NORTH IRVINE WATER POLO CLUB
Ed Carrera - Program Director
Ed Carrera is the Program Director for North Irvine Water Polo Club. Ed Carrera began his aquatics career as a 7 year old in Irvine swimming for coaches Flip Darr, Dave Salo, Ken Lamont, Mindy Doherty, Ed French, and Lydia Abshier. Swimming with the likes of Jason Lezak, John Mykanen, Brian Pajer, Coleman and Chad Hundeby and many other accomplished swimmers.
Carrera was a four-year letterman at Irvine High School (swimming for Scott Hinman, Greg Gray, and Ken Dory), and qualified for CIF by the time he was a sophomore. Carrera also earned his junior national time standards for the 200yd breaststroke. Carrera then focused his attention to water polo.
In 1995 Carrera began his water polo coaching career as the assistant coach at Woodbridge High School for both polo and swim under Alex Abshier and Tom Norton Sr. (separate tenors). After Tom Norton left the program, Ed was named head water polo coach at 19 years old. After a 2 year coaching stint he decided to get back in the water as an athlete and attended his 2nd year at Saddleback College under his age group coach and mentor Flip Darr, Michael Santo, and Larry Larson. He was named captain, 1st team all conference, and was in the top 10 for goals scored and assists in California. He was then recruited by Dennis Ploessel at Chapman University where he was named captain but because of financials, could not continue and left Chapman shortly after.
In 2006, Carrera took over the Northwood High School Head water polo position (for brother Steve Carrera) and was the assistant swim coach along side (age group coach) Ken Lamont. At the same time he was asked to join the Concordia University Irvine Water Polo Coaching staff by (his High School Coach) Ken Dory, where he finished his under grad. Carrera left Concordia in 2010 for an opportunity to start a program from scratch. In 2010-2012, Carrera was the Aquatics Director at Vanguard University, where he was the Head Coach for both Swimming and Water Polo (Men’s and Women’s).
Ed is the current Head Boys/Girls Swim Coach and Head Girls Water Polo Coach at Orange Lutheran High School where he (along with Steve Carrera) was part of the Division 1 CIF Championship Girls and Boys team in 2017 and State Champions for the girls team in 2018. He also coached a season at Portola High School in the fall of 2019 along side coach Kate Avery. Carrera's best finish at USA WP Junior Olympics was 3rd in 2017 with the 16U Girls receiving the bronze medal. In addition, Ed Carrera is a 2010, 2012, 2015, 2018 Member of the Ecuador SR. Men’s National Water Polo Team and competed in the Pan American Games in Toronto the summer of 2015. Carrera is also the program Director of Speed Aquatics (USA Swimming Club) and has been the head coach for the Woodbury Waves (Irvine Swim League Team) for the last 8 years, and guided the Waves to a 2012 Division 4 Championship, 2013 Division 3 Championship, and 2014 Division 2 Championship, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 Division 1 Championship. Carrera is a graduate of Concordia University Irvine where he received his Bachelors Degree in Business and Leadership. He has a wife, Kaylen and 3 children, Kyson, Fiori, and Isla.
Carrera was a four-year letterman at Irvine High School (swimming for Scott Hinman, Greg Gray, and Ken Dory), and qualified for CIF by the time he was a sophomore. Carrera also earned his junior national time standards for the 200yd breaststroke. Carrera then focused his attention to water polo.
In 1995 Carrera began his water polo coaching career as the assistant coach at Woodbridge High School for both polo and swim under Alex Abshier and Tom Norton Sr. (separate tenors). After Tom Norton left the program, Ed was named head water polo coach at 19 years old. After a 2 year coaching stint he decided to get back in the water as an athlete and attended his 2nd year at Saddleback College under his age group coach and mentor Flip Darr, Michael Santo, and Larry Larson. He was named captain, 1st team all conference, and was in the top 10 for goals scored and assists in California. He was then recruited by Dennis Ploessel at Chapman University where he was named captain but because of financials, could not continue and left Chapman shortly after.
In 2006, Carrera took over the Northwood High School Head water polo position (for brother Steve Carrera) and was the assistant swim coach along side (age group coach) Ken Lamont. At the same time he was asked to join the Concordia University Irvine Water Polo Coaching staff by (his High School Coach) Ken Dory, where he finished his under grad. Carrera left Concordia in 2010 for an opportunity to start a program from scratch. In 2010-2012, Carrera was the Aquatics Director at Vanguard University, where he was the Head Coach for both Swimming and Water Polo (Men’s and Women’s).
Ed is the current Head Boys/Girls Swim Coach and Head Girls Water Polo Coach at Orange Lutheran High School where he (along with Steve Carrera) was part of the Division 1 CIF Championship Girls and Boys team in 2017 and State Champions for the girls team in 2018. He also coached a season at Portola High School in the fall of 2019 along side coach Kate Avery. Carrera's best finish at USA WP Junior Olympics was 3rd in 2017 with the 16U Girls receiving the bronze medal. In addition, Ed Carrera is a 2010, 2012, 2015, 2018 Member of the Ecuador SR. Men’s National Water Polo Team and competed in the Pan American Games in Toronto the summer of 2015. Carrera is also the program Director of Speed Aquatics (USA Swimming Club) and has been the head coach for the Woodbury Waves (Irvine Swim League Team) for the last 8 years, and guided the Waves to a 2012 Division 4 Championship, 2013 Division 3 Championship, and 2014 Division 2 Championship, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 Division 1 Championship. Carrera is a graduate of Concordia University Irvine where he received his Bachelors Degree in Business and Leadership. He has a wife, Kaylen and 3 children, Kyson, Fiori, and Isla.