Home of the Fordham Water Polo and Swimming programs, the Colonel Francis B. Messmore Aquatics Center will also be home to Elite Polo this winter.  Located in the Vincent T. Lombardi Memorial Center, the 40-meter pool has eight lanes and adjustable bulkheads for competition by either meters or yards.  The pool also features a dry land exercise deck area and the diving wells allow for separate areas for instruction and warming up. 

Elite Camp Staff

MATT FLESHER

HEAD ASST. COACH, UC BERKELEY GOLDEN BEARS

5-TIME NCAA CHAMPION

3-TIME NCAA ALL-AMERICAN

Matt Flesher, a standout water polo player at UCLA who has been an assistant coach for both the Bruins' men's and women's water polo programs the past four years, is the new head assistant coach for the Cal women's water polo team.

This past Flesher helped guide the UCLA women to their fifth consecutive NCAA title with a 5-4 victory over No. 1 seed USC. In his three seasons working with the Bruin women, UCLA compiled a 93-8 record, including a perfect 33-0 mark in 2008. During Flesher's time assisting the Bruins, two players were the recipients of the Peter J. Cutino Award (named after the legendary Cal men's water polo coach) as the national player of the year, 17 players were named All-Americans and 21 athletes were selected All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

In assisting the UCLA men's water polo program, Flesher helped the Bruins to a 75-29 mark from 2005-08, coaching 19 players who were selected All-American and All-MPSF. In 2006, he was the head coach of the Los Angeles Water Polo Club's 16-Under boy's team that won the U.S. Water Polo National Championship.

As a collegiate player from 1999-2002, Flesher was a member of UCLA's back-to-back national champions in 1999 and 2000. He was a two-time All-American and was twice named All-MPSF, finishing his college career with 81 goals. Flesher earned his degree in political science from UCLA in 2002.

JAMES GRAHAM

HEAD COACH, UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC

2009 PACIFIC TIGERS - CURRENTLY NO. 10 IN NATIONAL RANKINGS

James is in his second season as head coach at University of the Pacific. James will continue to build on a Tiger program which has consistently been a force in the college ranks. The 2007 squad finished the year ranked No. 13 in the nation, while the 2006 Tigers finished with a record of 19-14 and a No. 7 national ranking. Since 2001, Pacific has produced 13 All-Americans and 16 all-conference student athletes.

From 2005-07, James served as the assistant coach for the United States National Youth Team, and recently traveled to Europe with the USA Men's Senior National Team as a part of their staff for the World Super Finals. James has been the head coach for the National 2-Meter Development Camp and Holiday Camp held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Col., over the past three years.

Prior to Pacific, Graham spent the past five seasons at Santa Rosa Junior College, building the Bear Cubs into a state power at the JC level. He led Santa Rosa JC to a record of 86-50-1 over his five years, including a third place finish at the California State Championships in 2007. The third place finish was the highest in school history, coming on the heels of a Big 8 Conference championship. For his efforts in 2007, he was named Big 8 Conference Coach of the Year. He won the same award in 2006, in addition to Northern California Coach of the Year honors, after leading the Bear Cubs to the Northern California championship.

BILL HARRIS

HEAD COACH, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
US WATER POLO HALL OF FAME

ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE HALL OF FAME

Bill Harris is in his sixth season as Head Water Polo Coach at Fordham University, having elevated the team's play and expectations over the past four seasons.

In 2008, Harris guided the Rams to a 13-10 overall record, posting the team's first winning season since 1987, and ended the season with a fifth place finish at the Northern Division Championship. Fordham also had two players earn CWPA All-Northern Division honors.

Harris immediately brought some respect back to Fordham, recording eight overall wins and three conference victories in 2004. He quickly followed that up with nine victories in 2005, and has brought in quality recruiting classes each offseason.

In 2006, Harris did another fantastic job posting an 11-11-1 mark, the first season for Fordham at or above the .500 mark in over a decade, while in 2007, the Rams matched that win total (11), playing a number of ranked opponents, as well as making their first trip to the West Coast.

Individually, Harris has helped two Rams earn All-CWPA Northern Division in each of the last four seasons (Paul Shrewsbury - 2005 Second Team, 2007 Second Team; Todd Conway - 2006 First Team; Alex Powell - 2008 First Team; Timmy Will - 2008 Second Team ).

Harris, who was the girls' varsity coach at Greenwich High School, brings a plethora of experience to Fordham. Prior to Greenwich High School, he served as the travel team coach for Greenwich Youth Water Polo from 2000-03, while also serving as an Age Group coach for the New York Athletic Club from 1995-2003. Harris was also the head coach for the NYAC Men's Team from 1982-87.

In addition to these coaching positions, Harris also currently serves as a USA Water Polo Gold Level coach.

A 1997 U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame inductee, Harris had a prolific playing career at St. Francis College, where he was a 1966 NCAA All-Amercian and a four-time ECAC All-Star Team selection, while helping St. Francis to four ECAC Championships and an undefeated conference record in those four seasons. He later was selected to the St. Francis College Athletic Hall of Fame as well.

Following his collegiate career, Harris represented the New York AthleticClub from 1967-92, where he was a member of eight National Championship teams. He was selected First Team All-America eight times as a member of the NYAC, and was 1973 and 1977 MVP for the National Championship Tournaments.