Sunshine State Games Water Polo and Taekwondo are two mainstays in Florida’s only Olympic-style Sports Festival for athletes of all ages.

They both succeed, even if they’re held on opposite sides of the peninsula.

Water Polo made its first appearance at the Coral Springs Aquatic Center in July, 2008.

The Games have returned to the northwest corner of Broward County for water polo several times since then.

Roaming the pool deck while players swim up and down the pool waiting for the perfect shot have been Riptides Coach, Carroll Vaughan, and South Florida Water Polo coach, Michael Goldenberg.  (both pictured at right).

The two squared off on Saturday in a pair of Men’s Open Divisions.  But it wasn’t the outcome of the game that was important, it was their contribution to the Games and how many young water polo players they’ve influenced over the years.

Photos from the 2008 event were discovered in the Sunshine State Games archives and in photos of the Riptides and South Florida Water Polo.  Both Goldenberg and Vaughan were pictured with gold medal winning teams featuring their sons and daughters.

In a group shot of several Riptides teams combined, Vaughan pointed out her son, Chase, who now coaches alongside her and her daughter, Lindsay, who accompanied her to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Goldenberg’s son, Eric, was a member of the gold medal winning 12 and under team now coaches age group teams for South Florida Water Polo.  Eric went on to play on two UCLA National Championship water polo teams.  He also noted Cole Grady, who was played on his Men’s Open team in a recently completed game.

Both pointed out other players who went on to play college water polo and others who are now successful professionals.

Andrea Guerra, who played on the Riptides team, beginning at the 14 and under level in the Sunshine State Games, was one of six siblings who suited up for the Riptides.  Andrea was one of a set of quadruplets, two girls and two boys.

“We started out in a swimming program with the Riptides, but we hated it,” she said. “Coach Carroll moved us to water polo and we played for years and loved it.”

Now a Miami resident, she came to visit her boyfriend, Hunter Peletier, who was also in the photo and now coaches the Riptides with Vaughan.

The quadruplets all played for the Iona College Water Polo teams in New York City and have since returned to Florida.

Guerra also pointed out the most famous Riptides alumni in the photo, Olympic gold medalist, Ashleigh Johnson, along with her sister Chelsea and brother, Blake.

Jon Boehnker, a member of the South Florida Water Polo Club Men’s Open team is a team lifer.

“I started playing for Coach Goldenberg when I was 14 years old and now I’m 48,” he said.  “So I’ve been on the team for 34 years.”

One team member pointed out the Men’s Open team had players ranging in age from 19 years old to 50.

“I’m not the oldest,”Boehnker said. “But I’m close.”

One of the most dramatic matches of Saturday came in a matchup between the Hialeah Storm and Orlando United.  Tied at 10 after regulation, the game was decided by a shootout.

Storm goalie, Maci Rippo, blocked Orlando United’s last two shots to give the Storm the overtime win.  Rippo, who completed her sophomore season at Long Island University in 2026, played locally for St. Andrew’s School and was a member of the Florida East Coast team in the 2024 Sunshine State Games.

“We made our last two shots and I blocked their last two shots for the win,” she said.

One champion was crowned Saturday, as Team Orlando won the gold medal in the 16 and under girl’s division. Team Orlando defeated the Orlando Thunder 13-3 in a one-game winner take all matchup.  More champions will be crowned on Sunday.

As is the norm during Florida summers, weather delays forced athletes out of the pool at the Coral Springs Aquatic Center.  The first delay last only 40 minutes and play continued for just under an hour.

The second delay began just after 4:00 p.m. and continued through 7:00 p.m. when games were called for the day.

Play resumes at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday.

At the Sunshine State Games Taekwondo Championships, at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel, approximately 300 athletes were in action in breaking, forms, sparring and weapons events.

The day began with high energy Demonstration teams with the World Championship Center team (pictured below), from Land O’ Lakes, led by Master Dongnyeok Kang, winning the gold medal.

The team members included, Joshua Atkins; Zackary Berlin; Matthew Braciale; Vlad Bujor; Mathias Cardenas; Jazleen Forbes; Nicholas Gomez; Maddie Harbert; Dongnyeok Kang; Gabriel Mcthtosh; Isaiah Mercado; Zara Nusir; Josilyn Pippin; Jonathan Quach; Luis Ramos; Malachi Sanders; Brandon Sok; Alex Stor; Grant Thebeau and Aydan Woodhead.

The team demonstrated synchronized forms, acrobatic maneuvers and high-flying breaking techniques.

Another popular event for the Sunshine State Games athletes is the Family Poomsae competition. The mother and daughter team of Lucie and Harper Ghioto, from Orlando Taekwondo and Kung Fu, won the All Levels and All Ages gold medal.

Lucie also won a gold medal in the Forms Women’s 43-49 age group, blue/purple belt division and Harper won a silver medal in the Breaking Women’s 12-14 age group, brown/red belt division.

In the Family Poomsae World Class Black Belt All Ages, Lauren and Lorena Martinez Garcia, of Mr. White’s Taekwondo, in Tampa, took the gold medal.  Lauren also won a gold medal in the 15-17 age group black belt Forms competition while Lorena won a gold medal in the 15-17 age group black belt sparring event.

Taekwondo continues on Sunday with World Class Black Belt athletes beginning at 9:15 a.m. at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus.

By the end of June, over 2,000 of Florida’s Finest Amateur Athletes of all ages are expected to compete in the 46th Sunshine State Games.

The Sunshine State Games are a program of the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the State of Florida. The Sunshine State Games is Florida’s only Olympic-style Sports Festival for athletes of all ages and are presented in conjunction with the Gainesville Sports Commission, Florida’s Sports Coast, Ocala/Marion County CVB and Visit Lauderdale.