ONE TEAM, ONE GOAL LEADERSHIP MESSAGING GUIDE FOR THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS, COMMITTEE CHAIRS, EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP AND STAFF A shared framework for clearly, consistently and confidently explaining the USPA’s long-term vision.
Cover photo: ©Andrew Meier
PURPOSE OF THIS GUIDE
This guide is designed to help USPA leadership communicate the Association’s long-term vision clearly and consistently. It provides a shared narrative, simple explanations of the four strategic pillars, key messages and responses to questions leaders may receive from members, clubs and other stakeholders.
This is not a script. The objective is consistent meaning, not identical wording. What matters is that the underlying strategy, priorities and rationale are aligned.
THE CORE MESSAGE
One Team, One Goal is the USPA’s shared commitment to working together around a clear long-term vision for the future of polo. For more than 135 years, the United States Polo Association has existed to protect, govern and grow the sport. Lasting progress depends on more than any single club, committee or individual effort. It requires leadership, committees, staff and clubs to work together toward a shared purpose. The long-term vision focuses the Association’s leadership, capital and governance on four areas where the USPA can have meaningful and lasting impact: • • • •
Clubs First Financial Responsibility Strategic Investment Long-Term Asset Management
Together, these priorities are intended to strengthen the foundations of polo and help create a sport that is more accessible, stable and sustainable for generations to come.
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THE 30-SECOND EXPLANATION
One Team, One Goal is the USPA’s commitment to aligning leadership, committees, staff and resources around a shared long-term vision for polo. That vision is built on four priorities: • Strengthening our clubs • Exercising financial responsibility • Making strategic investments in the sport • Responsibly managing long-term assets The goal is a stronger, more accessible and more sustainable future for polo.
WHAT DOES ONE TEAM MEAN?
One Team means alignment, not uniformity. One Team means leadership understands the Association’s strategic direction, knows how individual decisions and initiatives connect to it, and can consistently communicate that direction once the appropriate governance process has made decisions.
Different roles. Different perspectives. Shared direction. WHAT IS THE ONE GOAL?
The goal is a stronger and more sustainable future for polo. Success is not measured by scale alone. The long-term objective is the strength and sustainability of the sport itself: stronger clubs, greater opportunity to enter and remain in polo, disciplined stewardship of Association resources, thoughtful investment and responsible governance of long-term assets.
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1. Clubs First
THE FOUR SUPPORTING PILLARS
Strong clubs are the foundation of polo. Healthy clubs create opportunities for players to enter the sport, develop and remain engaged over time. The health, stability and growth of member clubs will therefore be a primary measure of success. WHAT MEMBERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND:
When clubs are stronger, the sport is stronger. WHAT THIS CAN INCLUDE:
Sharing successful club models and best practices, improving member retention, lowering barriers to entry, supporting development pathways and refining club support programs.
2. Financial Responsibility The future of the sport depends on disciplined financial stewardship. Decisions made today shape the opportunities available tomorrow. The vision emphasizes prudent investment, responsible spending, risk management and alignment with the Association’s mission. WHAT MEMBERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND:
Financial discipline is about making thoughtful choices so USPA resources can support the sport today while strengthening its future. LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE:
©David Lominska
Grow the Association’s investment portfolio to $400 million by 2036, creating greater financial strength and flexibility for future priorities.
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THE FOUR SUPPORTING PILLARS
3. Strategic Investment Polo grows where clubs, players and private investors have confidence to invest. The USPA will support regional polo ecosystems through strategic long-term investments intended to create greater certainty and strengthen infrastructure, participation and player development. WHAT MEMBERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND:
The objective is not to duplicate the National Polo Center’s scale or risk profile. It is to consider strategic investments that can strengthen polo in important regions. CURRENT AREA IDENTIFIED IN THE VISION:
California and the West Coast, with an investment approach focused on securing long-term access to permanent polo fields through ownership or long-term control. These fields would be operated locally with USPA oversight to support tournaments, participation and player development. Other regional strategic investments will be considered when appropriate.
4. Long-Term Asset Management As the USPA holds and develops real estate and other long-term assets, those assets must be managed through clear governance structures, appropriate oversight and thoughtful tax planning. WHAT MEMBERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND:
©David Lominska
Long-term assets are strategic infrastructure intended to support the mission of the USPA and create lasting value for the future of the sport.
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LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY
Every USPA leader serves as an ambassador for the Association. The goal is for every leader to communicate from the same strategic foundation. Before communicating about an Association priority or decision, be prepared to answer three questions:
What are we doing? Why are we doing it? How does it support One Team, One Goal? Clear communication should reinforce strategic alignment, shared priorities, transparency and the appropriate governance process. When a question falls outside a leader’s area of responsibility or involves information that has not been finalized, it is appropriate to say so and direct the question to the USPA chief operating officer and general counsel rather than speculate.
MESSAGES TO REINFORCE
• • • • • • •
COMMUNICATION PRACTICES TO AVOID
• • • • •
Strong clubs are the foundation of a strong sport. The USPA is taking a long-term view of the future of polo. Financial decisions should strengthen both today’s sport and tomorrow’s opportunities. Strategic investment should create confidence and help strengthen regional polo ecosystems. Long-term assets require disciplined governance and oversight. One Team does not eliminate debate. It creates alignment around shared direction. Success will ultimately be measured by the strength and sustainability of polo. Do not describe One Team, One Goal as simply a slogan or communications campaign. Do not imply that One Team means everyone must agree on every issue. Do not speculate about decisions, investments or initiatives that have not been approved or announced. Do not create new explanations for the four pillars that conflict with the approved strategic vision. Do not frame individual committees, clubs or leaders as operating independently from the Association’s shared direction.
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HOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS YOU MAY BE ASKED
Is One Team, One Goal just a new slogan?
These responses are intended to provide leaders with a common foundation. They may be expressed naturally in each leader’s own voice.
What does Clubs First actually mean?
No. It is a simple way of expressing the leadership philosophy behind the USPA’s long-term vision: bringing the Association together around shared priorities and a stronger future for polo.
Does One Team mean governors or committee chairs should not disagree? No. One Team is about understanding the shared strategic direction and communicating decisions clearly once they have been made through the appropriate governance process. It means the health, stability and growth of member clubs will be a primary measure of success. The vision includes sharing successful club models, improving retention, lowering barriers to entry, supporting development pathways and continuing to refine club support programs aligned with the USPA mission.
Does Clubs First mean every club receives the same support? The vision establishes club health and sustainability as a central priority, but it does not state that every club or program will receive identical support. Specific programs and funding decisions will continue to require evaluation and governance.
Why is financial responsibility one of the four pillars?
©David Lominska
Because the decisions the Association makes today affect what it can do for polo tomorrow. The vision calls for prudent investment, responsible spending, risk management, regular evaluation of program effectiveness and alignment with the USPA mission.
Why does the USPA want a $400 million investment portfolio? The vision establishes a long-term objective of growing the Association’s investment portfolio to $400 million by 2036. The purpose is to create greater financial strength and flexibility, with portfolio earnings used strategically to support long-term priorities.
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Does financial responsibility mean cutting programs? The vision does not prescribe across-the-board program cuts. It calls for disciplined spending and regular evaluation of program effectiveness so resources remain aligned with the Association’s mission and long-term priorities.
©Michelle Lauren
What does Strategic Investment mean? It means using USPA resources thoughtfully to help strengthen regional polo ecosystems and create greater certainty for clubs, players and private investors. A key focus is investing in permanent polo fields and related infrastructure that can support tournaments, participation and long-term player development.
Why does the vision specifically mention California and the West Coast? California and the West Coast are important to the strength and future of polo in the United States, but the region faces increasing pressure from real estate development and the loss of long-term access to polo fields. The Pacific Coast Circuit alone accounts for approximately one in five Registered Player Members, reflecting the significance of polo in this part of the country. Unlike many sports, polo requires large, flat properties. In many West Coast markets, suitable land is increasingly expensive and under significant development pressure. Once an established polo property is converted to another use, finding a comparable replacement can be extremely difficult and costly, meaning the loss may be permanent. The current tactical roadmap therefore identifies the region as a priority for strategic investment intended to protect permanent polo fields, create greater stability for clubs and tournaments and support player development and participation pathways.
How will the USPA protect itself when owning long-term assets? The vision calls for governance structures that separate real estate risk from sport operations, protect the Association’s tax-exempt 501(c)(6) status, limit risk and preserve flexibility. It also calls for board-level review and ongoing evaluation of asset performance and compliance. 9
HOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS YOU MAY BE ASKED These responses are intended to provide leaders with a common foundation. They may be expressed naturally in each leader’s own voice.
Is the USPA planning to build more National Polo Centers? No. The vision specifically states that the goal is to build on the catalytic effect of the National Polo Center without duplicating NPC’s scale or risk profile. The focus is on strategic regional investment in permanent tournament fields and other essential polo infrastructure, with facilities operated locally and supported by appropriate USPA oversight.
Why is the USPA getting involved in real estate? Because access to land is one of the most significant longterm threats facing polo. In key regions, real estate development can eliminate fields and venues that have supported clubs and tournaments for decades. Long-term ownership or control of strategic polo properties can help protect permanent fields, create greater stability and preserve the infrastructure the sport needs to thrive. Any such assets are intended to support the Association’s mission and require defined investment criteria, board-level review and ongoing oversight.
What does all of this mean for the average member? The long-term objective is a stronger environment for polo: healthier clubs, more sustainable opportunities to participate, responsible management of Association resources and investments designed to support the future of the sport.
How will we know whether One Team, One Goal is working? The vision says success will not be measured by scale alone, but by the strength and sustainability of the sport itself. Club health means financially sustainable clubs, maintaining and growing membership, creating a strong social and member experience, hosting viable tournaments and having reliable access to the fields and infrastructure needed to operate. Disciplined stewardship, effective strategic investment and responsible governance are also central to that direction.
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What if I am asked something that is not covered here?
©Kaylee Wroe
Do not speculate. Explain what is known, connect the answer to the approved vision where appropriate, and refer questions about unannounced decisions or details outside your responsibility to the USPA COO.
A SIMPLE LEADERSHIP CHECK
Before a meeting, member conversation, committee discussion or presentation, leaders should be able to explain the following without referring to a script: • • • • •
THE MESSAGE TO LEAVE WITH MEMBERS
What One Team, One Goal means. Why the vision matters now. The four pillars and the purpose of each. How the leader’s own committee, role or work connects to the shared direction. How to respond to likely member questions without speculating.
A stronger future for polo depends on everyone moving in the same direction — one team with one goal. The USPA’s role is to support clubs, exercise financial discipline, invest strategically and govern responsibly. The long-term objective is clear: polo that is more accessible, stable and better positioned for future success. 11
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