Over the course of three clinics forty-four interscholastic players enjoyed learning and improving their game at Virginia Polo this summer. These three day clinics, held July 11-13, July 27-29, and August 10-13, provide a great opportunity for interscholastic players to meet and play with others their age. Additionally, the players work on their riding and polo skills, breaking down many facets of the game into components to build a strong foundation.
This year we were lucky to have the addition of former 9-goal player Julio Arellano to the instruction team of Danny Scheraga, Lou Lopez, and Rob Rinehart. This group of experienced coaches helped players to cover a range of topics from riding for polo to game review. In addition to the coaches, Jen McLeavey, Executive Director of the PTF came and assisted with the first two sessions, a familiar face to many of the interscholastic players, it was great to have her expertise on site.
We were very impressed with the level of talent and hard-work in the group of players this year. The participants praised the quality of the Virginia Polo ponies and facilities, many aspire to attend UVA in the future- we'd be lucky to have them in the Club!
All of this was facilitated by the Virginia Polo barn staff, a group of collegiate players who stay for the summer to keep ponies fit and ready for the clinics. Along with assistant coach Elka, college players Maryam, Nick, Brian, Hannah, Natalia, and Nora helped educate the players on nuances of tacking up, introduced players to their ponies, and helped keep the clinics flowing smoothly.
Thanks to everyone that made this summer’s clinics a success!
