U.S. Polo Association announces selections for Team USA
After receiving 73 applications from young polo players across the country, the U.S. Polo Association (USPA) selected 24 qualified individuals for the new and highly-anticipated Team USA program.
The Team USA concept was established by the Association to identify talented young American players and to provide them with medium-and high-goal playing opportunities to learn from some of the best professional players in the game, competing alongside them, and working with them, to become more advanced polo players.
Team USA candidates are from 19- to 25-years-old and represent a wide range of polo backgrounds from across the country. “One element that has been missing from American polo is the opportunity for young players to network nationally. By bringing the top talent together, bonds will be forged that will strengthen polo in our country,” stated Charles Smith, chairman of the Team USA Selection Committee.
Candidates will attend a three-day training and evaluation event February 13-15, in Wellington, Florida. The training and evaluation seminar will include three mounted sessions and a coached series of matches. There will be no cost for any of the participants for the three-day event and funding will be provided for travel expenses to Florida.
Of the 24 attendees at the training and evaluation event, six to eight players will be selected to move on for an internship/apprenticeship with a top-ranked polo professional. In addition, all 24 Team USA selectees will be identified on the USPA website and polo team and polo club sponsors and owners will be encouraged to offer additional polo playing opportunities for these young individuals.
Peter Rizzo, USPA Executive Director says, “As the national governing body for the sport, the U.S. Polo Association’s most important goal for the Team USA program is to grow and sustain the sport of polo in America. The future of polo is in the hands of our young players.” The USPA also hopes to preserve the tradition and history of the sport by creating homegrown players and teams that can compete at the highest levels of international competition.
The Team USA Selection Committee, consisting of seven industry leaders, met Monday, January 4 to make the final selection. The committee is headed by Chairman, Charles Smith, former 7-goal player and member of the Polo Hall of Fame. Committee members include: Tommy Wayman, former 10-goal professional player and member of the Polo Hall of Fame; Gillian Johnston, winning team member of the 2002 USPA U.S. Open Polo Championship and member of the USPA Board of Governors; Jimmy Newman, Director of Polo Operations at International Polo Club Palm Beach and operator of Rose Spur Polo Club in Aspen, Colorado since 1988; Charles Muldoon, former 6-goal professional player and owner of the Potomac Polo Club in Poolesville, Maryland; Peter Rizzo, USPA Executive Director and Executive Vice-President of the Polo Museum & Hall of Fame; and Kris Bowman, USPA National Club Development Director.
The 2010 Team USA selections are listed on our web site at www.uspolo.org.