Polo: We need more players

We've been here before, but polo in Birmingham hasn't died and I really don't want it to.

2013 is going to be difficult for us unless we get some new, regular players, or accept less frequent proper 3 v 3 games. EMM and LucasR are leaving, Dan_LJ is now a (very) irregular and Claudbutler is due to go to Uni at some point, right?

That leaves: me, N3il, Hyper, Malletesta, Gunja and Kat (am I forgetting anyone?) who play with any regularity. All it takes is one post-rock gig, brunch date or hangover and we don't have enough for a game.

Any ideas how we can get and retain committed players?

Challenges:
We're all pretty competent and so beginners feel like they're 'in the way', or 'slowing everyone down'...
...But we don't have enough people to split by ability,
Materials/equipment barriers (mallets, wheelcovers and a suitable bike are kind of necessary),
Highgate and Calthorpe Parks can be unwelcoming,
We've tapped up everyone we know who has some interest already,

I think reaching out to the critical massers again wouldn't be a bad Idea, perhaps we could all wear the same colour + bring our mallets etc to distinguish ourselves.

Another option would be to combine a polo demo day on a Sunday with some sort of free cyclist targeted event like a ride/bbq/film/beers thing.

Another option would be to approach the press, or perform some sort of publicity stunt. Perhaps we could start playing in the centre of the Bullring, or just spend an afternoon as a group flyering all shops, cafes and park benches with colourful A6's

when I first started getting into bikes I didn't realise that people actually used it as a tool for socialising. I thought it was something you did privately. Although Birmingham appears void of cyclists at the moment, I reckon that it is in fact the opposite. It is just that people don't know what tot do with it. If people see that being with bikes and people at the same time is an actual thing then they will look for more ways to enjoy their bike socially. It's all about exposure..

Saying that however, I think just ringing up the paper like I said before isn't going to do it. it's the wrong audience.

Fabien?

^^^ All good ideas, although I'm more enthusiastic about flyering, demo-ing, and doing something social/fundraisery at the Spotted Dog or something than hitting up Critical Mass, but I'm no fan of Critical Mass, so....

I smell a meeting coming on.

Flyering people leaving Evans/Bicicielo/Cycle Surgery would give us a fairly high hit-rate of cyclists. Make sure there's 4+ of us to make it look serious. Take our bikes/team shirts. Engage everyone in conversation rather than just handing them paper (but do that too). The only problem there is that it's flipping cold, but we can't wait until June.

I could email the Birmingham Post guy I dealt with. I get the feeling newspapers are keen for free copy/photos.

As a non-poloist I'm gonna add my 2 cent's as why I don't play, disagree if you want but it might be helpful to have an outsiders view.

I will start by saying have played once briefly and yes it is fun, and I very much admire the skills it takes (watching the tournament earlier this year was great!)

These are my main issues:

1) Having to run another dedicated bike + associated equipment. expense, storage problems and potential for expensive damage to said bike put me off. I can't afford to risk damaging a bike that I need to commute to work on.

2) Stealing play areas off kids so a bunch of 20+ somethings can knock a ball around is a little distasteful (Granted, I'm sure the play areas don't get used much anyway, but it's a perception thing)

3) Timing. One of the main days you play on is sunday mornings/lunchtimes. For cyclists, that is the best time to be out on a road ride. Your'e cutting your market off.

Unfortunately it's the chicken and egg scenario. This isn't London or new York, you just don't have that critical mass of people who know + understand the sport and are willing to just join in. Most people have never heard of it. So you need to attract people.

I think birmingham needs a dedicated space for bike polo, one with a lock-up and it's own bikes to lend to newbies. (Ala Speedway/Track cycling etc - Whether this be stand alone or part of a bigger sports complex) This would add a legitimacy that it doesn't have. I think if you had this you would be in a much better position for people to come along and try the sport, also if you wanted to run sessions for schools etc it would be a good place to do so.

Obviously you need funding for something on this scale. There seem to be a few decent supporters within the industry of polo in the city and I'm sure many more could be found. If you put together a proper bid you may be able to secure some funding? Who knows? You may have allready tried to go down this route.

Although Birmingham appears void of cyclists at the moment, I reckon that it is in fact the opposite. It is just that people don't know what tot do with it. If people see that being with bikes and people at the same time is an actual thing then they will look for more ways to enjoy their bike socially. It's all about exposure..

I think because Birmingham is so hostile to cyclists it does breed a kind of lone wolf mentality. When I can ride a bike properly again, I would like to set up a kind of non-formal cycling club, that has a few regular weekly road rides, with a set time, coffee and cake stops, that anyone is welcome to come along and join. No membership, no roadie snobbery, aimed at middle ability riders (ie the sort of people who commute in birmingham and want to try out longer social rides)

Nice to hear from you Tom, and to get an 'outsiders' input like you say. I think you're completely right about the court business. I think we have just become accustomed to it now, but I do remember feeling a bit weird when I first started about using the courts when there was kids shouting at us to get off HA! A polo court/lock up/cafe combination would be awesome, but we have half-heatedly been thinking about this for a while and it does seem that funding would be unattainable until bike polo is an official sport, I think for this it needs 300+ players nationally.

I would be more than happy to work on a serious bid/pitch to the council for some space, including attempting to get some local business backing. I think there are many reasons that we could pursued businesses that it was a good idea. Security for their spaces, places for the kids to avoid stabbing each other*, more 'sport' in the city, more cycling in the city, the list continues.

I think the timings (Sunday mornings) isn't too much of an issue as the cyclists who go road riding on a Sunday are probably outside the polo demographic anyway. Polo does better to attract fixie or bmx riding denim lovers with a need for something to keep them active on a Sunday. However it's a valid point and makes the target group more clear.

*wanna really stop kids stabbing each other?......

....Demonise spoons

Thanks for a considered and in-depth response.

There are reasons and mitigations for some of the things you mentioned, but I at least partly agree with and understand everything you've said.

An indoor space would solve a lot of problems, both for Birmingham and the UK scene as a whole (we're centrally located and would be easy to get to for tournaments and even just paid-for, private practice sessions).

However, finding somewhere suitable (large, concrete or similar floor, no pillars, adequate lighting, centrally located) is a tall order, particularly as we have no money! If polo was bigger, we could run it like a skatepark business, and it could be cost neutral, but it isn't, so we're stuck.

I've tried contacting the Council before, but predictably got no response. I feel like we need someone with commercial property experience/contacts to find a vacant property that we could occupy or even lease. We couldn't pay anywhere near market rate, so agents are totally uninterested... It's frustrating.

The doug ellis sports centre in Perry Barr (Birmingham City University) lets Wheelchair Basketball and Roller Derby use their sports halls. Probably charges them full price though. Which seems to be £35 an hour, too much. And most of you poloengers are south birmingham anyway.

Perhaps something outdoors but with a roof is best to look for, like one of those empty pseudo-warehouses used mainly for parking cars.

I'm talking to Pip Piper who is setting up 'bike lounge' in the hare and hounds about doing something polo.

The uni bike project is almost set up, i'm working closely with them and will suggest polo 'beginners' events.

What's the bike lounge? and the uni bike project? Hopefully the university rather than uni-cycle?

I think the main issues are:
1./ Since most people have been playing for a while now it's difficult for newcomers to 'break in'. They feel like they're getting in the way. I think Dan's mentioned this before.
2./ Not enough people cycling in Birmingham and a smaller 'cyclist scene' to draw from.

I think we deal with the first issue okay if it's a friend (i.e. Kat), but when we've had other newcomers they've sometimes dropped out after a bit, like those two guys who showed up a few weeks ago. Maybe the problem simply is too few newcomers, in which case some kind of recruitment drive is the only way to solve that, maybe hitting up the student bike project, flyering and going to critical mass all to promote one Sunday could work.

The small numbers of cyclists in Birmingham is a general problem which I don't think we can have a lot of influence over. Having said that loads of people cycle in Oxford and York and they don't really play polo, so it's obviously not a simple relationship.

1) Having to run another dedicated bike + associated equipment. expense, storage problems and potential for expensive damage to said bike put me off. I can't afford to risk damaging a bike that I need to commute to work on.

2) Stealing play areas off kids so a bunch of 20+ somethings can knock a ball around is a little distasteful (Granted, I'm sure the play areas don't get used much anyway, but it's a perception thing)

We've lent people bikes for ages before, we actually have a lending bike at mine an Fin's at the moment. I think it's unfeasible for newcomers to expect to be (in effect) funded to borrow equipment in the long term if they take up any new sport or hobby. You might borrow a trumpet for a few lessons but eventually you'd want to get your own and would expect to have to do so. I don't think that the cycle speedway approach would work in the long run, what with Neil writing off a wheel a week and people having different requirements from their bikes. Maybe we should make sure we always have a bike to lend there, and make it clear that people are welcome to borrow it.

I understand people's anxiety about sharing courts (because I think it is sharing and not 'kicking kids off), but generally I think we have a good relationship with kids. In the hundreds of times we've been at Calthorpe and Highgate I can only think of a couple of occasions when we've had any aggro, and haven't been able to negotiate a mutually agreeable deal. If that is the perception though, perhaps we do need to make more of an effort to talk to the kids.

That's definitely the longest post I've ever made on this forum.

If you figure this out, let us know how.

That's definitely the longest post I've ever made on this forum.

Once we get you on trumpets though, you never shut up.

All good points.

I especially think we could make a bigger point of having access to a loaner bike, but I also agree that people shouldn't come to rely on it.

I think a concerted recruitment drive may help us get a bunch of people starting at once, which minimises the effect of the disparity in skill between newbs and experienced players. It may also encourage a bit of camaraderie between new players.

If you do go for a recruitment drive (twitter/facebook/website/flyers/posters) put down the regular practice time try and make sure there's someone at the court even if you're not sure about numbers. Some people find the idea of having to sign up to something off-putting, there were a few occasions in Oxford where none of the regulars turned up, followed by an angry email from a new person the next day. Or just cycle round everywhere with a mallet, it gets attention. Or blag your way into the local newspapers/radio, they're always looking for something interesting. Or send out a press release, "Bike polo cuts risk of cancer by 35%", the Daily Mail will love it and won't care whether it's true or not.

I'd be really interested in coming down to check it out. So it would be good to have a demo day to get people interested. post up about it on the cycle blogs, Facebook, critical mass etc and maybe even print out some cheap ass home printed flyers to drop into local bike shops. if you do this a few months in advance it might help build up a few more people.

I'd love to get involved but finding room for a third bike will be a challenge in a one bed flat! But an excuse to build a new one would be good!

Is it cool to just come down and check out what it's all about one Sunday? I'm only down the road in Moseley so not far.

Yes! Please just come down any time we are playing. Check the other thread on here on the day just to be sure we will be there. You can borrow one of our bikes and mallets for your first few visits, then if you like it we are on hand to give advice on building/converting/buying a polo bike.

We've tried all of the things you mentioned, but no beginners day has actually attracted many beginners! We generally have more success recruiting from our friends, and we're quite busy at the moment. Although that might be because of the weather...

Wicked! I'll come over the next time you're all playing and keep an eye on the forums for the next event. I may potentially be able to get some mates from notts to come down in the future, but obviously that won't end up being particularly regularly.

If I could borrow a bike a few times that would brilliant! I'm looking at a beat up fixie to do up on gum tree at the mo but the dudes not answering his phone which doesn't help! Any excuse to built another bike is a good one ;)

Thanks again.

Dan I am sure we have met up at Highgate, I am almost certain my son Joe and myself will be fairly regular players on Sundays (we have the tiny wheel bikes) but mid week is a little more difficult due to work and school.
there are also a few work mates who might have a go but I can only see 2 turn up on a part time basis.
Lucas has met them and experienced the one play (if we can call it that)