Water Polo: Barrett in top five in country for age group (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Water Polo: Barrett in top five in country for age group

2:13pm Wednesday 14th December 2011 in Sport By Patrick O'Kane, Senior News/Sport Reporter

A YOUNG water polo player from Sedbergh has been a splash hit with his coaches as he progresses through the England Talent Programme.

Josh Barrett, 14, from Sedbergh, is currently part of the Great Britain squad for under 14s after coming through a rigorous selection process and is now aiming to compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

From thousands of boys invited to apply for trials, numbers were whittled down to almost 30 and now ring winger Barrett travels to Cardiff once a month to take part in the programme.

He was recently asked to take part in a training session with the 1996 squad and could be selected to play for the squad in the European Championships in 2013.

His mother Lesley said: “Josh started playing aged nine in Lancaster where he was already swimming and he just got into water polo by attending a session after swimming.

“We have just been down to Cardiff again and he has had another successful session and his selection for the 1996 squad means he is now in the top five per cent in the country for his age group.”

A keen sportsman, Barrett, who attends Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale, plays water polo for Lancaster City and Kendal clubs, swims for Lancaster and Troutbeck Bridge, plays under 14 rugby with Kirkby Lonsdale, plays cricket for Sedbergh Cricket Club and trains twice a week at Lancaster and Morecambe Athletics Club.

He recently started judo at Kendal Dojo with the aim to increase his core strength and attends the Kendal Elite Sports Academy.

Ms Barrett added: “Josh is quite competitive and loves his team sport but he really enjoys his water polo and succeeds at it. He trains in Lancaster four times a week but with all his other commitments he seems to be training all the time.”