T ORONTO TEA MWO R K MA KE S T H E D REAM W O RK Toronto Polo Club Cliff Sifton Overview Toronto Polo Club (TPC) began in the 1960’s and has about 80 members today. The club is spread across three independent farms that work together to create as much polo as possible and provide unique playing experiences. The club has use of six outdoor fields, one outdoor arena, and one indoor arena, so polo can be played year round without a problem. TPC hosts several fundraising polo events each year including Polo for Heart, a 36-year tradition that has raised over $5 million. Polo is provided for all levels; from very beginner to players in the 10-goal league. Polo is played 6 days a week in the summer and 3 days a week in the winter. There are multiple leagues at TPC included a Retired League for those who can play mid-day during the week. TPC has an Interscholastic and an Intercollegiate team competing this year. Key Components of Success • Run your club in an unselfish manner: The polo club should be run for the good of the masses, not for individual gain. This is the key to long-term success. • K eep players around: The days of players and families socializing after a game are endangered. TPC builds in a fee into membership dues that is a “food fee.” This fee covers food for the entire year so that after every game there is some sort of social gathering with food that has already been paid for. This is an incentive for players and guests to hang out after polo. The hope is to create a strong club atmosphere and to keep everyone engaged. • A rena: The arena is essential. It is easier to teach students, it is easier to teach umpiring, fewer horses are needed, and the arena is much more accessible. • A ccess to horses: Make it easy for new players to have the opportunity to lease and rent horses at a reasonable price. Players have to get “bit by the bug” in order to want to stick with it. Be realistic, but be reasonable with pricing. • H ave a buddy system: You have to create trust between you and your members and you cannot cheat your clients. If they are looking to buy a horse and you guide them towards buying an overpriced horse, the trust is broken once they realize they have been cheated. Be fair and honest because it pays more in the long run. You can easily ruin the entire sport for an individual if you take advantage of them. Remember: they are looking to you for guidance and help.
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