Our team for the spring 8-goal season in Houston is comprised of 4 Team USPA members and represents a truly diverse group of twenty-something players. Josh Shelton, 25, hails from Wichita KS, Herndon Radcliff, 22, from Mobile AL, Pedro Lara, 21, from Miami FL, and myself, 27, born and raised in Boston, MA. We have been looking forward to playing this season here in Houston since the end of last fall and our first game is today.
We are stabled at Tonkawa Farms in Brookshire, TX about 45 minutes due west of Houston. The generosity of Jeff Hildebrand has made this opportunity possible for us and we plan to learn and make the most of this great chance. Jimmy Seward, the team and ranch manager, has helped tremendously so far to coach us and get us organized in this new location that none of us had seen until we caravanned across I-10 together a couple weeks ago.
The area of Brookshire feels like Pilar in Argentina as neighboring ranches of ERG, Isla Carroll, Tonkawa and BTA are within a couple minutes drive on Wilpitz road. There are about 10 fields in the immediate area and the other day we were able to ride from our barn in Tonkawa to practice at Isla Carroll. The National Intercollegiate Championships (NIC) are currently taking place at ERG so there has been some good, competitive arena polo with lots of people around. Congrats to Westmont men and Virginia women who won the NIC titles this weekend.
For our all Team USPA team this spring, it is obviously a unique opportunity to be a group of young players playing together. It is a great way to pick up your pace of play and to move the ball quickly with good open polo. We have been practicing, stick and balling and training together so we have had some time to get used to each other before our first game. There are certainly advantages being a 4-man team but the handicap system is in place for a reason. Our first game we will play against two 4-goal players which is a tough marking assignment for any 1.5 goal player. However, if we work for each other, communicate with each other and have trust in one and other, as we have been practicing, our team can do very well.
Check back for more updates,
Nick Snow