The annual USPA Instructors Forum is an industry event that the professional polo community looks forward to year after year. It’s a time when instructors, managers and enthusiasts all agree to put their busy polo lives on hold to network and develop valuable skills. Each attendee understands that the knowledge gained at this event will help them improve their polo clubs and programs, along with their bottom line. This year‘s three-day forum took place November 5-7 at the Houston Polo Club, recording a turnout of over 70 attendees. These numbers were up approximately 40 percent from last year and set a new record with 11 out of 13 USPA Circuits represented from 25 states.
At the Instructors Forum, attendees participated in various sessions where top players, instructors and Regional Polo Center (RPC) directors shared different skills, drills and problem solving techniques, specific to polo development. The attending polo professionals all left with new sets of skills to help them better manage their respective polo centers and build essential lesson programs necessary to develop the next generation of players. Expert speakers from RPCs, such as Erik Wright of the Wrightway Polo Club, Mark Prinsloo of the Houston Polo Club and Jolie Liston of the Atlanta Regional Polo Center, all shared a wealth of knowledge and provided valuable tips from personal experiences.
“This event helps further develop and build an even stronger community of polo representatives across the country that are equipped to engage and train polo players, present and future,” said Kris Bowman, USPA Director of Operations-Programs. “Professionals like Erik Wright, Jolie Liston, Mark Prinsloo and others have extensive experience and knowledge to share and truly are instrumental in the development of the sport.”
The event also served as a unique networking opportunity for all involved. USPA club managers and instructors discussed short and long-term ways to grow the sport at their respective clubs. Building interscholastic teams, attracting new players to the sport, and helping students progress to the next level in polo were just some of the topics touched on at the forum. Additionally, problem solving skills were tested and refined with exercises aimed at helping strengthen decision making skills.
“I’m so pleased with the great turnout at this year’s event. The inspiration behind hosting the Instructors Forum was to give our polo professionals a place to come together to do two simple things, talk and listen,” said Bowman. “When you do these things with people that have been in a similar situation, you naturally learn and grow to become a better polo manager or instructor. Without these dedicated individuals, we wouldn’t be seeing the growth that we are in the sport and we are thankful for their continued dedication to develop polo.”
Polo is on the rise in the U.S. thanks to programs established by the U.S. Polo Association (USPA), polo’s national governing body, to train players and instructors, while also providing opportunities for new players and fans to get involved in the sport. The USPA offers a host of training and learning opportunities, like the Instructors Forum, through member clubs across the country, Regional Polo Centers, a flourishing Interscholastic/Intercollegiate polo program and the organization’s premier Team USPA development program.