Sinclair to coach Newport Harbor girls’ water polo
The search was not far, or long, to discover the next girls’ water polo coach at Newport Harbor High.
Sailors boys’ water polo coach Ross Sinclair will also now lead the girls’ program, athletic director Jerry Murray announced in an email Wednesday.
“It’s going to be a lot of work and responsibility, which I’m excited for,” said Sinclair, 32. “I’m excited for the community to come together.”
Murray had previously said that Sinclair would lead the girls’ program on an interim basis, but he is now the permanent coach after Brian Melstrom, who had been head coach for three seasons, said Tuesday that he was retiring from coaching. Melstrom led Newport Harbor to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 title on Feb. 24.
“Coach Sinclair brings a wealth of knowledge and coaching experience and is the perfect person to replace the retiring Coach Melstrom,” Murray said in the email.
Sinclair completed his third season coaching the Newport Harbor boys’ water polo team last fall. The Sailors improved each season, finishing 25-7 in 2017 and advancing to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals and the CIF State Southern California Regional Division I title game.
Prior to coaching at Newport Harbor, Sinclair coached the Corona del Mar girls’ water polo team for two years. He also has experience coaching girls in the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program, where he has been an assistant coach on the cadet national team and youth national team.
“I think that experience kind of made it easier to make this decision,” Sinclair said.
Sinclair is a walk-on coach at Newport Harbor, though he said he’s working on getting his teaching credential. He was substitute teaching at Newport Harbor prior to the birth of his first child, Avalon, in November.
Sinclair said the plan is to merge the boys’ and girls’ club water polo programs at the school, with the Newport Water Polo Foundation girls coming back under the umbrella of Newport Beach Water Polo.
Twitter: @mjszabo
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