulate the success you’ve had, playing abroad and as a professional?
A: I would tell them to stand out as much as possible, score goals that nobody else can score, steal balls off players who are better than you and, most of all, work hard at all aspects of the game so you can destroy the opposition and come out of the pool with the win.
Q: Water polo is often viewed as a niche sport,so how do you think awareness of it could be raised?
A: Having the senior national teams back is anessential component of leading the way to Europe, and providing a standard for young kids, who are maybe starting their training, to look up to. I remember a GB match being played in Manchester and I was lucky enough to be there to watch. The lads were up against Italy in the World League and I was sat next to a father with his kids. He had just spotted a poster promoting the match and had decided to take his kids, despite knowing next to nothing about the sport. The atmosphere was amazing and there weren’t enough seats for everyone watching. Hopefully we can recreate more special nights like that in the future.
Many thanks Ciaran for taking time out to speak with us, and we look forward to watching you playing for England, and GBR, soon!
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