a story and conversation repository (est. 2000)
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a story and conversation repository (est. 2000)
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USLPA History of the Game
For about ten years now, the sport of Land polo has been among the front ranks of American sport. Universally acclaimed as a unique game blending both the mental and physical realms of athletic competition, Land Polo has quickly become one of the most influential sports in the world. Land Polo was born in the summer of 1987 in the humble setting of a small backyard of a home in a quaint University City neighborhood. A handful of creative and bored young men haphazardly gathered a few rubber balls and wiffle-ball bats and transformed this yard into the nova of the sport we now know as Land Polo. It did not take long for people to catch on to the idea of scoring goals on one another with plastic bats. That same year, a group was formed of eight pioneers willing to take on the responsibility of laying the foundations for a sport they hoped would thrive for years to come. Four teams of two players each battled through the extreme climate of St. Louis, summer jobs, body aches and no real written or uniformly accepted rules of the game in an attempt to establish the first officially organized and fully operational Land Polo League. The inaugural season of this fledgling league ended mysteriously halfway through the year, but the path had now been set for a brave young sport to continue on and eventually thrive with success. In 1989, the first "successful" tournament was held. With three teams of two the competition had reached a new fierceness and intensity. In the end, home field advantage gave the edge to the team of Miguel Figueras and Swamp Daddy. This was the first Turkey Tournament, held in the friendly confines of Shibe Park, located behind Swamp Daddy's childhood home in University City. In 1990, the second Turkey Tournament was held. This would be the birth of the most dominating team to ever step onto the Land Polo field. Matt Nichols and Skip Rogers rolled through this two-team tournament with relative ease. The defending champions of the 1989 Turkey Tournament could not repeat their glory of the year before as the venue of the 1990 tournament switched to Matt Nichols Field. 1991 would prove to be a blossoming year for the sport of Land Polo. Four teams of two participated. A couple of kids by the name of Eric Burdge and Frank Hogrebe surprised the field by bringing home first place honors. The name "Hogrebe" would now bring fear into the hearts of opponents for years to come. In 1992 the sport continued to thrive. For the second time in 3 years Matt Nichols and Skip Rogers would breeze through the field of opposing teams and capture the tournament title. With many players now gaining both experience and a heightened understanding and talent for the sport, Land Polo was beginning to form a genuine style all its own. In 1993 the venue changed again. Under the shroud of a merciless driving rain, a transformation of the sport took place on the muddy turf of Flynn Park. For the first time, three-player teams were used in a tournament setting. Two teams of three battled through the elements. The team of Miguel Figueras, Swamp Daddy and the King of Positioning (Mike Dorsey) were victorious. Although the tournament was not one of record participation or monumental enthusiasm, it serves today as the turning point towards a style and format of play which exists to this day. The three-player team format is currently recognized as the standard for USLPA sanctioned tournaments everywhere. We now jump ahead to 1995 (1994 was a dark year of troubled times for the USLPA. Because the case is still pending, we are not allowed to go into further detail as of the time of this printing). The venue had changed again; this time the tournament moved to the fields of higher learning. Washington University played host to the 1995 Turkey Tournament. For the first time ever, players had extra incentive to participate. To the victors would go trophies, spoils of war. Perhaps for that sole reason the players persevered through the snowy tundra and sub-freezing temperatures to create a fantastic tournament and what some would call a reaffirmation that Land Polo was indeed "back." The team of Brian Dorsey, Greg Beekman and Rookie of the Year Aaron Fields plowed through the tournament with a 5-0 record. Captain Dorsey used size to his advantage as he assembled the largest team by both weight and height in USLPA history. It seemed as though the sport was now in good hands to carry the torch into the 21st century. Land Polo started out as a boy's sport played to pass the time. Today, it has grown into a man's sport played with a passion and intelligence not matched by any other created by man. For those of you who have held a Polo staff with conviction and created something special on a Land Polo field, you know of what I speak. For those of you who have yet to experience the sport, you too will soon know. It will grab you and never let go. Land Polo is the sport of Kings. Brace yourselves. The 1996 USLPA Turkey Tournament is about to begin !! - Erik "Skip" Rogers |
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