Junior Olympics Defense: How Elite Teams Shut Down Scorers

Wednesday, August 05, 2026

10:30 PM (60 mins)

Session Overview

Chase Dodd uses five clips from a 16U Junior Olympics gold-medal match to teach the defensive habits that shut down elite scorers. He breaks down full press into a 4–5 zone, protecting inside water, denying easy center entries, splitting to force lower-percentage shots, and staying disciplined to finish possessions instead of chasing offense. The session also covers 6x7 defense: committing to blocks, keeping defenders on the same page, and moving the ball one pass at a time so the goalie can read the play. Useful for athletes, coaches, and families studying team defense.

half-court defense

film breakdown

team defense

Junior Olympics

half-court defense

team defense

film breakdown

ball pressure

help defense

shot blocking

defensive rotations

Meet Your Mentor

Chase Dodd

Rightie Attacker

Chase Dodd is an Olympic Bronze Medalist and back-to-back NCAA National Champion, currently competing as an elite attacker for the Los Angeles Athletic Club. A Long Beach native and UCLA alumnus, he earned consecutive NCAA and First Team All-American honors during his championship runs in 2024 and 2025. A four-year member of the United States Men's Water Polo Team, Chase has also earned silver at the 2023 World Cup, gold at the 2023 Pan American Games, and bronze at the 2022 Junior World Championships. He graduated from UCLA with a degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Geography, balancing world-class academics with high-level international competition. Known for his versatility and suffocating defense, he continues to represent the next generation of American water polo pushing towards the LA 2028 Olympics.

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