NEWS

On behalf of the Arena Committee of the United States Polo Association, thank you for being an Arena Club! Since 1910, when America's polo, Indoor Polo, was organized into the Indoor Polo Association and through our merger with the USPA in 1960, Arena polo has been an exciting, competitive, and all weather version of the sport of polo. I am happy to report that Arena polo is strong and growing within the USPA! There are currently 136 arena clubs in the USPA and the Arena Committee has developed this newsletter (the first of a new quarterly series) focused solely on Arena polo.

Part of the Committee's mission is to get our members and players playing our sport at all goal levels. Over the last few years we have begun a number of programs to promote and develop our sport including: a new marketing program to help clubs promote Arena polo, developing low goal international Arena tournaments, creating the "Arena Masters" (now renamed the USPA Arena Challenge Cup) series played nationwide with a National Final, and promoting our National Events at all goal levels. In 2015, we had all the National Arena Events awarded to clubs, and we played the National Sherman Memorial for the second time since 2006. Also in 2015, we inaugurated the "Russ Sheldon Award for Excellence" in Arena Polo. Peter Rizzo was the first recipient and it will be awarded again in April at Board of Governors meeting in Wellington.

So please have a look at our programs and help us to further our mission and play more and better Arena polo across our Association.

I look forward to seeing you in an Arena soon!

Sincerely,

Dan Coleman

Arena Chairman

ARENA MASTERS CUP SERIES (USPA ARENA CHALLENGE CUP)

The United States Polo Association invites arena clubs across the country to participate in the 2016 Arena Masters Cup Series.

Goal Level: Set by the host club

Benefits:

• Awards provided by USPA or eligible for trophy reimbursement program

• USPA Umpires available through the PUMP 6 program

• Any player participating in an arena qualifier is eligible to participate in the Nationals

Age: All ages welcome to participate

Reimbursement: Up to $300 available through the Arena Incentive Program

Finals: Location TBD

Click here to download a circuit application for Arena Masters Qualifiers

E-mail your completed application to: tournaments@uspolo.org

Please contact Teresa Stephens if you are interested in hosting a Regional Qualifiers or the Finals for the Arena Masters Cup Series.

U.S. OPEN ARENA POLO CHAMPIONSHIP®

The 2016 U.S. Open Arena Polo Championship will take place at Country Farms Polo Club in Medford, New York from July 19-23.

For more information or if you are interested in entering a team please contact Bob Ceparano: bob@country-farms.com.

NEW ARENA TOURNAMENTS:

For 2016, the USPA has added three new Circuit Arena Tournaments:

• Arena Women's Challenge
• 3-6 Arena- General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller
• 0-3 Arena- Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

The General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller and the Admiral Chester W. Nimitz are new Armed Forces Events that were created for 2016. They will be played with the following tournament conditions:

1. Required to have at least one military member on teach team (active duty, retired, honorable discharge, family member of military member, or spouse)
2. If all players meet the required military member tournament condition, those that have actually served have priority over spouse or family member.

The Arena Committee is also discussing the creation of a US Open Arena women's tournament, in which a new Women's arena handicap will be developed to be utilized.

ARENA INCENTIVE PROGRAM

In an effort to increase participation in arena polo, the USPA Arena Committee will approve funding for reimbursement to USPA member clubs that host the following tournaments:

TOURNAMENT GOAL LEVEL AMOUNT REIMBURSED

Circuit Application: click here ♦ National Application: click here

These funds are limited and will be approved on a first-come first-served basis.

TOURNAMENT RESOURCES

• Tournament Guide
• Circuit Application
• National Application
• Sanctioned Application
• Tournament Results Packet
• Arena Incentive Program Reimbursement Form

2016 USPA Rulebook

POLO PLAYERS EDITION SUBMISSION

If you would like your tournament results published in Polo Players Edition:

• Send submission to: info@poloplayersedition.com
• Information is due: The First of the month prior to-- Example for the March Issue, you would need the information by February 1st. (If your space is full, you will include in the following issue, in this example it would be the April Edition)
• Specifications - For specifications we need high resolution photos AND either score sheets or a game write-up. (Please note, photos should be sent as individual jpegs and NOT included as part of a word document. Photos downloaded off of Facebook or other media will not be high enough resolution.) It is also helpful to have team rosters for all teams participating; captions for photos, including first and last names of everyone in the photo; and a schedule of matches with scores noted.
• Please include the contact information for the individual submitting the content.

MISSION STATEMENT: The Arena Committee is the successor of the Indoor Polo Association. Its mission is to manage arena polo within the USPA as well as organize, promote and develop arena polo with member clubs and players. The committee seeks to differentiate arena polo as an exciting, competitive, and alternative version of the sport polo, as well as an invaluable teaching polo format. The committee's initiatives and responsibilities include arena rules, arena handicaps, high goal arena polo, arena tournaments, international arena polo, I/I, and women's arena polo.