Florida water polo has arisen through the work of coaches, athletes, and programs willing to create opportunities at every level. In Gainesville, one of the names closely associated with that development is David Huelsman, whose coaching career has extended from swimming and youth athletics to collegiate and professional water polo.

Huelsman’s path into coaching began in California, where swimming and water polo were integral parts of his athletic background. While still in college, he coached swimming at Chino Hills High School and worked with competitive swimmers in the City of Corona. Those early experiences gave him an opportunity to work with athletes at different stages while developing his own approach to training and leadership.

When Huelsman moved to Gainesville in 2007, his coaching career advanced considerably. He worked across multiple sports, including baseball at Gainesville High School, before returning to swimming and diving. His swimming teams earned state-level success, including a second-place men’s finish at the 2013 State Championships and a women’s state championship in 2015.

That combination of swimming experience and broader coaching work would later turn into an influential part of his approach to water polo.

From California Swimming to Gainesville

The move to Gainesville was an exciting turning point in Huelsman’s career. His apprenticeship in swimming provided a strong foundation for working with athletes in the water, while his work across different sports broadened his understanding of coaching and team development.

Swimming and water polo teach different competitive skills, but they share core fundamentals. Water awareness, conditioning, body control and the ability to remain composed under pressure are valuable in both sports. Huelsman’s background gave him experience with those fundamentals before water polo became a larger part of his coaching career.

His work in Gainesville also placed him in an environment where prospects for water polo athletes were still developing. Creating those opportunities would eventually become one of the most memorable parts of his coaching career.

Building a Foundation for Young Athletes

A major step came in 2013 with the founding of Gator Water Polo in Gainesville. Huelsman was actively involved in getting the club’s first practices running in April 2013 and independently operated the program through its first summer.

What began as an avenue for local athletes to learn and compete in water polo developed into a larger youth program. Gator Water Polo has since grown into a structured partnership focused on athlete development, competitive matches and pathways toward collegiate water polo.

The value of that development goes beyond the number of teams or practices. A growing sport needs places where younger athletes can learn the fundamentals, compete regularly and contemplate what progression in the sport can look like.

Over time, the program helped create that structure in North Florida. Athletes from the program have gone on to compete at the collegiate level, while the broader development of water polo in the region has created opportunities for additional coaches, teams, and programs.

For Huelsman, that work became an extension of his coaching philosophy: develop athletes while also helping build the surrounding environment.

David Huelsman at the University of Florida

Huelsman’s coaching career later moved into the collegiate ranks. From 2015 through 2023, he served as Head Men’s Water Polo Coach at the University of Florida.

During that period, the Gators won five State of Florida titles and made five CWPA National Championship appearances. The team also secured a sixth-place national finish. Huelsman was named CWPA Florida Conference Coach of the Year three consecutive times.

In 2020, USA Water Polo recognized him with the Monte Nitzkowski Award for Men’s Elite Level Coaching.

The collegiate level brought another facet to his coaching experience. Players competing at that level have to manage demanding training schedules, tactical systems, physical preparation and the pressures of high-level competition. Coaching must pay attention not only to individual skills but also to how players understand their roles within a team.

That experience has remained relevant to the programs Huelsman has helped build outside the collegiate setting. Athlete development is rarely limited to one season. Players need occasions to enhance their technical skills, decision-making, and understanding of the game as they move through different stages.

Where Swimming Meets Water Polo

Swimming continues to play an imperative role in the Gainesville aquatic community through SwimTec, which provides private swimming instruction and performance-focused coaching.

SwimTec puts together one-to-one lessons and performance sessions in Gainesville, including stroke analysis, video capture and preparation for competitive swimming. Its indoor facility also provides a setting for athletes to work on swimming technique throughout the year.

The connection between swimming and water polo is practical. Swimming can help athletes develop water confidence, endurance, body control and adept movement. Water polo then adds another layer of skills, including positioning, ball handling, tactical awareness, communication, and decision-making.

For athletes who compete in both sports, strong swimming fundamentals can provide a useful foundation. At the same time, water polo challenges swimmers to adapt how they move and think in the water.

That crossover has been relevant throughout Huelsman’s coaching career. His background in swimming and his work in water polo have given him experience with both sides of the aquatic-development equation.

The Next Chapter for Florida Water Polo

Huelsman’s work has also extended to youth and collegiate competition. In 2022, he co-founded the Florida Nessies, creating another level of competition for water polo athletes in the state.

The professional team covers a different stage of the athlete pathway. Players who have competed through youth and collegiate programs can continue developing their game while competing in a more advanced environment.

Today, Huelsman continues to be associated with Gator Water Polo and the Florida Nessies, maintaining a role in both athlete development and higher-level competition.

His coaching career has therefore followed a broad progression: swimming in California, coaching in Gainesville, developing youth water polo, leading a collegiate program and helping launch a professional team.

That progression is instructive because the growth of a sport depends on more than individual teams. Athletes need opportunities to enter the sport, develop their abilities, compete at increasingly difficult levels and find a place to continue when one stage of their career ends.

David Huelsman has contributed to that broader pathway through his work in Florida. The contributions of Mr. Huelsman can be seen in coaching, program development and the resources available to athletes moving through different levels of swimming and water polo.

Florida water polo continues to develop, and Gainesville remains an integral part of that landscape. Through programs such as Gator Water Polo, swimming development through SwimTec and the professional opportunities represented by the Florida Nessies, athletes have more avenues to pursue the sport.

For Coach Huelsman, the focus remains on building those opportunities while helping athletes develop the skills, discipline, and expertise needed to progress in the water.