Marian Diaz was forced to stop playing water polo at the age of 24 due to injury. It could have been the end of her story in the sport, but instead marked the beginning of a new chapter that has seen her rise to coach both a club side in Barcelona and Spain's U20 national team.

Water polo has always been at the heart of Diaz's life. Growing up in a family where both her father and brother were involved in the sport, she joined a high-performance centre at 15 and went on to represent national age-group and senior teams. By the time she was 20, she had already begun coaching younger athletes alongside her playing career, gradually taking on greater responsibility until she was leading senior teams in her early thirties.

The injury that cut short her playing days proved to be a pivotal moment.

“It was a difficult transition, as water polo had always been central to my life,” she reflected. “However, it gave me a new perspective. I had already started coaching while playing and realised I could stay connected to the sport in a different but equally meaningful way.”

Today, her ambition is to help her players reach the Olympic dream she once held for herself, and perhaps one day to achieve it as a coach.

Balancing two demanding roles simultaneously might seem daunting, but Diaz sees it as a privilege. The schedules largely align, with international fixtures for the national U20 side falling when the Spanish domestic league is on pause.

“It is demanding, as it often means having very limited time for rest, but I see it as a privilege,” she admitted.

“Working with the national U20 team is incredibly rewarding, giving me the opportunity to guide the next generation of top players while bringing that experience back to my club.

"I strongly believe both roles complement each other. They allow me to grow continuously as a coach, adapt to different contexts, and maintain a high-performance mindset across everything I do.”

Spain is a powerhouse in women's water polo with medals at five of the last six World Aquatics Championships. However, Diaz explained how this does not fully translate into opportunities for women in coaching, with only two of the twelve teams in the top domestic league having female head coaches.

“It is a challenging and high-pressure environment, and being young and a woman can make it even more demanding. I strongly believe that persistence, continuous learning, and the ability to navigate different situations are key,” she said.

Diaz was drawn to the Women in Water Polo Leadership Programme, and reflected on her experience so far in the initial months.

“Listening to women from other countries share their opinions, experiences, and perspectives has been very inspiring," she said.

“Above all, I feel a strong sense of connection and empathy with the other participants. It is motivating to realise that we face similar challenges and can support each other in growing as leaders in the sport.”

She has found particular value in the programme's exploration of leadership and self-awareness, including a personal assessment that shed light on her own behaviours and decision-making tendencies.

“Receiving so much detailed information about myself has helped me better understand how I act and make decisions, which I can now apply to my coaching and leadership approach,” Diaz explained.

Looking ahead, Diaz's definition of success at the end of the programme goes beyond individual gain.

“Success at the end of this programme means having grown as a coach, leader, and mentor, with a deeper understanding of how to guide and empower women in water polo,” she said.

“It also means having built meaningful connections with other leaders from around the world, exchanging knowledge and perspectives that I can bring back to my teams and players.

“Ultimately, success is applying what I have learned to make a real impact: helping my athletes achieve their potential, contributing to the growth of women’s coaching in Spain, and continuing to push the boundaries of what female coaches can achieve in this sport.”

There is one message above all Diaz is especially keen to convey, something she believes is too often missing from conversations about women in sport.

“Above all, there is one crucial element that I believe is sometimes missing, and that this programme can strongly help with in the water polo environment: mutual support among women,” she said.

“We need to build solidarity, genuinely help each other, and celebrate each other's individual successes, because those individual achievements ultimately transform into collective success.”

About the Women in Water Polo Leadership Programme

The Women in Water Polo Leadership Programme is a joint initiative of KAP7 and World Aquatics aimed at increasing the representation and visibility of female professionals in the sport. Through structured education, leadership training, mentorship and international exposure, the programme supports women in developing their skills, advancing their careers and taking on leadership roles within coaching and officiating. It also fosters confidence and professional networks, while helping to inspire future generations of female leaders in Water Polo.

Further information can be found here.

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