LAKE WORTH, Fla. – Jim Wright of Menlo Park was one of 12 new players selected to Team USPA by the U.S. Polo Association, the national governing body for the sport of polo.

The organization established the development program in 2010 to grow and sustain the sport of polo by identifying talented young American players and providing opportunities to develop their abilities.

“These individuals were chosen because they demonstrate outstanding leadership and playing ability, which we feel are essential qualities for Team USPA members,” said Kris Bowman, Executive Director of USPA Polo Development. “We’re excited to have these young, talented players representing the next generation of polo.”

Tryouts in January included field training and in-class sessions with inspirational lectures from former 10-goaler, Adam Snow, and a panel of USPA Umpires LLC leaders. The weekend tryouts also consisted of game review video sessions, career development goals, media training and conflict resolution training.

Many of the players came from the USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic program, which promotes polo to the next generation of players through USPA sponsored competition. To try out for Team USPA, players between the ages of 18 to 23 years old submitted applications, which included an essay, resume and DVD highlighting their playing abilities. After the applications were fact-checked, a committee selected who advanced to the try-outs.

On March 23, the Empire Polo Club in Indio hosted its first USPA National Youth Tournament Series (NYTS) qualifier. With this year’s National Championships taking place in San Diego over Labor Day Weekend, young players in the Pacific Coast Circuit are taking advantage of opportunities to compete. This was the second tournament before action returns to Florida.