Paul Hettler, head coach of the Tamalpais High School varsity girls water polo team, spent the first two weeks of July leading the U.S. under-19 boys squad at the 2026 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Hettler's team opened competition with a win over Brazil, according to a J. Weekly report published on July 10. The 22nd Maccabiah ran from July 1 through July 13 in venues across Israel, drawing approximately 5,000 athletes from more than 30 countries.

Local roots, international stage

Hettler coaches age-group players at the TPCM Sharks Water Polo Club in Marin and has built one of the area's strongest high school programs at Tam. Over six seasons leading the Hawks' varsity girls team, his resume includes two NCS Division 2 titles (2018, 2019), a NorCal Division 3 championship (2019), back-to-back MCAL titles in 2020 and 2021, and an NCS runner-up finish in 2023.

A former goalie who played at De Anza College and club water polo at San Diego State, Hettler grew up in Sunnyvale before settling in Mill Valley.

A smaller Maccabiah amid regional conflict

The Maccabiah Games are the world's largest Jewish athletic competition by participant count. The 2022 edition drew roughly 10,000 athletes, but the 2026 games were about half that size after organizers postponed the event a year due to regional conflict. About 40 percent of the original U.S. delegation withdrew following the outbreak of hostilities earlier in 2026, according to the Times of Israel.

The American contingent still numbered around 903 members, including 53 Northern Californians, per J. Weekly. The opening ceremony took place July 1 at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem.

"I don't think it's hyperbole to say these games are the most meaningful in a generation," Marshall Einhorn, CEO of the U.S. delegation, told the Times of Israel before the games began.

After the competition

The games concluded July 13. Hettler and other Northern California athletes are participating in a post-games Israel Connect travel program before returning home.