Polo continues to grow while searching for recognition

Openly admitting to the captains of a sports team that you had only learned of their team's existence a few days earlier is probably not the best strategy for beginning an interview with them. But in the case of polo co-Captains Lucy Weaver '11 and Kaylin Myers '11, it's nothing unfamiliar.

"It's a pretty common reaction," Myers responded with a laugh.

Why this is so is another matter entirely. Maybe it's because polo is a club sport, devoid of the recognition (and funding) granted to varsity sports on campus. Maybe it's because the team has to travel 40 minutes to practice and play its home games. Maybe it's because students probably know more about water polo than about the kind that involves horses.

Whatever the reason, polo definitely warrants a higher sense of awareness, for it combines a rich history with a contemporary passion from its current players. Founded in 2001 as part of a revival of the sport at Vassar, polo's origin on campus dates back to the 1920s, when the Brewers became the first all-women's collegiate polo team. Now, the team is technically co-ed, but the roster as it currently stands consists entirely of women.

"We fully encourage guys to join, but it might be a little intimidating to join an all-girls team," Myers explained. "It's weird, because polo is predominantly a men's sport."

Weaver added, "Schools that fund polo generally have separate men's and women's teams."

Indeed, funding (or, rather, lack thereof) causes a number of obstacles for Vassar polo. The club receives $4,500 from the Vassar Student Association (VSA) to cover the entire school year, when in actuality it costs $7,000 to rent horses, equipment, arena space and time from Gardnertown Polo, the Brewers' "home" barn.

"What's tricky," Weaver commented, "is that [the VSA] actually gives us a lot of money compared to other clubs [at Vassar]. And $3,500 a semester is actually a really good price."

As good a price as it may be, it still leaves $2,500 left for the team to come up with on its own—not to mention the additional $500 price Gardnertown Polo charges per player.

"We always have to fundraise; people don't understand when we ask for money because our team only has seven people," Weaver said. She added that bake sales, though numerous in her experience, only get them so far.

Myers remarked that the money issue not only serves as a constant concern, but it also prevents potential members from committing to polo. "For everything that Bill [Dencker, who runs Gardnertown Polo] lets us do—he lets us come by whenever we want—it's a really good deal, but it deters people from joining. For people in horse culture, it's an understandable price."

Myers and Weaver certainly appreciate "horse culture." They have been riding since they were seven and nine years old, respectively, though neither one was ever particularly attracted to polo before coming to Vassar. Things changed for Weaver during her overnight stay at the College prior to beginning her freshman year.

"I was introduced to the polo team," she recalled. "At the time, I was heartbroken about not being able to ride in college." After meeting and getting along well with the members of the team, Weaver joined her first semester at Vassar and has never looked back.

Myers' path to polo featured a slight detour in the beginning.

"I was on the equestrian team the first semester of freshman year," she said. "But the sport seemed too proper." After that first semester, Myers attended one polo practice, met Weaver and decided this was the right team for her.

That is not to say Myers didn't have her doubts. "I honestly thought it was the most ridiculous sport ever [when I first saw it]," she admitted.

Given their somewhat limited knowledge of the sport, it helps immensely to have other resources. In addition to Dencker, who provides all the services the polo team needs, there is Duncan Huyler, a volunteer coach who helps explain the game to newcomers and hone the techniques of veteran players. Myers and Weaver greatly appreciate Huyler's aid. "I feel qualified to teach riding, but not polo," Myers said.

Still, the two co-captains have held tremendous responsibility during their tenure. "[Myers] and I have basically led the team for three years, which is unusual for a [school] organization," Weaver remarked. Weaver helps Huyler teach the sport to new players, while Myers schedules games and "tacks up" her teammates—that is, she prepares them and their horses with the proper equipment. Weaver says they are trying to generate a sense of delegation this semester, so the underclassmen currently on the roster will learn how to run the team before she and Myers graduate.

They aren't particularly worried about the team they're leaving behind, though. Weaver said the players currently on the roster are all "very capable" and "very enthusiastic." She and Myers both mentioned Mary Claire Walker '14, who was named the Polo Training Foundation 2010 Interscholastic Player of the Year in July, as one of the most spirited members of the team. "She's the most energetic person I've ever seen," Myers said. "It's nice to have a freshman so gung-ho about the team."

Despite their confidence in the future of the team, Weaver and Myers still see a need for improvement in the club's presence at Vassar. "It'd be great to have more players, more spectators," Weaver said hopefully. "We would love for it to be a bigger influence on campus."

There is an effort being made to encourage higher attendance at home games. Professor of Earth Science Jeff Walker will be offering transportation for the next three Friday home games for a select number of students—roughly seven to 12—who want to cheer on their classmates. Walker's three oldest children all are past or present Vassar polo players. Anyone who is interested (or wants to take their own car and needs directions) should contact Weaver or Myers.

The two co-captains also say they'll stay involved with Vassar polo even after they graduate. Myers remarked that she'll most certainly want to keep in touch with the current members of the team. "It's especially easier now because of Facebook," she said with a laugh.

But don't be surprised to see both of these devoted polo veterans returning in person to check out a game or attend a practice. "We'll definitely check in," Weaver said. "It's been such a big part of our Vassar life."

Vassar polo won its first game of the semester last Friday, a 19-11 victory over the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Tomorrow they play Johnson and Wales University at Gardnertown Farm at 7 p.m.