The sport of kings is becoming the sport of teens as more local high school students take an interest in polo.
Brandywine Polo, a club in Kennett Square, Pa., started its program to train high school students for interscholastic polo competitions three years ago, said Scott Brown, a polo instructor at the club. Since its inception, Brandywine Polo Academy has grown from a handful of students to 20.
No one expected polo's popularity to grow so much among teens, said Brown. But the growing participation could explained by the fact that young people tend to have an affinity for horses and polo is a competitive way they can enjoy the animals, said Brown.
Eighteen-year-old player Conor O’Brien explained it this way: polo is too much fun not to try.
The Lincoln University, Pa., resident also plays football and lacrosse and sees a lot of similarities between them and polo, mainly "a lot of good contact,” he said, both “man to man and horse to horse.”
The main difference between polo and other sports is the learning curve, said O'Brien, who practices almost everyday. The amount of hard work and dedication it takes is the reason it is not more popular, he said.
"You can just pick up a football and start playing. You can't just pick up a horse," he said.
An interest in horses is what led Cristine Schiavello to playing three years ago. Schiavello, 16, of Chadds Ford, Pa., has ridden horses for a decade and said polo's fast pace makes the sport addicting.
A skilled polo horse is even-tempered and responsive, she said. A skilled polo player must understand his horse and anticipate its every move. A great player-horse combination starts with trust. It can be challenging to learn to trust a horse, but trust is vital, she said.
"The horse is going to get you there or not at all," she said. "If the horse is freaking out, you will be freaking out."
Learning about team work and respecting animals, and the relationships the polo players build – with their horses and their teammates – make it a great activity for teens, Brown said.
"I think polo is important to get them away from the malls and the video games and all the distractions," he said. "They just need to get outside."
