WCDS establishes joint Polo team with Liberty Hall Equestrian Center
Wake eld Country Day School is pleased to announce the establishment of a WCDS Polo Team in conjunction with Liberty Hall Equestrian Center in Rixeyville.
The program will be led by Daniel and Sarah Coleman of Liberty Hall. Mr. Coleman is a former member of the U.S. Polo Association Board of Governors, a professional polo umpire, and an active player and coach of both youth and adults. Prior to relocating to Virginia, the Colemans established a successful “work-to-ride” program for young players in Phoenix, called Being the Change, that has produced many equestrian professionals and athletes.
Liberty Hall visited WCDS last spring with both two and four legged players, to teach students about Polo and answer questions about the game. Students learned several fun facts about Polo during the demonstration:
▶ Polo is the world’s oldest team sport, with records of the rst polo tournament dating back to the sixth century B.C. and was played predominantly as a way to train for cavalry warfare.
▶ The USPA was established in the late 19th century with its rst major tournaments pitting the east coast “elite” with the rough Texas cowboys; forming a partnership that still binds those two distinct equestrian cultures today.
▶ Polo is a unique sport, with teams based solely on handicap (merit): men and women of any age and background regularly play together in tournaments around the country.
▶ A polo ball can travel well over 100 mph (make sure to wear your helmet.)
▶ Winston Churchill was a worldfamous polo player!
Students do not need to have polo or riding skills to try out for Liberty Hall’s youth Polo program. Players must be at least eight years old.
Wake eld students also have the opportunity to earn physical education and sports credits through the new platform.
“The Liberty Hall program is much more than a polo school, with activities intended to explore new ways of engaging participants in signi cant educational, social and cultural experiences. Students build relationships and develop problemsolving skills through teamwork and cooperation. Students are challenged to create self-awareness, gain con dence and build leadership skills,” the Liberty Hall Youth Polo Program Guide says.
“It is our intention for all graduates of LH programs to have marketable skills, the ability to lead and support their community as well as being accomplished horsemen and players. Students become involved in everything related to horses; equine maintenance and care, stable management, nutrition, and feeding schedules as well as facility improvements and maintenance. There will be many opportunities to travel, learn and work throughout the equestrian community.”
WCDS is thrilled to establish a Polo program. Not only does working with horses build con dence in students, but also around 75 colleges and universities have polo teams: UVA, Harvard, Yale, Texas
A&M, Cornell, Cal Poly, and many more, creating yet another unique opportunity for WCDS students.