Interscholastic Start Up

GETTING STARTED

All USPA registered member and school clubs are eligible to field an interscholastic team. All teams must be affiliated with a USPA registered club, consist of eligible players, and complete all necessary eligibility requirements to compete.

All teams who register and complete the necessary paperwork, as well as adhere to deadlines and fees, are guaranteed a spot in tournament play.

Teams can consist of all boys or a combination of boys and girls (Open Division), or all girls (Girls’ Division). Players may not play for more than one team. Clubs may field as many teams as they can accommodate.

In addition to I/I tournaments, there is a strong emphasis on the regular season play where teams are required to play at least two qualified games. These scores are posted online and used for tournament assignments and seeding purposes.

WHO’S ELIGIBLE

Players must be:

1. A registered player or student member of the USPA for the current year.

2. In grades 7 - 12.

3. Under the age of 19 as of Sept 1 of the current I/I Season.

4. In good academic standing with their school and academically eligible to compete in sports for their school.

5. Live within 100 mile radius of the host club or be able to travel to one of the three closest clubs to their home address.

BASIC RULES & TOURNAMENT CONDITIONS

• All I/I polo is played in the arena, following USPA Arena Rules

• I/I is played using the split string format, in which horses are divided into two strings, each horse playing twice - once for each team. Players should be able and comfortable riding unfamiliar mounts during regular season and tournament games.

• In addition, all I/I players are required to wear eye protection and if they choose to use spurs, they must have a smooth rolling rowel or be a small Prince of Wales type with a rounded end.

• Teams who wish to compete in the I/I tournament season must complete an “Intent to Compete” form by October 1st and pay their entry fee by December 1st.

• Teams are required to play two official, regular season games following all I/I tournament conditions.

• Official games are considered such, when both coaches sign the score sheet and submit it to the USPA. These games are required for regional seeding and tournament assignments. Most teams play more than the required two games.

• At tournaments, teams are required to tack up their own horses, the umpire horses, and spares in addition to having work duties when they are not playing.

• Teams not playing in the current game are required to hot walk, assist with tack times, untack the horses when they have completed playing, and wash, cool out, and care for the horses.

• Teams playing are required to clean the tack of the string they played and assist with other horse care chores such as feeding and mucking stalls.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

• All scores received are published on the USPA website under the I/I Scoreboard.

• Teams in each region and division are then seeded; the lower seeded teams play through preliminary tournaments, while higher seeded teams may receive a bye to their regional tournament.

• Winners of the preliminary tournaments advance to the regional tournament. The winner of each regional tournament advances to the national tournament.

• If a game should end in a tie at the end of regulation, a shootout format is necessary to determine a winner.

• Tournament locations are selected based on availability of host site, the proximity of teams and available horses.

• Teams entered into a tournament are required to provide a string (6-9) of horses.

• All horses must meet the published USPA I/I Equine Welfare requirements, including current health papers. All horses are subject to a pre-tournament horse inspection by the onsite veterinarian, testing for soundness and Body Condition Score.

• Tournaments are kept to a maximum of six teams so students are out of school for the least amount of days as possible, keeping in mind necessary rest in-between games for the horses.

• Tournaments are played either as a round robin or single elimination format, with consolation games as horses are available.

• Awards are presented to the winners of the tournament, and teams vote on 4 All-Stars and 1 Sportsmanship award to be given to their peers. Horsemanship awards are selected by the Host Tournament Committee

• In addition, all players score their horses on a scale of 1-10 after playing, and at the end of the tournament, scores are tallied and a Best Playing Pony is awarded, as well as a Best Playing String.

FEES & DEADLINES*

USPA Club Dues (Per Club) $200. Due January 1 of each year

USPA Membership Dues (Per Player) Due January 1 of each year** Player Member (under 18): $100.

**New members must join prior to any regular season games in the fall and renew January 1 to complete the season.

I/I Tournament Entry Fee (Per Team) $800. Due December 1st

I/I Official Score Sheets are due within 7 days of being played.

Interscholastic Eligibility Paperwork is due December 1st

*Dues, Fees and Dates are subject to change.

VARSITYINTERSCHOLASTICLETTER

Individually, players are able to work towards earning their Interscholastic Varsity Letter in Polo. Students are required to put in at least 100 hours of riding, stick & balling, practice and game time; as well as compete in at least four regular season games and one post-season tournament play. Varsity letter recipients receive a certificate of achievement, a varsity letter patch, a pin for their first year, and each additional year.

SCHOLARSHIPSINTERCOLLEGIATE

The USPA recognizes 35 universities/colleges that have active collegiate polo programs. Intercollegiate polo scholarships are available through the USPA for students who have competed in the Interscholastic Division and continue on to play polo in college.Six,$4,000

Scholarships are available annually to both graduating high school students and current intercollegiate students. Applicants must be a registered USPA player in good standing, compete on an interscholastic team for at least two years, have a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, provide two letters of recommendation and complete a short essay on a polo experience of their choice. Scholarships are renewable for up to four years.

COACHING REQUIREMENTS

All I/I teams participating in the program must have a designated coach. All Coaches must comply with the following requirements for their team to be eligible to compete:

- Be a USPA Member in good standing

- Sign the USPA Coach’s Code of Conduct

- Read and sign the USPA’s Youth Protection

-PolicyComplete a yearly criminal background check

- Complete the Center for Disease Control online concussion training

- Complete the US Olympic Committee online Safe Sport training

MIDDLE SCHOOL LEAGUE

The Middle School League is open to all players from 5th - 8th grade. Players enter as an individual and the host tournament committee will mix players together to form evenly matched teams. Middle School players are responsible for providing or sourcing their own horse(s) for the event. Players who meet interscholastic qualifications, may play in both Middle School and Interscholastic tournaments.

AVAILABLE USPA ASSISTANCE

USPA assistance is available in the terms of mentoring, assisting with organizing a team, funding and umpire support for regular season qualified games.

WHY I/I?

• Interscholastic polo offers your Club a new avenue for growth and sustainability.

• Interscholastic polo introduces polo to the next generation of our sport in a safe and affordable environment.

• It gives players the opportunity to play with their peers, travel and be exposed to college coaches.

• Clubs are promoted regionally and nationally through their youth ambassadors.

• Players who are first generation polo players often have parents who get involved as well.

• USPA programs, including Interscholastic Varsity Letter Program and Intercollegiate Polo Scholarships keep students engaged.

• Support in terms of funding and mentoring are available to help you get started.

WHAT REGION AM I?

NORTHEASTERN

CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT, Ontario

Boston Polo Club

Central New York Polo Club

Gardnertown Polo Club

Greater Niagra Polo Club

Harvard Polo Club

Newport Polo Club

Yale Polo Club

Western NY Polo Club

SOUTHEASTERN

AL, DE, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV, Jamaica

Aiken Polo Club

Battlefield Park Polo Club

Garrison Forest School

Jamaica Polo Club

Liberty Hall Polo CLub

Maryland Polo Club

Seneca Polo Club

Virginia JRs

Work to Ride - Lancaster Polo Club

CENTRAL

AK, CO, IA, IL, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, OK, SD, TX, WI, WY Guatemala

WESTERN

AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, British Columbia

Central Coast Polo Club

PrestonwoodMidlandLegendsHoustonHillsideDenverAcademiesPoloClubPoloClubPoloClubPoloClubPoloClubPoloClub

Culver

Rancho Naranjo Polo Club

San Antonio Polo Club

St. Croix

St. Louis Polo Club

Cerro Pampa Polo Club

Empire Polo Club

Lakeside Polo Club

Maui Polo Club

Oakdale Polo Club

OC Polo Club

Poway Polo Club

South Bay Polo Club

Sutter Buttes Polo Club

CONTACTS

• For all up-to-date information including tournament schedules, please visit the I/I Pages on the USPA website www.uspolo.org.

• For current news on the program and teams, follow us on facebook.com/iipolo.

• If you have any questions about how to get started or the program in general, please contact I/I Program Director Amy Fraser, afraser@uspolo.org.