POLO DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
Regional Training Center
By Denny Geiler,
USPA Governor of the Pacific Coast Circuit
The Regional Training Center (RTC) program was developed by the USPA to strategically place “Polo Colleges” around the country to serve as part of a network of centers that train polo players, umpires, managers and others. They also serve as a “help center” to clubs in their area, answering questions and providing resources in an effort to improve the quality and quantity of USPA Membership.
The RTC Clubs may conduct clinics that benefit the polo players in the region not just the host club. They may send instructors to other clubs in their area for clinics on all aspects of polo. Their school programs not only develop polo players for the area but also develop polo instructors and/or polo managers for area clubs. They assist other local clubs by lending and or leasing them school horses when needed. They mentor the club owners and managers of the other clubs in the area to help polo grow.
The Regional Training Centers can receive up to $20,000 per year for a maximum of four years assistance under the PDI program. In order to qualify, the club must have had a successful program under the PDI – Club Funding program. It is a reimbursement program just like the PDI- club funding program with the intention of providing the seed money to reach the next level. All PDI recipient clubs and RTC’s are expected to work toward becoming self sustaining over the funding period.
The Brushy Creek Polo Ranch in Texas was the first RTC. It sponsors week long polo school programs which are attended by students of all ages from all over Texas and the US. In addition, it has an annual Instructor Forum for polo club managers and instructors.
The Virginia Polo Center is a mecca for polo players in the area under the leadership of Lou Lopez. It has developed polo players, instructors and managers who have migrated to other clubs in the US. It also is the home of the University of Virginia polo teams as well as several interscholastic teams. Brandywine Polo Academy is another RTC which provides programs that assist all the polo clubs in the Mid-Atlantic area. It features adult and student clinics and chukkers as well as several interscholastic teams.
A new RTC is Jack Sheldon’s Great Plains Polo Club in Wichita, Kansas, which has both an arena and grass program designed to develop polo and assist other polo clubs in the mid-west region. It is the home of the Great Plains Equestrian Sports Foundation. Polo Bear Polo Club in Atlanta was just approved to be an RTC due to their outreach programs that assist all the clubs in the southeast area.
Several clubs are under consideration for RTC status on the west coast. There will be a limited number of RTC programs which will be geographically situated throughout the US to assist the various areas where polo is played.