I’ve been amused the last couple of weeks by the musings on the Message Board of a polo website identified as polobarn (or polozone). These people, are for the most part, ardent players who are looking for direction or offering suggestions to anyone who will listen regarding options of improving the state of polo today.
I read heated disputes between ideologically opposed sides either touting the USPA or finding fault with it. What I do not see, however, are any answers from the pro USPAers.
I have made a case that the membership of the USPA is eroding and I read under a self-serving topic “Don’t blame the USPA” (I am wondering then, who is to blame?) on a post under the pen name “downtown” that we should considering that maybe the reason our membership is the same as it was in the 1970s is because that is a “real number, and growing that number is not the thing to do”. Great logic. That might be understandable if the population of the United States were the same as it was in the 1970s, but it isn’t. That means that percentage wise, there are fewer Americans playing polo per 1,000 today than there were forty years ago. Downtown also professed not to understand my deduction from today’s USPA membership of women and foreign players. Evidently downtown isn’t enough of a student of the association to know that women were only admitted to the USPA in 1972, and for the first couple of decades there were precious few of them playing. There were also very few foreign players in the decades surrounding that time.
I was attempting to get a read on the growth of male polo players in the game, since we know how many American male polo players there were in those days, downtown, take a basic accounting class.
I see questions being posed by the “outsiders” regarding the number of players the USPA gets from the interscholastic and intercollegiate ranks (to be fair, you would have to deduct the legacies who would be playing anyway). No response from the other side. I see questions being asked about the availability of USPA funds for projects that might help grow the game. No response from the other side. I see questions raised about the size of the USPA and PTF staffs, which have grown four and five times over yet we have the same number of members (the “real number” according to downtown). I see members asking the USPA what its plans are for the future. No response from the other side. I see questions being raised about why the US no longer participates in international competition-sponsored by the USPA. No response from the other side.
I see an association that is masked behind smoke and mirrors doing a sub-par job and feeling no obligation to report any of its inner doings to its meager membership. I see questions being asked about poor business decisions made by the USPA. No response from the other side.
And now I see a journalist for not joining the USPA and doing something constructive! That kind of attitude would certainly quiet down this year’s presidential election, but again, it offers no answers. Clever guys, pick on the press. Pick on the only people who give you any publicity. Very clever. You’ll show ‘em.
They speak of an honorable, highly respected player who appears on the Message Board who would be eager to be employed by the USPA, but it appears that there is no place to put him. We look at the Executive Director who has insured his employment with the departure of the executive secretary (the longest termed employee of the USPA, and quite possibly the only other person who knows all of the secrets). I t seems that the USPA is so comfortable with the smooth workings of its programs that it doesn’t need to have someone training under the Executive Director, just in case. Likewise, the Executive Director of the PTF seems to be entrenched in his position with no one being made aware of his duties and responsibilities, insuring his value as the “keeper of the keys”. (We’re going to look into the workings of Brushy Creek Polo Camp and the many people it is bringing into the association, soon).
In a time when knowledge is power and these people seem to be insuring their positions for life. On the other hand, with the limited success for which they have been responsible, it would be hard to see them surviving in the real business world. I guess they could always work for the government. No real expectations and no information. A perfect fit.
4 Comments
th000000930pm08, 22008vUTC09bUTCTue, 30 Sep 2008 23:35:58 +0000 11, 2007 at 08:46p09
Since you are such an ardent opposer of the USPA, let us all hear your ideas of how to grow the sport, PLEASE?
st0000001001am08, 32008vUTC10bUTCWed, 01 Oct 2008 05:24:12 +0000 11, 2007 at 08:46p10
Let me make it clear, I am not opposed to the USPA or the PTF. I am opposed to some of the control freaks who are manipulating the USPA and the PTF. I am opposed to employees who are either unqualified or lazy, and I am opposed to people who are power hungry and will sacrifice the good of the USPA and the PTF to maintain that power. I would like to think that doesn’t include everyone in power, but that is a decision that should be made on a case by case basis.
You ask me my ideas on growing the membership knowing that you aren’t going to consider any suggestions. Fine, I’ll share a couple of ideas.
First I would reorganize the USPA (we’ll leave the PTF for another day). There is no sense in growing the membership if the administration and leadership drives them away. The organization needs to be (and I know I am repeating myself) transparent and accountable.
Reviewing the paid employees would be an important move so that you might realize who you have working for you and what they are capable of doing. I would make certain that aside from the Executive Director I had a second in command, someone who could take over in case anything happened to the ED. As it stands now, there is no one else who has the information that the ED has. Built in job security.
I would reorganize the committee structures. I would require a mission statement from each of them; a status report from them on a monthly basis; and readily jetison any member who was not contributing. I would publish their monthly status reports on the website and openly solicit any suggestions or criticisms.
I would also gauge the progress of outlined projects and hold the committees and committee members accountable.
I would once again get behind promoting international competition, embracing the Westchester Cup and the Camacho Cup. I would wholeheartedly promote the competitions having my Marketing Director actively solicit corporate sponsorships and develop ongoing relationships with these sponsors.
I would take a deep look into Englands schools and universities polo programs and find out how they managed to grow their programs to many times the size of ours in such a short time. I would copy a number of their organizational formats that would allow many more school polo club members the opportunity to play and compete (check out the SUPA site).
I would coordinate the support of the existing schools and universities with area clubs and schedule visits from instructors throughout the year. I would also require that the colleges and universities established a legitimate playing schedule throughout the year that would allow them to play a full season of matches before any regional competition.
Although I don’t believe that the schools and universities do anything significant to grow the membership, I would establish a tracking system that would be able to tell me just what the return was on my investment of time and money for the program.
I would establish a “bible” of polo instruction coordinating a number of different methods that were abridged into one standard teaching format and I would stick to it. I would not allow anyone to list themselves as a Polo Instructor on the USPA site without completing a course and a test and receiving credentials from the USPA, and would require a certain number of donated hours every year to mainatin those credentials.
I would look at establishing a training center (I think I would try to negotiate for the use of the Broad Acres Polo Club, at this time) where I would work out a format for training players, grooms, arena polo, field polo, riding lessons, etc. This would all be done in conjunction with the “polo training bible” I mentioned earlier. I would vigilently monitor the program there, and before I thought about creating another such center, I would have to know that the first one was self sustaining and generating new members as well as training current members.
I would solicit the membership for horses to be donated to the center and have my marketing director solicit an “official” feed, tack and any other items that would help maintain ans subsidize the association-owned horses. I would then develop a club membership program that would allow for the lease of horses after the polo student or player’s progress was deemed acceptable by the club manager.
The ability of a person to be able to join a polo club; take lessons; particpated in league and tournament play (primarily arena polo) would allow young professionals who are in the heart of their earning years to be able to participate and compete without making the demanding time and money sacrifices that more serious polo would ask of them.
I know that there was a membership study done, but considering that it was done by people unfamiliar with the game and that the USPA loses about one third of its membeship every year (many of which were one-year members) I woud think that the study was flawed, but would review what it said and share my findings, forecasts and future plans with the membership.
I would take a look at some of the “age-old” volunteers and Executive Board members and realize that it was through the judgement and shoices of many of these people that the USPA is in the state it is today, and I would remove them. I would re-establish the Constitution Committee and get rid of the constitution czar. I find the concept of a one-man Constitution Committee laughable. I would recruit young, interested members into leadership positions and give the association a much needed infusion of new blood and I would abolish the practices of the Nominating Committee, which in my mind merely perpetuates the lineage of bad leadership we have been saddled with for so many years. I would suggest that the Constitution Committee re-think the measures that were taken a few years ago that stripped the Circuit Governors of their power and when their power was restored, I would hold them accountable. I would stress to the membership that the position wasn’t a popularity contest, and if the Circuit Governors didn’t perform, they would be replaced.
I would create a Public Relations position that would assist each and every club and would work on placing articles in major publications on an ongoing basis. That person would also be required to assist in helping to promote each and every major USPA tournament (including the I/Is) with the media contacts that they have developed.
Well, tiger87, those are just a few things I would do for openers. Your thoughts?
st0000001001am08, 32008vUTC10bUTCWed, 01 Oct 2008 08:14:53 +0000 11, 2007 at 08:46p10
Attention Tiger…I’d like to see a response from you concerning the above post by backhander. Since you have labeled him an ardent opposer can one assume that you are, therefore, an ardent supporter? If such is the case please share with the rest of the polo world your position on the topics so aply proposed by backhander. In my humble opinion he has covered all of the bases quite well and you and the rest of your cheerleaders for the USPA might want to follow some of his well thought out advise. Unless, of course, your suggestions are better.
nd0000001002am08, 42008vUTC10bUTCThu, 02 Oct 2008 07:12:11 +0000 11, 2007 at 08:46p10
I for one actually believe that “backhander” does believe that the USPA as an organization is needed.
I believe that “backhander” also feels that we need massive sweeping changes to the way in which it operates, and who actually operates it.
Membership involvement must reach new levels, and that can only come from within.
Finding new ways to bring the sport to people, resurrecting concepts that proved successful in years gone by should be on the table, and they do not seem to be.
Status quo seems to be the overall flow, and the flow must change, really change.
The initial response to what The Villages is doing wasn’t that favorable, and only after voices were heard criticizing those negative comments and unrealistic comparisons were they somewhat ammended.
Proof that change is necessary, however the question remains the same…who can, and who will change it?
The membership doesn’t have the power, the people running the current organization don’t have to do anything if they don’t want to…so now what?
I personlly feel that The Villages is in the process of setting a new example for all of us, and that is that at the end of the day, individual clubs can do whatever they desire, with or without the guidance and or sanctioning of the USPA.
Unfortunate really, because the USPA can at any time decide to be the greatest thing for polo, but it seems that it will only do what it feels like doing, protecting itself from all angles and only disclosing what it wants to, not what it should at all times. Not involving, really involving those who are responsible for its existence, the members.
If I may, please, all USPA chairman, committee members, anyone and everyone that holds any position of power within the USPA, rethink your positions.
Consider restructuring the entire body that has anything to do with governing our sport, and make some radical changes.
You may not realize it but there will be a cheer loud enough to hear from coast to caost if all of you are willing to step up to the plate.
Why wouldn’t you, unless you don’t care, and I truly feel that you do.
“Think outside the box”, and do it now, not just for your current membership, but for the future of polo in America.