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There is also another session in London Fields on Saturday morning 10am till noonish or until the basketballers turn up.
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Hey guys, if London Fields is getting crowded, there is always Meath Gardens which is not too far away. I doubt there would be as many people there on a Saturday morning.
But there's also be less exposure / publicity to potential newbies as there's very little traffic through Meath Gardens.
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Was thinking this deserved a repost. Made me think a lot!
The evolution of a polo player - by James Aufbruch
This is something I've been thinking about posting for a few weeks but Snoops sent me an article today that provided a concise framework and actually got me typing. I've had a lot of conversations with people recently about coaching and how to actually start analysing your game - hopefully this will give you a way to frame your approach to self-analysis. It's also a reminder to get those questionnaires back to me before Friday.
Stage 1
You're brand new to the game. For some reason, you've found yourself on court, on a bike and with a mallet in your hand. Try as you might, you cannot hit the ball. How people can ride so fast, cover their brakes, play on their off-side, do weird scoop shots and read the game tactically you have no idea. In learning terms, this player is unconsciously incompetent. That is to say they have no understanding of what to do or what they need to do to attain that understanding.Stage 2
You've played some polo. You've crashed a few times. You tweaked some things on your bike and you have your own mallet. You've worked out that sometimes you need to play in goal and sometimes you're happy to sit there if there are two better players on your team. You've realised that there are things you need to learn to get better. You are consciously incompetent.Stage 3
You can play polo but it takes mental effort and concentration. You need to focus to play your best. You need to ask yourself questions like “Am I in the right position?” You have become consciously competent.Stage 4
Polo is in your blood. You do things without thinking. If another player asks you a question about a specific situation then you can't explain why you do it – it's second nature. You've developed a style and character to your play. You have become unconsciously competent.Stage 5
Consciously unconsciously competent. You think about why you unconsciously do the things you do and you can explain it to other people. You can talk about and test your skills and theories against other people's theories. Consequently you become exposed to new ones that expand your own competencies.The move between stage 1 and stage 2 will take care of itself. You may only be in this stage for a few hours which is why a lot of players don't really remember their early days and how alien it feels to try and hit that ball.
The move between stage 2 and 3 is tough. To make the move you need to start to question everything you do on court. What happens if you try new things? Ask yourself who has a polo game that you respect and look at what they do. Ask why they do it. If they can't explain it, try doing it and work out why they do it for yourself. It's about finding answers.
The move between stage 3 and 4 is experience. It's knowing yourself and your decisions inside-out. You can't get there until you've perfected your decision making process though – otherwise you will be making wrong decisions and feeling unsure of yourself. You need the confidence to trust your decisions.
The move between stage 4 and 5... I don't really know. I'm not sure if anyone is at that level in polo yet – I don't think there's been enough time in the game's evolution.
The other thing to remember is that these states are fluid when applied to specific areas of your game. Let's take the example of your shot. Say you discover something that changes the way you shoot – suddenly you shoot in a consciously competent way as you try to remember the new technique. Over time, it becomes unconscious until you start to tweak your technique again. Things can get worse before they get better!
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Tuesday beginners polo at Newington will happen thanks to Jack and Martin! Paul (yep, another Paul), Liam and Felix (yep, another Felix) do pop by! Last week was so much win!
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Starts at 6, Newington Gardens SE1 : http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=51.497703,-0.095401&spn=0.004575,0.009506&z=17
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Depends on the crowd. But usually till 9.30.
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As some here will know, the London Cycling Campaign in Hackney will be holding our Hackney Cycling Showcase in London Fields this Saturday (15th June). Will anyone be playing polo there on Saturday? There might be new people around attracted by the showcase who could be persuaded to give it a go.
We've listed the LHBPA on our diary page (see below), but let us know if you want to be on there--no worries if you can't make it happen/people are away etc.--we're all just volunteers.
http://www.hackney-cyclists.org.uk/diary13.htm#jun
Saturday 15th
Hackney Cycling Showcase
Many organisations -- voluntary, statutory, academic and commercial -- are involved in the broad project of promoting cycling in our borough. We are bring together a number of these in London Fields to showcase their work. Attendees include:[]Hackney Bike Workshop
[]Hackney Council's Streetscene department
[]Breeze (the British Cycling initiative to encourage more women to cycle)
[]Bamboo Bicycle Club
[]Festival of the Bike (promoting their Hackney to Suffolk tour)
[]Le Beau Vélo
[]London Hardcourt Bicycle Polo Association
[]Met Police Cycle Task Force (free security-marking for your bike)If you are involved in promoting cycling in the borough and would like to attend, please showcase@hackney.cc
>>10am to 5pm, London Fields -
Oliver, I can do 10am - 12pm.
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Great! Do feel free to wander over to the showcase and say hello! There might be people around who might want to try polo. :)
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Hi guys! Today if doesn't rain we will have?
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Beginners Polo
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@Wicksie
who else was on court? basket ballers?