NEWS

October 25, 2016

Dear Arena Club Delegates and Players,

Across the USPA, summer arena seasons are coming to an end, Intercollegiate and Interscholastic teams are preparing for I/I competition, and clubs are getting their arenas ready for winter polo! New arenas are being built all over the country and new players being introduced to America’s polo... arena polo. I am proud of the growth of our sport over the last few years.

Earlier this month, four teams competed in the inaugural USPA Women’s Arena Championship. This will be renamed the U.S. Women’s Arena Open Polo Championship when women’s arena handicaps are in place for 2017. This year is also the first year in a generation or more where all the national arena events will be played. In all, we have eight national trophies ranging from 3- to 18-goals with three to six teams in each event.

In 2017, we will inaugurate the new Arena Handicap Committee under the expert tutelage of our good friend Tom Goodspeed. He is working with the USPA Handicap Committee to setup a new Arena Handicap process. Part of this process includes the “Plus One” plan, which will see all arena players from B- to 3-goals, raised ONE goal nationwide on the first of the year. Players will then be adjusted up or down as needed. As a delegate, you are an integral part of this process, so stay tuned for more information from the USPA Handicap office!

In the coming year, we will work to get more USPA arena events livestreamed and televised, along with more and better events planned and executed across the Association.

As we work to grow, we will continue to promote arena polo as a unique part of the sport of polo. We all recognize the arena as a training facility for players both indoor and out, but arena polo is its own entity as well and it is again becoming a destination, not just a starting point!

In all, the USPA Arena Committee and I are excited about the future of our sport!

Daniel Coleman

Arena Committee Chairman

The National USPA Arena Amateur Cup at Orange County Polo Club - October 28-30 2016

The National Arena Challenge Cup at Central Coast Polo Club - December (TBA) 2016

Townsend Cup/ Military US vs. UK - Scottsdale, Arizona - January 14, 2017

SUPA/ II - Scottsdale, Arizona - January 15, 2017

National Arena Handicap Subcommittee

A new Arena Handicap Subcommittee has recently been formed, it is comprised of 13 Circuit Arena Specialists and eight At-Large Members. This subcommittee will review arena handicaps annually, and will base changes on club recommendations. Each Circuit Arena Specialist will review his/her own circuit specifically, and the At- Large Members will do their best to compare on a national basis.

“Plus One” Stimulus Package For Lower Goal Arena

We encourage all arena club delegates to support the “Plus One” effort as a handicapping stimulus package for the arena. We would like to raise all active arena players between the handicaps of B- to 3-goals by one full goal. Obviously there will be some B-rated players that would be more appropriately left at B, if they are either just getting started or maybe just still learning how to ride. This strategy is directed at players that are regular participants in the arena and interested in USPA tournaments. The net effect across the country would be zero, but the result would be simply making it easier for amateurs to join together to build teams for the lower goal USPA competitions. Our justification for doing so is that we as a group did not take advantage of the fact that our upper ceiling was raised by several goals a few years back, and because of this the lower handicaps were not adjusted accordingly. Our end goal is to build participation in our lower goal USPA tournaments. Our motto is “More teams in 17” or “MT17.” We respect the fact that there will be cases where the "Plus One" does not apply, but in the bigger picture, raising everyone by one does not place anyone at a disadvantage by the increase. It simply just makes the math a bit easier in building teams between amateurs for USPA arena tournaments.

Club Recommendations

• Arena Recommendations will be due Friday, November 4
• Players already being considered to be raised a goal should be raised two goals.
• Players being considered to be lowered would retain their current handicap.
• This program has no affiliation with the newly approved Women's Arena Handicaps. However, this "Plus One" program should not have any effect on their handicaps as we are raising all our lower goal handicaps by a goal and then they use their own formula to adjust from there.

Arena Handicap Subcommittee Meeting

The committee will be meeting November 18 (tentative) to discuss the arena handicap recommendations and do a comparative review of all members with arena handicaps.

The Arena Committee, in conjunction with Polo Development, is collecting information about different Arena Construction techniques. We are looking for:
-Photos of different arena styles
-Construction plans
-Information on footings used throughout the USPA
-Lessons learned with arena experience.

Please send any and all arena construction and maintenance information that you have to Justin Powers jpowers@uspolo.org and dan.coleman@uspolo.org

We will be putting together a comprehensive guide to be part of PoloSkilz for clubs interested in building arenas, rehabilitating arenas, etc.

• Tournament Guide
• Circuit Application
• National Application
• Sanctioned Application
• Tournament Results Packet
• Arena Incentive Program Reimbursement Form

2016 USPA Rulebook

If you would like your tournament results published in Polo Players' Edition:

• Send submission to info@poloplayersedition.com
• Information is due the first of the month prior to-- Example for the March Issue, you would need the information by February 1. (If space is full, you will be included in the following issue, in this example it would be the April Edition)
• Specifications: High-resolution photos are needed and either score sheets or a game write-up. (Please note, photos should be sent as individual jpegs and NOT included as part of a word document. Photos downloaded off of Facebook or other media will not be of high enough resolution). It is also helpful to have team rosters for all teams participating; captions for photos, including first and last names of everyone in the photo; and a schedule of matches with scores noted.
• Please include the contact information for the individual submitting the content.
  
  

MISSION STATEMENT: The Arena Committee is the successor of the Indoor Polo Association. Its mission is to manage arena polo within the USPA as well as organize, promote and develop arena polo with member clubs and players. The committee seeks to differentiate arena polo as an exciting, competitive, and alternative version of the sport polo, as well as an invaluable teaching polo format. The committee's initiatives and responsibilities include arena rules, arena handicaps, high goal arena polo, arena tournaments, international arena polo, I/I, and women's arena polo.