6 minute read
Feels Like Team Spirit
England Polo captain Luke Tomlinson advises young players on the skills needed to become a world-class player
Talent Pool (from left) Ollie Cudmore, Lanto Sheridan, Luke Tomlinson, Richard Le Poer, Jack Richardson and George Meyrick
Although there is an age gap between the current England Squad and the up-and-coming young England squad, there is a wealth of talent of under-25-year-olds who are 4 goals and over. Those who deserve particular mention are Richard Le Poer, George Meyrick, and Max Charlton (off 5 goals) and Charlie Hanbury, Lanto Sheridan, Ollie Cudmore and Jack Richardson (off 4 goals).
The ability to develop this talent into its full potential is up to each individual and the opportunities that English polo can give them.
Indeed, in the UK there are four factors in polo that make it hard for talented young players to achieve their potential: availability of good horses (or access to them), finding good personal coaches from a young age, the broad skill set, and the limited number of months each year that polo is played.
I would advise players with potential to have a good think about whether polo is for them – ie if you like hard work, love horses, are bitten by physically, a process which can occur as late as your mid-forties. There is absolutely no roof on human achievement!
Secondly, you have to acknowledge that polo requires a wide range of skills, and they can be divided and then subdivided into a multitude of different skills. I will discuss the broad headings of the following skills:
the polo bug and are happy to have a career with a limited shelf life, where injuries are frequent, jobs are seasonal and issues with patrons often arise.
If your answer is ‘yes’ to all of the above then the first thing you must take on board is that there is no limit to how good you can get and that handicaps are put after your name as a result of how you have played. Do not aim for 10, but higher… aim to be as good as you can and remember that you don’t stop improving in this sport until you start slowing down mentally and ] Riding ability ] Stick work and ball control ] Team skills ] Strength and fitness ] Mental power ] Tactics ] Organisation ] PR and communication ] Being well mounted
These are the basic overall headings to work on, but the actual work is on the finer points of each one. For example, within riding ability is the skill
to stop a horse correctly and quickly. This in turn involves several skills: balance, use of legs, weight shifting, light but firm hands, feeling for a horse’s stride and mouth etc. Stick work and ball control can be subdivided. Firstly, there are the different shots that need working on (nearside, offside, fore and backhanders), then there are the different skills required to execute each shot (grip, swing, timing, etc). Many of these can then be subdivided, such as the swing, which is made up of various skills including stance, rotation, follow-through and upper body and head position. Quickly we can see the complexities of the sport.
Team skills involve learning when to commit to individual play and when to focus on team play, as well as a good relationship with teammates, learning to listen to better players and communicating well on the field.
Strength and fitness is crucial. As is one’s diet. You need a full-time personal trainer that understands the sport. There is no point in bulking up too much and losing flexibility and movement. Taking training on solo is not advisable as you will most likely overwork or underwork muscles leading to injury or lack of energy. Again this section can be subdivided into many different sections and the work to be done is endless.
Mental power is, in my opinion, one of the most important factors in becoming a top player. It is probably the hardest thing to manage, improve and control. Many players have the ability but not the mental prowess. The sub-categories I would put under this heading are varied: confidence and positive mental attitude, controlled aggression, determination, competitiveness, and the ability to deal with pressure. Intelligence is needed to be a top player although you don’t necessarily have to be an intellectual. You can improve your intelligence and your ability to make quick decisions well. I would also include reaction speed and anticipation under ‘mental power’. In Argentina it is very common for people to go to a psychologist almost as much as we go to the supermarket. In a sport like polo it is a great benefit to be able to see a sports psychologist on a regular basis, especially through a tough patch.
The final four skill sets are quite self-explanatory. Tactics covers not only knowing what plays to do at what time but also how to plan game strategy – in particular knowing your opposition and their horses. Organisation is a skill and a discipline that needs to be practised. The attention to detail and the ability to get things done on time is essential with horse sports, ie dealing with grooms, organising the stables well, paying the bills on time and keeping a good diary.
The less organised you are the better skills you will need to get yourself out of tight situations, so you will need to be good at
Clockwise from top left Max Charlton, Jack Richardson, Ollie Cudmore and Richard Le Poer
PR and communication. You have to chase jobs and opportunities yourself and this only happens by networking and meeting the right people at the right time. I have always been pretty introverted and I think that this has cost me opportunities. Also remember that the world of polo is very small indeed so do not be arrogant to your teammates or the opposition at any time and always treat the umpires with as much respect as you can. You never know, the patron or pro that is currently on the other team may be a future teammate or opportunity!
The last skill is the ability to be Well mounted. This is one of the most important of all and the hardest to achieve. It is overlapping with the riding and horsemanship skills. The better you ride the more chances there are of you becoming well mounted that is for certain. However, you need to be fussy, have high standards and always keep improving. Now you know the skills required you have to go back to your mindset. The hours that are spent on each individual skill and how you work on them is the key factor in improving. You have to set medium- and short-term goals and to practise constructively every aspect of the skills mentioned above.
My last piece of advice is to play as good polo as you can and to try and play as many seasons in Argentina as possible. This is an investment that will pay off in the long term. Look at what some friends have spent on attending university and spend the same amount of money on going to Argentina for three or four seasons! Obviously the sooner that you make the decision the better. Good luck and never stop enjoying the sport!
P.S. Read Bounce by Mathew Syed and also insist that the HPA arrange for you to have at least two seminars with Dave Alred (Jonny Wilkinson’s kicking coach). These two things will help get your mindset right from the start.
