Working Together to Certify The Next Generation of Umpires…
2013 polo in Wellington, Fla. is off and running, and so is the USPA with an extensive training clinic for
Umpire Certification.
Team USPA teamed up with two other USPA programs, Young Player Outreach & USPA Umpires, LLC, joining forces to teach, coach, mentor, tutor, lecture and test ten talented young polo players for umpire certification.
Participants included: Kareem Rosser, Kylie Sheehan, Matt Collins, Jeff Shuler of Team USPA, and Julia Smith, Loreto Natividad, Gates Gridley, Brandon Alcott, Dani Wastey of Young Player Outreach along with USPA Staff Member, Justin Powers.
The 2013 Team USPA Umpire Certification Clinic included informative lectures, field and arena umpiring, sideline observation, rules review and written testing. The lecture portion was kicked off by Charlie Muldoon (Executive Director of USPA Umpires, LLC) and USPA Umpire Mike Harris who reinforced umpireprocedures and field positioning. “Be in the right place at the right time,” Mike emphasized, using game videos for support. Other lecturers included Purina Representative, Shiela Conde, speaking on Equine Nutrition, and Carlucho Arellano who led an inspirational discussion about how to maximize your intercollegiate polo experience.
Once the students took to the field/arena as umpires at Palm Beach Polo Club, Gulfstream Polo Club, Grand Champions Polo Club and Palm City Polo Club, Mike Harris along with USPA Head Umpire Instructor Steve Lane, Roving Umpire Bradley Biddle and Robert Lyn-Kee-Chow coached them via ear pieces and side board chats. The veteran umpires also spent considerable time tutoring participants as they observed high goal and medium goal games at Everglades Polo Club and International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC).
This is a powerful training clinic instructed by USPA’s top professionals at some of the most beautiful polo venues in the world. We couldn’t be more proud and thankful for the full cooperation from: Tom Hughes, Charlie Muldoon, Robin Sanchez, Sugar & Bridgette Erskine, Grand Champions, IPC, Palm Beach Polo, Gulfstream Polo, Palm City Polo, Everglades Polo and theMuseum of Polo Hall of Fame.
Thanks again to everyone involved in furthering our sport and these fine young talented polo players. For more information on Team USPA or Young Player Outreach contact ahersey@uspolo.org and for USPA Umpires, LLC contact cmuldoon68@gmail.com.
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