Protection

It's gotten all Daily Mail in here. When has alcohol and polo resulted in someone bleeding from their face?

Responsible drinking is a rule that exists on court as well as off, and I don't remember many incidents where people have got hammered and get on the court. I know when I have had too much (usually big polo events like the end of the league party, tap-outs, things like that) I stop playing.

My memory could be clouded by a beer induced haze.

I like the game we have. Drinking whatever. All personal choice.
When rules restrict the game because there are concerns over high mallets or defenders get blamed for getting in the way of a shot or you can't shoot without checking who's around etc, you might need to look at other things that may assist players getting a little loose!

And alcohol has always resulted in my best crashes and injuries but on those days, alcohol was also my protection. But that didn't protect others.

I say ban polo. Change the name of the game and get tuff.

I like the game we have. Drinking whatever. All personal choice.
When rules restrict the game because there are concerns over high mallets or defenders get blamed for getting in the way of a shot or you can't shoot without checking who's around etc, you might need to look at other things that may assist players getting a little loose!

And alcohol has always resulted in my best crashes and injuries but on those days, alcohol was also my protection. But that didn't protect others.

I say ban polo. Change the name of the game and get tuff.

Are you ignoring kittens to post about high-sticking? For shame!

(I tend to agree, and that's why I posted the thing about "these conversations make me sad." There's a formalness to them on the internet that doesn't exist in real life conversations, and I find that formalness depressing).

... (Hacks to the mallet (hand) are what piss me off)...

ˆ This!

... In my experience, more damage is done in throw-ins than tourney games...

I couldn't agree more. I say that like I'm some tournament veteran and that's obviously not the case but we play throw ins three times a week and that alone has prompted me to buy all of my pads/helmet etc. I don't think I've ever felt unsafe at a tournament, everyone seems to be on their best/better behaviour.

i think its a personal choice whether you pad/cage up. i use a face cage and only wore it in tournaments, not because i had to but because i had only ever been hit in the face(cage) at a tournament. however at the UK champs i played one throw-in before the elim stages started and i didnt wear my cage and got a mallet in the face from shane. lots of blood etc.. i dont blame him, i blame myself for not wearing my cage and i have learnt my lesson.

You're hard though, Luca. You ride around on clipless pedals without shoes. I heard you just bolt the cleats to your feet.

Are you ignoring kittens to post about high-sticking? For shame!

Avoiding work!
Wish I was at home with the kittehs...

You're hard though, Luca. You ride around on clipless pedals without shoes. I heard you just bolt the cleats to your feet.

ha! forgot about that

At the risk of brining this yawn-fest full circle...

I'm not trying to change polo. If I get hit in the face I will blame the mallet wielder. If I feel it's an accident (it probably is) then no problem, I'll just say no biggie in return and ask the ref to make the call.

The difference seems to be that people think I'm blaming the other player for the injury, I'm not. I'm blaming them for the foul (the injury is just part and parcel of playing polo for me).

I brought this up because there was a lingering air of doubt that you even belonged on a polo court without a face cage the other day and that you somehow "deserved" to get hit by the big swingers... this has never been the case, keep your shit in check.

I suppose things like this aren't really helping people's perceptions of safety within the sport either?

The perception of bike polo has nothing to do with the stickers we have on our bikes, it's to do with how we are presented to the general public via the press.

And how we conduct ourselves at public tournaments in and around the court.

That wasn't supposed to be a smart comment, I just saw it on the blog and thought it was a funny juxtaposition viewing this discussion and then those stickers within a page click. I'm not making a point either way.

Someone shouted swing bigger at me last night, was that in reference to this conversation?

I thought it was just a heckle ... emmet?

I know. I'm just bored at work. I'm guessing we all are.

I'm just counting down until the weekend... I should really do some work, it might actually pass more quickly.

Just picked up a new Bauer face cage (£60, ouch!) and some fucking sweet street hockey gloves (£10, woot!)...
#sorted

I still prefer lacrosse gloves - more feel on bars and mallet

where did you got the gloves Joe?

What I was about to say ^

I'm switching my hockey gloves to some carbon knuckle dealies tonight, see if it makes a difference to mallet handling. Makes me anxious to be going against trend though.

what kind of hockey gloves, it is possible to see a pic, please

Someone shouted swing bigger at me last night, was that in reference to this conversation?

I thought it was just a heckle ... emmet?

No, I just chat shit.

Ok

Got mine from the shop at Streatham ice rink, the guy there was pretty cool... He rummaged around in the warehouse and came back with some sweet shit for Erin, Jamie and I... Erin got a single right hand glove like mine for £2... Jamie got some other street hockey gloves for £15...

Score!

If you hit someone in the face, its your fault, not their face. Unless they are leaning right down on the ground, 'mallet block' style. I think protection is good, its protection. Responsibility is your own. If you hit someone think about if it could be avoided, no one is going to ban you from polo, hate on you. People still need to be responsible for their actions though. Huge swings, big wind ups are not necessary!!! If you can't hit the ball hard enough or fast enough with a swing that is shoulder height or a wrist snap, get caps!!! Don't blame people for being in the way of your wild swing. Ben is a very wild swinger, i have lost count of the times i told him to stop 'swinging wildly' hes' not the only one. I am very vocal with people, but my opinion is always going to be subjective. In the ABC Ryan leaned right over me and the only thing i could do was push him off. It was dangerous play and i won't put up with it. We discussed it like adults, talked about what each of us thought happened and both learned form it. Venn used his bulk as a battering ram, where I used positioning and my brakes. I'm sick of players smashing into you because they put the importance of the ball, the line, the goal above the importance of braking and avoiding someone, having no contact. When 6 very good players get on court, its extremly rare to see ANY contact. Its just not good enough to acccept injuries and dangerous play because this sport is by its nature risky. Get better at handling your mallet, riding your bike, braking, swerving and looking around you. Accidents happen, but good players avoid it most of the time. Bad players, shrug their shoulders and say "i was going for the ball" even if they were as likely to get the ball as they are to sleep with sandra bullock.

If anyone would like to buy some 661 kyle straight knee pads I have some that I don't use, as good as new.