Dec 12, 2016 4:58 PM
After months of planning, the USPA Polo Development team in collaboration with the Kinesiology Department at Auburn University, in Auburn, Alabama, began a study of the biomechanics of the offside forward swing to identify the optimal muscle and skeletal movements associated with the standard swing.
To begin the study the first round of participants, professional players Alan Martinez and Stuart Campbell and Executive Director of Umpires LLC Charlie Muldoon, traveled to Auburn University. In each session a digital model of the individual player’s skeleton and along with a baseline reading of active muscles were recorded. Once completed, each player mounted up onto a wooden horse for testing. Additional testing sessions have been scheduled and will include Team USPA mentors Adam Snow and Julian Daniels. These sessions will continue between now and Christmas, with sessions resuming after January 1.
Gretchen Oliver Ph.D, the lead investigator on the case, has been working with Polo Development since May and developed the protocol for the study. Oliver and her students are excited to be part of this groundbreaking study and are eager to continue the testing. Results from the sessions will be analyzed to provide more information on the key components of the swing and will hopefully lead to information on injury prevention in the future.
Effective Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
The suspension of USPA Tournaments and Events will be lifted for USPA Member Clubs in locales where hosting polo matches and tournaments is permitted under applicable state and local laws, executive orders and similar decrees. The USPA Member Clubs in these locales are encouraged to follow all such requirements of their state and local authorities with respect to polo operations. In addition, we also encourage all USPA Member Clubs to take the precautions recommended by the CDC. We are preparing a detailed list of best practices for USPA Member Clubs as they return to hosting USPA Tournaments and Events and plan to circulate these guidelines within the next week. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely and will notify you if we determine a different course of action is necessary.
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