You Can Lead a Horse To Water…
By Elizabeth Hedley
USPA’s RPC Newsletter #2
Re: 2011 USPA/PTF Instructors Forum, Houston, Texas
Kris Bowman’s QUICK TIP #2
TAKE A LESSON or AKL
I know you all have heard it before, but it is worth mentioning again: Always Keep Learning (AKL). It became apparent over the 3 day USPA/PTF Instructors Forum Nov 7-9th that broadening one’s horizons through learning something new could be beneficial for all, most importantly you. I am mainly speaking to all the polo professionals who join me in contributing to the growth of our sport by teaching lessons but would venture to say this tip applies all.
The vast knowledge of expertise the polo instructors brought to last weekend’s Instructors Forum was impressive to say the least. But when asked when the last time anyone took a riding lesson, very few hands were raised. “We give lessons, we don’t take them,” an anonymous voice from the audience mumbled. “Perhaps riding outside the box and taking a lesson or two in a new discipline would reinforce your teaching techniques or offer new ones” replied the speaker.
Team Roping, Jumping, Driving and Barrel Racing, were among the lesson ideas offered. Or what about paying a USPA high goal player for an hour of his time to discuss horse condition, team coaching strategies or that penalty 4 you keep missing in the critical moments of a match? RPC Director Eric Wright of the LA/San Francisco Polo Clubs furthers his (AKL) philosophy by hiring outside polo instructors to teach weekend clinics to his regular students. The clinics include a weekend getaway in the dessert where newly learned polo skills are applied in a final competition. It rejuvenates the students’ enthusiasm for polo while giving Erik an opportunity to observe new teaching techniques, which he can later apply to his program. It’s smart thinking!
Whether you sign up for a few hunter jumper lessons, seek the professional advice of a high goal player or bring in an outside instructor to boost your lesson program, continual learning from others is vital to keeping you, as an instructor, on top of your game. So do yourself a favor and Always Keep Learning. The benefits to you, your students and your horses could be significant. Not to mention you might make more money and win more matches.
P.S. If Tom Goodspeed decides to take a dressage lesson I want a picture!
Kris Bowman
USPA National Club Development Director
Director of Team USPA Programs
703.362.7655
You Can Lead a Horse To Water…
For this newsletter, I would like to take the liberty to do something I do not do very often in a newsy e-blast, BRAG.
Recently, Nov 6-8th, the Houston Polo Club and Tonkawa Farm, owned by Jeff Hildebrand, hosted a significant event, the 2011 USPA/PTF Instructors Forum. This forum offered an agenda of expert speakers, hands-on demonstrations and a relaxed atmosphere primed for networking and sharing of proven techniques. We worked hard to create an agenda that addressed issues beneficial and applicable to both the immediate and long-term needs of polo instructors and polo managers throughout USPA clubs. We sent out invitations, notifications and clever e-blasts, offering the 3-day forum with benefits to entice attendees. We set a goal of 30 then we waited.
(Now comes the bragging part.) Fifty-one polo professional instructors and managers from twenty-two states took time out of their busy schedules to commit and participate in this year’s forum. From Hawaii to New York, California to Florida, ages 20-70, they arrived willing and able to learn, listen, engage and network with like-minded professionals who shared the same initial desire: to become an even better polo instructor/manager through continuing education.
In closing I would like to mention something that is too obvious not to. The USPA as the governing body of polo in the US has, in the past, defined their role as officiator of the sport’s rules, handicaps, sanctioned tournaments and the like. With forums growing in popularity, such as this one, I am reminded that the USPA can also best serve its sport by offering tried information and suggestions pointing clubs toward successful outcomes. This evolves the USPA’s role in the life of a polo club to include being in the “business of polo”. Offering applicable continuing educational programs such as this year’s forum reinforces that evolutionary role of which, as Club Development Director, I am committed.
You can lead a horse to water…and this time, fifty-one came on their own volition, to drink from the fountain of continuing education at the 2011 USPA/PTF Instructor’s Forum in Houston, Texas.
It was quite reassuring reconnecting with these enthusiasts, who are dedicated polo professional instructors, working hard to offer the best possible polo experience to the newly inducted. I was impressed with their focus, genuineness and tenacity and I want to personally thank, each and everyone for taking advantage of this learning opportunity.
Kris Bowman
USPA National Club Development Director
Director of Team USPA Programs
703.362.7655
Speaker Highlights:
Erik Wright, RPC Director – LA/San Francisco Polo Clubs
Ride, Hit, Strategy. Emphasizing the basics is what Erik promotes as the best place to start for his teaching style: riding, hitting and game strategy. The student needs to master all three elements and Erik makes sure to touch on all three during a lesson. He has created fun gymkhana like drills for improving riding agility, and he utilizes the hitting cage for stroke development with video analysis and builds strategy confidence with chalk talks, foot mallet simulation and videos of past games. As an added bonus, he smartly brings in outside clinicians for a weekend polo clinic, which ignites student’s enthusiasm and helps, keeps his own teaching techniques fresh.
Mark Prinsloo, RPC Director – Houston Polo Club
The Step-Up Program Mark, with his team Pam Mudra, Barlee Flanders and Merrily Quincoces, has defined an effective teaching plan at the Houston Polo Club called the Step-Up Program. They shared their successful teamwork strategy that steps up a student when they are ready to move to the next level. Beginning with Merrily as the first point of contact, she evaluates each student then schedules his or her 3 introductory lessons. Sometimes polo is not a good fit for the student, at which time Marilee switches them to hunter/jumper as an alternative. “Not every student is the next Cambiaso” States Merrily “That is what is so great about the Houston Polo Club, we offer so much more. Diversification is key.” she exclaims. But if polo is truly the student’s direction, they have the opportunity to Step-Up into the 2-month arena polo school, then on to league play in the Margarita League. The final Step-Up is the Coaching League where whites are required and simulated games take place on grass. It is at this time horse leasing/purchasing is encouraged. Mark developed this program to give his student reachable goals as they improve and as a way to build a healthy polo school that works financially. “You need a system, a plan…” Mark commented “…and the Step Up Program is the best way I have determined to process students. Approximately 1 in 10 students go on to own their own horses and play low goal club polo.”
Jolie Liston, RPC Director – Atlanta Regional Polo Center
STATIONS: Teaching Large Groups. An effective alternative to one-on-one teaching is teaching large groups. Jolie spoke about after your targeted marketing works and you have scheduled 15 students all at once, you can easily accommodate them by establishing STATIONS. Maximize your resources: 5 school horses and 2 additional staff (which could be advanced club members) are enough to design 3 stations by which all 15 students are continually engaged. Depending on the group’s skill level, STATION suggestions could include the following: correct tacking, tacking contests, hitting cage or wooden horse (video tape their swing), game strategy played out with foot mallets, equine care, safety, informational videos or high goal match videos, chalk talk, drills & skills, rules, umpiring, penalty shots, equipment, and more.
Bob Adloff – Skill Path
Know Thy Self Guest speaker, Bob Adloff’s enlightening lecture on Becoming a Better Communicator was highly motivating and included a “Work Preference Summery” test. The test highlighted a person’s individual “tool kit” – the unique set of internally stimulated characteristics and strengths one brings to work. The test results were designed to help participants become consciously aware of the unique contribution each person brings to an organization. Because no one person can be or do all things needed in an organization, the blending of one’s traits with the diverse traits of others can help guild a balanced work team. According to the test, there are 4 distinctions: the Focuser, the Relater, the Integrator and the Operator. It was interesting that no one attending the Instructors Forum was determined to be an Operator, with the characteristics of an accountant who enjoys documentation and likes to focus on procedure and following policy.
Kim Snider – PoloSkilz, Aiken, SC
Developing, Marketing, and Delivery
As a savvy marketing professional and owner of PoloSkilz.com, Kim Sider gave a dynamic lecture on building a successful Internet presence, complete with PowerPoint presentation of good and not so good examples. She furthered her advice by mentioning the 3 components one needs to focus on in order to become a successful polo instructor and or create a successful club: develop your product, market your product and finally deliver your product. She stated that the polo professional should be spending equal amounts of time doing all three. The mistake most of us make is spending all of our time in the area we feel the most comfortable, thus stagnating potential benefits.
Other highlights included; Margie Paur and Amanda Hersey reminded us the value of Pony Club organizations for growing junior polo programs Meghan Rai Ferguson spoke on Lesson Preparation, Teaching Skills and Risk Assessment Robin Sanchez and Tom Goodspeed demonstrated Drills & Skills in the ERG Arena in Brookshire and Ilene Marie Tognini and Jason Torchinsky with Holtzman Vogel PLLC, VA gave a lawyer’s perspective on polo schools, non-profits and 501c3s.
Photos and Text: E.Hedley