Intercollegiate/Interscholastic

Coming back

I/I alumnus returns to the sport

By Emily Dewey

The final ride. The last hurrah. The victory lap.

Seniors in college have a plethora of labels to name their last year in college, but what about what comes after? Some face uncertainty in their job situation, while others are secure with employment. Still others push on to graduate school to continue their education in a number of fields.

For the USPA’s I/I staff, watching the progression of players through college and high school is a highlight of the job. In some cases, we are given the opportunity to see players begin their tournament career in middle school, and in a few short years, we will watch the first groups of middle school players

Reggie’s All Stars’ Molly Muedeking, Lauren Connors and Liv Berube won the B Flight of the 2017 Feldman Cup. graduate from college. The journey is incredible, but the end of every year is bittersweet. Will we see the seniors again? Will they succeed on the path they are about to embark on? Will they continue in the sport we share in some way, shape or form?

If you frequented the barns of Garrison Forest School in the early 2000s or the grounds of Virginia Polo until 2007, you may have heard Molly Muedeking’s name echoing from the announcer’s microphone. A first-generation polo player from Maryland, Molly notched two Girls’ National Interscholastic Championships under Kelly Wells and was in contention for the women’s title with Lou Lopez at UVa. Like many alumni, the end of her college years brought an abrupt stop to her polo career.

“Both Garrison and UVa afforded me the opportunity to play polo at a high level and when graduation day came it was the end of playing for my foreseeable future. Although I was able to take the numerous lessons I/I polo taught me on my next adventures, I was unsure whether I would be playing again,” Molly explained. “After eight years of being totally immersed in polo (and occasionally class) it was a sharp departure from normal.”

By looking at membership metrics, we can get snapshots of what our association membership looks like from year to year. Staff can focus on certain age groups, geographic locations and membership retention. While looking at the 2019 data, we found 24% of members are current or former I/I players, while in the 23-29 age range I/I alums account for 30% of members. One of the most sobering of these statistics is who is leaving the association from year to year—65% of non-renewals of 23- to 29-year-olds come from I/I alums. As staff and polo enthusiasts, we hope all I/I college graduates can stay in polo after college. As people who have walked similar paths, we understand sports take a backseat to new responsibilities and careers.

Molly’s post-graduation journey literally took her around the world, from Asia to Africa, back to the states in-between and then off to Europe for vet school at the Royal Veterinary College in London. She had a whirlwind of years traversing the globe, only to land at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains where her polo journey had ended.

“Charlottesville and Virginia Polo are places I consider home and returning was a welcome reprieve from traveling. As a new vet, the Virginia polo ponies were once again willing teachers; teaching me both practical skills and patience that molded my formative first year of practice,” Muedeking explained. “And just as I had left it my fourth year, it was the oasis I constantly sought to relieve the stressors of being a new vet. At the end of a long day my truck always seemed to end up at the barn where there was always a pony willing to

Molly Muedeking, far right, competed at Seneca Polo Club this season.

go for a trail ride or stick and ball.”

Many young alumni like Molly are looking for ways to get back into the game without having to jump into the deep end of polo expenses, including a multiple-horse string, rig and the needs that come along with the full polo package. In recent years, arena tournament series, like the Pacific Coast Arena League and Texas Arena League, have been able to draw I/I alumni back into the fold with tournament locations that allow players the option to stay close to home or travel, depending on the level of engagement and play they prefer.

With tournament games ranging from beginner to 3-6 goal with horse rentals available, there is a level for everyone that wants to be involved. Tying into league play, the USPA’s National Arena Amateur Cup targets members with handicaps from -1 to 3 goals,

Molly Muedeking, left, is helping Posey Obrecht, right, coach the West Shore team. Team member Sarah Lynch is center.