How can I improve my endurance while skiing?

I am starting WaterPolo so how can I improve my endurance, energy, eggbeating, and dribbling?

• Alright, so i want to join water polo. Actually, i just got back from my first practice. It was really, really grueling, especially for me, having zero experience in ANY sport. (well, if you count band, :D) So, i really can't get the hang of this egg-beating concept. Which direction do you turn your legs? I get they alternate, but for some reason, i cannot keep my head out of the water. Also, i tried dribbling the ball, and i cant manage to keep it in front of me. On top of all of that, i discovered that i also have zero endurance and stanima. I cant do pull a 50m without getting getting tired. Now, practices are everyday for 2 hours, and the first game is in 2 weeks. (we are planning to forfiet the first 2 games, we got a really really late start.) So, by two weeks, if the rest of the team is ready to compete, and im the only one who isn't strong enough to compete, i dont want them to forfiet the first 2 games because of me... So I need to up my endurance and stanima, learn to egg-beat and dribble. So like i said, practices are everyday, i dont have time to workout in between. ( I have tons of homework having 3 AP classes which i need to get all A's on, and on the weekend, I have to do chores all weekend. Plus, i only have my permit...) So what small things can i do like, when im sitting in class, or when im walking to class, or when im walking home after school, or when im folding clothes, or when im washing dishes, that can possibly help improve my stanima, egg-beating, and dribbling. Also, is there a special diet i should be following? Let's say i do happen to find free time, what can I do that does not involve gym equipment to improve the aforementioned skills? Finally...How long should i stretch before i hit the water? I cramped like half the time i was in practice. it was horrible watching everyone train while i sat there re-stretching. Is there a good stretching routine i should follow? Please help me

• Answer:

  i started water polo 4 years ago...and i gotta say those first few weeks were BAD here's some things you should do, because they worked for me too: 1. SWIM! swimming is the core of water polo...try to swim (if you have time to) on your own as extra practice. if you don't have time, which i guess you don't, then during practice work really hard on the swimming. you'll be tired but you'll get in shape faster...so it's worth it 2. eat right! eat your fruits and vegetables. avoid eating a lot of sugary candies and such..that gives you a rush of energy that soon dies off. eat a lot too. get in whatever carbs you can get your hands on...bread, crackers, rice, pasta, etc. this will give you more energy for practice. you can also try clif bars and such 3. manage your time. don't go online as much. do your homework if possible, in one sitting, or before practice if you can. also sleep early. for a sport like water polo you probably need at least 8 hours a night. you can also take 15-30 minute power naps in the daytime...but napping for an hour or more will make you groggy 4. buy a water polo ball, or get a used ball from your school if possible. most schools have a lot of extra equipment that will go in the trash anyway. ask if you can have a water polo ball to practice "ball-handling" even when you're not in the water. you can practice throwing and catching the ball against the wall. once you get more of a feel for the ball then dribbling is easier 5. dribbling! when you dribble you want to keep your hips up and kick really hard so that your hips don't fall back down again. as for the arms, quick fast strokes with your elbows out of the water to protect the ball. when you're dribbling, try using your arms to sort of pass the ball back and forth to keep it in front of you. do NOT use your face to dribble the ball. it hurts. 6. eggbeatering: you can sort of think of it as breaststroke kicking...but instead of doing both legs at the same time you use one at a time. and your legs go in circles. try to put your legs directly under your body instead of leaning on your stomach or your back check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWV4GHp03gA you should probably start off by eggbeatering while sitting on the pool deck so you can watch your lower legs 7. drink lots of water! bring water to practice. even though it's a water sport you still end up sweating and you need to replenish that. water will bring more oxygen to your body, and you will cramp less 8. as for stretching...i tend to get in the pool first. sometimes i'll get in before everyone else so that i can swim slowly and stretch my body out by doing slow and long strokes. warming up by swimming slowly really works. as for the dryland stretching, it's pretty hard to describe them here because i have different names and such. but usually we don't even do dryland stretching...we mostly stretch our arms and legs in the pool good luck with water polo! stay determined and work hard. this is a really cool sport and you will get a lot better in your first year