Founded in 1978, USA Water Polo is the National Governing Body for water polo in the United States of America. Originally governed by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) with assistance from the YMCA, the organization was formed following the passage of a federal law designating the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee as the coordinating body for all Olympic activity in the United States. Based on a volunteer structure, USA Water Polo moved to a more formal corporate model in 2006 consistent with reforms championed by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. USA Water Polo is a member organization with nearly 500 high performance club programs across America, and 50,000 active participants annually. The organization hosts a variety of national championships to serve the clubs, including Junior Olympics, Masters Nationals, the US Open of Water Polo (currently the Men's & Women's Senior Nationals), Champions Cup, the Rock-tober PCA 12 & Under Classic and more. Irvine, California