The first FINA water polo school for referees was organised in Thousand Oaks, South California (USA) from March 23-25, 2012. TWPC Chairman Gianni Lonzi (ITA) and TWPC member Niculae Firoiu (GRE) led the course, which was attended by 29 participants. Among them, 23 American, two participants from Georgia, one from Uzbekistan, one from Costa Rica and one from Trinidad and Tobago.
A few days later, the lecturers made a stop in Edmonton, Alberta (CAN) for a second water polo school, held from March 28-30, 2012. 12 participants - 10 locals, one participant from Venezuela and one from Hong Kong - enthusiastically took part in the course, during which a new theme was discussed: "Psychological preparation of the referee".