Our Coaches

Coaching Staff

Steve Carrera - President & Club Director

Steve Carrera is currently the Head Boys and Girls Water Polo Coach at Orange Lutheran High School. Steve has been charged with starting Orange Lutheran's first water polo program in school history.

Prior to coming to OLu he was the Head Men's and Women's water polo coach at Concordia University. In 2007, Steve was hired to start the first water polo program in Concordia's history. His stint at Concordia was very impressive going 109 - 48 on the Men's side and 65 - 58 on the Women's. The Concordia Men were ranked as high as 8th in 2009 and as high as 6th in the Country in 2011. Steve coached over 30 Academic All Americans and 11 All- Americans during his time at CUI. Concordia won the NAIA championship 3 times in a row on the men's side and were runners up 4 times on the women's side. Steve was interviewed by Water Polo Planet noting the unprecedented success of the Concordia Water Polo team into top National ranks.

Before arriving at Concordia Steve was the head boys and girls coach at Northwood High School (2000-2007). During his tenure at Northwood, the Timberwolves went from brand new program to CIF powerhouse. Under Steve Carrera, the Timberwolves never had a losing record, won a pair of league titles (2003, 2006), qualified for CIF 6 years in a row, reached the Division I Final (06) and won the 2006 CIF Masters Southern Section Championship (06). Steve coached All League, All County, All American and All CIF water polo players on both the boys and girls side and in 2006 Steve Carrera was named "Coach of the Year" from the Orange County Register.

Steve graduated from Irvine High School in 1995 where he received first team all-Sea View League honors and second team all-CIF honors as a senior. He was also named to the South Orange County All-Star Team. He then went to Saddleback College where he played with his brother, Ed Carrera. After Saddleback, Steve transferred to Queens College in NYC, where he received a full athletic scholarship to play water polo and swim. He was on the inaugural Premier League Division I Northeast team.

Steve earned his Masters degree in Education in 2011 and is now working on his Masters in Physical Education.

Ed Carrera is currently the Associate Head Water Polo Coach at Orange Lutheran High School. Prior to OLu he was the Northwood High School Head Coach, where he led his girls and boys teams to the CIF playoffs every year, making an appearance in the 2007 D1 CIF Finals and 2011 CIF Semi-Finals game. In addition Ed Carrera is a 2010 and 2012 Member of the Ecuador SR. National Water Polo Team. Ed has been the head coach for the Woodbury Waves (Irvine Swim League Team) for the last 5 years, and guided the Waves to a 2011 Division 4 Championship and a 2012 Division 3 Championship. Collegiate Level, Carrera was the assistant coach at Concordia University from 2008-2010 and from 2010-2012 was the Head Water Polo/Swim Coach at Vanguard University. Carrera has a wife and child, a degree in Business from Concordia, and resides in Tustin, CA.

Jure Belamaric - 14U Boys Navy Team Head Coach

Jure started swimming at the age of 6 and started playing water polo at the age of 12 where he grew up playing for V.K Sibenik, Croatia. He was a 3-time Croatian National Age Group Champion and was involved with the Croatian National Team from 15-17.

Jure was a two-time All-American and MVP of the Big 7 Conference in 2007 while at American River College. He is the record holder at ARC for goals (128) and steals (90). While at Concodia University Irvine he was selected NAIA All-Tournament twice, a 2009 team captain, and was the leader in scoring and assists in 2008. He was chosen team MVP during all four years of his collegiate career.

Jure has been instrumental in player development. He has been very successful in developing players and getting them prepared for a successful high school career and beyond. Jure's 14 and Under Boys team recently placed 3rd in the 14 and Under Turbo National Championship. He recently earned his MBA from Concordia University.

Adam Hewko - Northwood Premier High School Coach

CAREER: A three-time All-American and a four-time All-MPSF honoree ... Ended his career ranked 13th in scoring at Pepperdine with 172 goals in four seasons.

PEPPERDINE 2008: Named to the All-American first team and All-MPSF second team as a senior ... Scored 44 goals, third on the team, in 28 games ... Scored five goals in a game against UC Davis ... Had 12 multiple-goal games ... Also scored four goals against UC Irvine ... Named to the MPSF All-Academic team.

PEPPERDINE 2007: Earned All-American second team honors as a junior ... Also made the All-MPSF third team and was an MPSF All-Academic honoree ... Led the team with 59 goals ... Had 18 multiple-goal games ... Scored five goals in the season finale against Long Beach State at the MPSF Tournament ... Had four-goal games against California Baptist, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine.

PEPPERDINE 2006: Redshirted his junior season.

PEPPERDINE 2005: Tied for second on the team in goals scored with 43 as a sophomore ... Earned All-MPSF honorable mention honors for the second time in his career.

PEPPERDINE 2004: Ended his freshman season third on the team in scoring with 26 goals ... Earned All-MPSF honorable mention honors for his efforts.

USA: Was part of the U.S. training camp prior to the Olympics and was one of the last players cut ... Played on the U.S. National Team during summer 2007... Scored a goal in the Pan Am Games finals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to help the U.S. defeat Brazil 9-2 and secure a spot at the 2008 Olympics.

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Servite High School, located in Anaheim, Calif., in 2003 ... Named a prep All-American from 2000-03 ... Was the 2002 and 2003 CIF Player of the Year ... Was named All-County first team all four years ... Helped his team to the 2003 CIF championship ... Won seven CIF swimming titles.

Caleb Hamilton - 12U Boys Team Coach

Caleb recently returned from his first professional season in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He competed in the Brazilian National league with Club Botofogo. Caleb played 1 year at Pepperdine before transferring to Concordia to play for Coach Steve Carrera. He was a 3 time All American at Concordia and guided the Eagles to top 10 finishes in 2 out of his 3 years. Caleb graduated from Northwood High School in 2007 where Caleb played varsity water polo for four years. He was considered by many to be the nation’s #1 recruit. Caleb scored 405 goals in his high school career, including 137 goals as a senior. He earned All-American honors and was named CIF Southern Section Division I Player of the Year as a senior and area player of the year honors from the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register ... A two-time Sea View League MVP... Swam on the varsity swim team for two years and played basketball his freshman year. As a U.S. Junior National Team member he helped the U.S. win the 2005 Youth Pan Am Games and 2006 Junior Pan Ams. Caleb was USA’s leading scorer at the 2005 Junior World Championships and the 2005 Youth Pan Am Games.

Caleb will be traveling to Australia in late January to participate in the Australian National Water Polo League. He is currently offering private lessons to Northwood WPC members.

Jakov (Jacob) Belamaric - 14U Boys Silver Team Head Coach/Navy Team Assistant Coach

Bio coming soon...

Duje Grubisic - 12U Boys Team Coach

Duje Grubisic, born and raised in Split, Croatia, has been playing water polo since the age of 12. Duje played on the Jadran Water Polo Club up through his Senior Year, winning multiple Croatian water polo championships and acting as Team Captain for 3 years. Duje played on the Croatian Water Polo Team from 2003 – 2004. He was named MVP the Men’s Water Polo Team at Concordia in 2009. He is a 3 time Academic All American.

While at Northwood WPC Duje has led the 10 and Under Mixed team to a 3rd Place finish at the National Junior Olympics and 2 years later took that group and placed 5th in the 12 and Under division.

Coach Duje is currently working on his MBA from Concordia.

Martin Babovic - Goalie Coach

Bio coming soon...

András Antal - Splashball/10U & Masters Team Coach

Born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. András has been playing water polo since the age of 8. He played for Budapest Vasutas Sport Club (BVSC) before coming to the U.S. and served as team captain his last 4 years on the team. While with BVSC, he finished 2nd and 3rd in the Hungarian Junior National League, and also 2nd and 3rd in the U21 Hungarian National Championships. András was also on the Hungarian Junior National Team from 2006 - 2010 where his team won the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in 2009.

Allie Flath - 12U/14U Girls Coach

Allie played water polo and swam for Northwood High School. She was on the Varsity water polo team all four years. Allie was first team all sea view and pacific leagues junior and senior years. She was named to the All city team from her sophomore-senior year. Team captain swim and polo junior and senior years. Currently a sophomore playing water polo at Concordia University Irvine.

Brian Edelman - 10U Mixed Coach

Brian Played at Woodbridge High School for 4 years, 2.5 years Varsity, 2 years CIF. He began coaching at 17 years old. Have coached every age group at some point, from age 6 to 18. Brian started coaching at Kahuna Water Polo Club in 2008 and had a lot of success developing athletes. In 2010 while with Kahuna they placed 16th at Junior Olympics. A year later they placed 8th. He attended the Olympic Development Program Camp in Colorado, December 2010. Brian is currently the assistant coach at Woodbridge High School (boys and girls). He has been coaching at WHS for 2 years now.

Steve Simmons - 14U Girls Team Coach

Steve started his career as a freshman in high school at El Dorado in Placentia. There as a sophomore, he helped the Golden Hawks achieve a CIF victory while playing in the goal. As a junior, Steve helped lead his team to a back to back CIF victory earning the honors of first team Orange Empire League, and second team all CIF. Steve also had the honor of being invited to play goalie with the "Born in 63" Team, a predecessor to today's National Cadet Team. As a senior, Steve helped bring his team to the CIF quarter finals and earned the honors of first team all league and first team all CIF. Steve made the transition from goalie to field player at Orange Coast College. There he broke the all time single season scoring record in his first year as a field player. The Lyon's Club of Costa Mesa awarded him top athlete of the year 1982.

From there, he joined one of the nationally top rated teams, UCSB. In the three years he played, the Gaucho's stayed in the top four ranking while holding the number one position numerous times. Though never achieving a national title, Steve had the privilege of playing with and against many world class athletes including many Olympians. Steve spent 10 years out of the water starting businesses and a large family. When his eldest decided to play water polo, Steve rekindled his love of the sport. He is elated to coach kids; three out of his six included, and give back to a sport that has brought him such joy.