Virginia Polo Interscholastic Clinic and Tournament
Time for flip flops, the beach and some fun in the sun! Well, maybe the fun part – but 36 of the country’s top Interscholastic players from up and down the east coast – Rhode Island to Georgia – and from as far away as Texas and Indiana, threw in the beach towel and took to a different kind of sand. The first annual Virginia Polo Interscholastic Clinic and Tournament (VPICT) was held at the Virginia Polo Center in Charlottesville, July 26th -28th. Home of the 2012 double National Intercollegiate Champions, Virginia Polo Center was buzzing with a jam packed schedule of mounted instruction, class room sessions, guest speakers and a whole lot of polo!
The players were divided into four groups, each group consisting of 3 teams. The groups were named for the mascot of the university polo team their group leader represented. Stan Feldman and the Cornell Big Red, Posey Obrecht and the Kentucky Wildcats, Molly Muedeking and the Virginia Wahoos and Elizabeth Rockwell and the UCONN Huskies: between them – 11 National I/I Championships and numerous regional championships, All-Stars and sportsmanship accolades. This collection of I/I Alumni gave up their vacation time to give back to the sport of polo serving as coaches, umpires and mentors for the weekend.
Groups rotated between mounted and classroom sessions, including Riding for Polo, Arena Strategy, Penalty Shots and horse care to name a few. Guest speakers and volunteering clinicians included Cindy Halle, Lauren Connors, LJ Lopez, Rob Rinehart, Charlie Smith, Lou Lopez, and the PTF’s Danny Scheraga. The players took to the arena each day and played in a round robin format amongst the teams in their group. Results were accumulated over the three days and prizes for the winner, sportsmanship and most improved were awarded for each division.
VPICT was a tribute to the heart and soul of the I/I culture and program. All of the clinicians, speakers, umpires and group leaders, many of which are I/I alumni, volunteered their time to give back to the future of I/I and the sport of polo. Their enthusiasm and passion for the program was evident and a huge Thank You! to all that helped support the program and make the weekend a huge success!