Tony Azevedo | How a 5-Time Olympian & the Greatest American Player Ever is Revolutionizing Water Polo With Data & Analytics

Tony Azevedo is a five-time Olympian (2000-2016), Olympic silver medalist, and widely regarded as one of the greatest water polo players of all time. Since retiring in 2017, he has been on a mission to grow and evolve the sport through his entrepreneurial ventures, including 6-8 Sports—a platform featuring a stats & analytics app, digital game desk, college showcase series, and training academy—as well as Azevedo Water Polo, which offers clinics, apparel, and more. In this conversation, we dive into Tony’s unique background, his journey as Team USA’s captain, and the Olympic moments that shaped his career and experience. He shares how he maintained peak performance, the challenges preventing water polo’s growth—especially in the U.S.—and his vision for the future of the sport. We also explore 6-8 Sports, how he’s democratizing access to stats and analytics for athletes, and his elite academy designed for high school and middle school players aiming to reach the next level. Beyond the pool, Tony opens up about the entrepreneurial hurdles he's faced, his marketing strategies, and why he believes a professional water polo league in the U.S. is on the horizon. 

Partners:

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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro

10:42 - Tony Azevedo’s background; how he speaks 5 languages; Kobe Bryant Olympic story

16:31 - Tony's top water polo highlight & olympic memory; 2008 Beijing silver medal 

21:09 - How Tony maintained peak performance throughout his career

24:20 - Founding Azevedo Water Polo & 6-8 Sports: Impacting the future of water polo

27:42 - Challenges with water polo: Why the sport needs change

29:42 - The future of professional water polo in the U.S. & how data is unlocking opportunities

32:33 - 6-8 Sports: Democratizing access to opportunities for water polo players

34:55 - Mobile App; Digital game desk; data analytics & water polo statistics: Empowering players through technology

39:59 - Club vs. school water polo: What you need to know

42:45 - 6-8 College Series

45:32 - 6-8 Sports Academy: Taking water polo players to the next level

50:36 - Marketing strategy & AI in water polo: Innovations at 6-8 sports

57:55 - How to revolutionize and grow an entire sport

01:01:07 - Entrepreneurial life hack

01:03:39 - How Tony optimizes sleep 

Follow Tony Azevedo:
Tony's IG: https://www.instagram.com/tonyazevedo8/ 

6-8 Sports IG: https://www.instagram.com/68sports/ 

Website: https://tonyazevedo.com/

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