Nothing Can Stop the Texas Thunder
Until this year, Erik Kroh coached either boys or girls water polo teams in California while based in Flower Mound since moving here in 2019. Then fate, along with a talent pool of both genders, changed that.
A squad made up of his daughter Emma and six other girls plus three boys succeeded like no previous group of Texas Thunder club players in July when they captured the U12 Platinum mixed division in the USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics. The team consisted of kids from Flower Mound, Keller, and Southlake who achieved their once-in-a-lifetime dream in Irvine, California.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Erik said when he first realized this team would be co-ed. “We went undefeated (in the tournament). We had a couple of closer games because we were sleeping for a couple of quarters. I think we physically outmatched them. There were some teams that had good experience and good players, but we were able to outnumber them.”
Among the seven teams the Thunder beat was the Titans from Whittier, California, 8-4, in the championship match. They previously knocked off the defending champions and runners-up.
“Win or lose, I’m already proud of what they’ve accomplished,” said Erik, “Going undefeated in this tournament with all the hard work and dedication — it really makes it worth it.
“One of our strengths is everyone on our team is a producer, whether making a great play on defense or going down getting involved with the assist or the score. That’s what made us difficult to stop because we didn’t have that weak link or the superstar that you can stop. Everyone contributed to each match all the way up to the championship.”
Flower Mound contributors besides Emma Kroh were Luella Martin, Harper Thompson, and Alan Waterman. Other team members were Jaskirat Singh, Travis Ronayne, and Amelia Pappalardo from Keller plus goalie Eva Demas and Madison Fry and Clover Martell from Southlake. Erik was occasionally assisted by Justin Pudwill, the 2024-25 Texas Girls Coaches Association 5A/6A Water Polo Coach of the Year at Southlake Carroll High School.
“I liked this whole group,” Erik said. “When you have a great group, it’s easy to be their coach. They’re hard workers. They ask for extra sets. They are that kind of kids. That makes my job super easy.
“There’s no attitudes. They were having fun. Everyone likes winning. Throughout the season we played a lot of 14U. We’re going there with the intention of hopefully getting our butts kicked and learning lessons. We had some bad days and still had a good time. It’s not ‘We got whupped today.’ It’s ‘What lessons can you learn from this?’”
While water polo has long been huge in Southern California, it’s more recently begun to flourish here in Texas. Erik, who played the sport both in high school and junior college in his native Fullerton, California, initially coached his son Owen, who later competed at Marcus High School. For the last four years, he’s done the same with Emma.
Coaching his children and their teammates has been educational for Erik. “As a coach, I just try to stay out of the way. I give them the skills and options as far as plays and how to adapt to the defense and the offense.”
He came to the area at the urging of college teammate Brandon Dion, a Highland Village resident who helped launch the Thunder in 2009. Texas Thunder’s 300 members practice at aquatic centers in Lewisville, Southlake, and Justin.
Erik said the only sad part of winning the championship is team members will separate into their respective gender/age groups for next year.
“Pretty much the whole group is graduating this year. We move up a level not to play together again,” he said.
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