Think of it as, uh, one part basketball, one part swimming . . . and one part wrestling.
And I thought it was just a bunch of guys screwin' around in a pool.
Water polo was a team water sport originating on Earth. It combined the skill of swimming with the basic rule sets and strategies of soccer and hockey.
The object of the sport was to score as many goals as possible, with each goal being worth one point. It was played in a swimming pool that was deep enough at all points "so that no one can touch the bottom". This naturally forced all players to be in constant motion throughout the match. Players could be temporarily ejected for comitting rules violations, or "fouls", thereby giving the opposing team a strategic advantage.
Stanford University scores a goal against the University of Texas in the 2151 water polo finals
Captain Jonathan Archer called water polo "the best sport in the world". He avidly followed seasonal progress in the game, especially as practiced by university men's teams. He was himself a practitioner of the sport, having competed in the 2134 North American Water Polo Regionals against Princeton. Consequent to a last-minute victory in that match, he also participated in the 2134 finals. He was a particular fan of the Stanford team, favoring them in the 2151 finals over the University of Texas. (ENT: "Vox Sola")
He was sent irregular information about current scores through official channels, being updated by both Starfleet Command and their allies, the Vulcan High Command. Sometimes, he would receive recordings of entire matches.
Archer works through the tragedy of Paraagan II with his water polo ball
He tried to improve awareness of the sport with his crew members, and was especially driven to inculcate Trip Tucker with an appreciation of its strategies. Tucker seemed to warm to the game, but neverless maintained a preference for American football. Archer briefly considered putting a swimming pool on Enterprise, but dismissed the thought when Tucker reminded him of the consequences of gravity plating failure on water.
T'Pol with the ball
Instead, Archer's main tangible connection to the sport was a water polo ball kept in his quarters aboard the Enterprise NX-01. He would often throw it against the walls of his quarters when trying to think through a problem. He also used it on occasion as a minor test of his crew's reflexes, unexpectedly throwing it at them in his quarters. (ENT: "Strange New World", "Vox Sola", "A Night in Sickbay", "The Seventh", "The Catwalk")
Archer's water polo bag.
While forced by Krem to load a Ferengi starship, Archer faked a pulled back muscle, which he claimed he got in an old water polo injury and that flaired up every now and then, in an attempt to distract and delay the Ferengi from successfully raiding his ship. (ENT: "Acquisition")
Captain Archer owned a bag with the logo of the "2134 North American Water Polo Regionals". Whenever he left the ship for more than a day, he would take the bag with him. (ENT: "Desert Crossing", "Two Days and Two Nights", "Cogenitor") As explained in "Vox Sola", the match had a particular relevance to leadership, as it had taught him the value of believing he would succeed, even when defeat seemed the more likely outcome.
Background
- An implication of Archer's stated allegiance and history with this sport is that he likely attended Stanford. Dialogue in "Vox Sola" makes it clear that he played for a Californian team during his senior year, while a discussion with Phlox in "Broken Bow" establishes that, prior to the launch of the NX-01, Archer had always lived in San Francisco — a city that effectively neighbors Stanford.
- Despite a brief glimpse of the water polo ball in "Broken Bow", the first clear reference to Archer's enthusiasm for the game is in "Strange New World", when Archer surprises Reed by throwing the ball at him. As his armory officer catches the ball, Archer notes that Reed "would've made a good 2-metre man".
- The fact that Texas is included in the finals suggests an expansion of interest in the sport beyond the current reality. In real life, the Texas team is ineligible for the finals, as it is unrecognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Moreover, no non-Californian school has ever competed in the finals since their inception in 1969.