Milorad "Micha" Pavlovic - Club Director and Current Youth Development Head Coach
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Micha has been involved in water polo as an athlete since 1991. Playing career included Partizan WPC (Belgrade, Serbia), Red Star WPC (Belgrade, Serbia), Serbian Youth Team, Atwater, Merced College, and Fresno Pacific University. As a member of the Partizan WPC’s age group program, Micha won 5 state championships, 3 national championships, and 2 European championships. At the age of 17, Micha transferred to the rival club Red Star WPC in order to play for their senior team. After he moved to California, Micha earned MVP honors and 1st team All-American status in 2005 while playing for Merced College. After Merced, Micha transferred to Fresno Pacific University where he played water polo and swam. As the team captain at FPU, Micha led the water polo team to their first winning season. He also earned All-American status while swimming for FPU in 2008. Micha has competed in many Masters National Championships and he still plays water polo with other Praetorian masters athletes.
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Micha began his coaching career as an age group swim and water polo coach for Merced Skimmers from 2004-2007. He was head JV coach of Clovis East swim and water polo team from 2008-2009. From 2010-2015, Micha was head coach of Clovis North girls water polo team, and he was also the head coach of Granite Ridge swim team. During his tenure as the head coach, Clovis North captured their first CIF DII water polo championship in 2011, and Granite Ridge captured their first CIAL swim championship in 2015. His Clovis North water polo teams have reached at least the semi-finals of the CIF playoffs each year. Micha was head coach of Sanger boys water polo team during the 2016 and 2017 season. He rejoined the program in 2021. In 2011, Micha was named as the Fresno Bee coach of the year.
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Micha began coaching club water polo in 2008 as the head coach of 16U girls Clovis WPC team. In 2010, he took over the girls side of the program while he maintained the 16U head coaching position. From 2010-2013, Clovis WPC 16U girls teams captured the Central Zone championship. In 2014, Micha became the head coach for the 18U girls Clovis WPC team. In 2014 and 2015, Clovis WPC 18U girls teams captured the Central Zone championship. His teams have reached the Junior Olympics platinum division in 7 consecutive seasons.
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Micha was a co-founder and club director of Praetorian Masters Water Polo Club in 2012, before the program expanded into age group categories in 2017 to form Praetorian WPC. Currently, Micha is the youth head coach and the club director. His teams have qualified for Junior Olympics each year, and in 2023, the 12U CoEd team have placed 10th in the Platinum division which affirmed the Praetorian's youth program as the top 10 in the nation. In his 20 year long coaching career, Micha has coached numerous All-Americans and he has sent over 70 athletes to various NCAA, NAIA and junior colleges.
Micha Pavlovic