The Virginia Polo Center hosts 88th annual Championships
April 5, 2010 (Charlottesville, VA) – the Virginia Polo Center in Charlottesville, VA will host the 88th annual USPA National Intercollegiate Championships from April 5 – 10, 2010. Regional and national intercollegiate polo competition is organized by the United States Polo Association (USPA) and tournaments are held throughout the country during the school year. Teams scheduled to compete include California Polytechnic State University, Cornell University, Colorado State University, University of Idaho, University of Kentucky, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, University of Virginia, and Washington State University.
Last year’s Championship series was dominated by UVA winning both the Men’s and the Women’s competitions. This year former professional player Miguel Torres, now a student at Texas A&M is expected to be a major contender. The Virginia Polo Center strives to instill in every student the merits of responsibility, hard work and dedication. Through the years, over 500 students have shared the responsibility for the management, athletic success and national reputation of the organization. In return, students have the opportunity to compete nationally at the highest levels.
Louis J. Lopez, Jr., UVA Coach and Manager of the VA Polo Center, says that the 88th annual 2010 USPA National Intercollegiate Championship should be celebrated for “The great camaraderie and sportsmanship that exists between these competitors. The sport of polo in the US has created a strong community of enthusiasts and players alike. We are proud to be able to support that and ensure the longevity of its competition in this country by engaging young players at the collegiate level. These individuals are truly the future of the sport in the US. ”
Intercollegiate polo is played in an arena with goal posts at each end. Although there is no hard-and-fast rule on the size of an indoor field, an ideal playing area is 100 yards (300 feet) in length by 50 yards (150 feet) in width, enclosed in solid board walls and gates. Each team consists of three players along with their equine counterparts. Players and horses can attain speeds up to 30 miles an hour, stopping and turning on a dime in an effort to outscore the opposition. Mounted umpires maintain control of the game calling fouls when necessary and at all times ensuring safe play to protect the welfare of both horse and rider.
About United States Polo Association (www.uspolo.org)
The USPA was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions, and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts.
About the Virginia Polo Center (www.vapolo.org)
The Virginia Polo Center in Charlottesville, Virginia provides University of Virginia students, both men and women from all walks of life, with the opportunity to experience the sport of polo. In keeping with the philosophy of the founders, the program strives to instill in each student the merits of responsibility, hard work, dedication, the rewards of fellowship, working as a team, and the ability to compete in an intercollegiate sport on the national level. These are valuable lessons that endure in the students personal and professional lives after college. This is a student run organization with members equally sharing responsibility for the athletic success, work ethic, and outstanding reputation of our polo legacy. The Board of Directors are dedicated to providing overall management, professional coaching, and long-term financial support for future generations. Virginia Polo is not supported by the University of Virginia and relies primarily on outside sources for its financial well being.