Tip 28: Playing Level
Playing Smart-tip #4 What level should you play? Play at your Proper Level of Play.
What level is that? Some present that high goal is better supervision of incoming players; others feel that the more traditional “walk before you run” approach is better in lower goal. Which way is right? They both are, depending on your resources, riding skills, and mental attitude. However, it is true, that in lower levels of play, you are going to run into personalities playing well over their heads, pros coming up the ladder trying to show their stuff, and some pretty challenging horses. If you are financially able, and you have the ability to take direction, maintain your calm in chaos, and put in the time as to your riding skills, high goal is great. Obviously, your level of participation is going to be slightly different than all those other ten-goal players running around you, but you are learning from the best the game has to offer, and it is a real thrill ride. It does take a great deal of riding skill to ride at the high goal level, so make certain to get in your riding time. For an amateur playing amongst the professional ranks, field awareness and riding ability should be your cornerstones. It takes years sometimes decades to hone your hitting skills at those speeds, but riding skills and field awareness are the more important factors to focus on.
It took me a while (40 years) to remember what I really love about the sport of polo. Galloping on the back of a horse. That is what I loved my first ten years of playing when I seldom hit a ball and that is what I still love today. So maybe you make ten plays in a game, or almost all of them, it is galloping around on a horse, which in my opinion is a blast. Now, throw in an occasional shot sailing through the goal posts, while galloping down field, and now you get addiction, Your right, I didn’t say passion, passion is galloping on the back of a horse, I said addiction, that is the greatest game on this planet, polo. I think polo at any level, is wonderful. My personal suggestion as to levels is play both, if you are able. You learn more skills at the high goal level; you get the chance to execute them more in lower goal polo. The most important thing is to have good supervision at either level and to remember to watch out for yourself, to play in an environment that you are comfortable with.
