Amid popular opinion, polo is usually associated with wealth, and playing polo is conceived as a symbol of privileged status. Tom Buchanan from “The Great Gatsby” — himself dubbed “the polo player” — represents the most typical popular perception of polo player: white, muscular, upper-class and usually arrogant. Furthermore, commercial brands — in particular Ralph Lauren — strengthen the stereotypical association between polo and elitism by utilizing polo imagery and associating it with expensive consumer goods. However, the experience of members of the Virginia Polo Team depicts quite a different picture.
Through student self-governance and the effort of the players, polo has been made more accessible to more students at the University. The facility of the University’s polo club is one of the best college facilities in America, but it remains student-run. Contrary to the impression people hold about polo as a leisure sport for the rich, the players at the University put a significant amount of their time into training, which is no less than any other sport’s. It might be surprising to many students that the polo team at the University is recognized as one of the nation’s strongest programs. From 2004 to 2013, the polo team has won 11 Men’s National Championships and nine Women’s National Championships. The women’s varsity team has won the National Championship the past three years in a row. The team achieves this success due to the enormous commitment and devotion of the players. Varsity members spend several hours in the facility to practice; some even choose to stay in Charlottesville during the summer to practice with the coach. The small size of each team and the large number of hours spent together create strong bonds, not only between players, but also between the people and the horses.
From my informal conversations with team members, when asked about the most distinguishing part of polo, one player commented that polo is not only about humans, but also about communication with the horses. He believes multi-tasking and interaction with the horses are the most important parts of the sport. Every player can have several choices of horses, but most people have a favorite horse, whom they greet and treat like friends. A board with names, pictures and characters of each horses is hanged on the wall of the barn. Played in the field and on horseback, Polo instills in the players a sense of connection with nature, and promotes the connection between the self with the outside world.
Despite the popular image of polo players as predominantly privileged white males, the Virginia polo team is very diverse. Members of the team are composed of American students and international students from Costa Rica, Colombia, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. In various informal conversation, the players on the team explain their diverse interest and background in polo. Some have been playing since an early age, some only came to know and fall in love with the sports long after they learned to ride and some started to learn polo after they came to the University. Some players come to practice regularly not only to enjoy the excitement and to perfect their skills, but also to spend quality time with the horses, who can help ease their homesickness.
The stereotypes of polo could have resulted in the under-coverage of polo on grounds. The latest piece covering Virginia Polo was published in 2013, and one player complained that few students even know they are around, despite the fact that the University’s polo team has so many national titles under their belts. Polo is an educational sport that greatly promotes the spirit of teamwork, communication and emotional connection with the world in the players. The team deserves to be more appreciated and should face less prejudice.
Sasha Wan is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at s.wan@cavalierdaily.com.
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