This letter was written by Jennifer Cohen - mother of Eli (River Rat Alum) and Avi (incoming Junior). It was penned with the men's polo team experience in mind but sums up a lot of the women's team culture as well. Thanks Jen for your poignant words of River Rat Wisdom!
An Open Letter to New Polo Parents
(or what I might have said last night if I had collected my thoughts before the meeting)
Welcome! What a pleasure to see new faces and new families joining us this year. All that new-ness and
fresh-ness is energizing. And it marks the passage of time. This will be my sixth year with Rat Polo. My
older son, Eli (former player and captain), is starting his second year at Michigan State; we just dropped
him off Sunday. And, yes, he is playing polo there. My younger son, Avi, is starting his junior year at
Huron.
What I want to say is that you’ve done a great thing by getting involved in polo. This is a wonderful
sport. Joining this team will provide so many opportunities for learning. All the practices and games will
build loads of physical strength and endurance, as well as ball handling skills and game strategy. Your son
will grow so strong this season. If he is new to polo, it is a chance to learn this sport—exciting terms like
“ball under” and what “being rolled” means. Your son will have the chance to learn about winning with
grace and losing with dignity. Playing a team sport means the joy of every victory is multiplied by the
number of players in the water and all the fans in the stands. The burden of a loss is shared, providing real
comfort.
The game is just one aspect of the polo experience. Another big lesson is time management. I remember
thinking that perhaps it was foolish to sign up my freshman for a sport that involved before and after
school practices, weeknight games and weekend tournaments. How on earth would he handle the rigors
of high school academics? But the truth is, he developed so much discipline from doing exactly that. He
learned how to prioritize, how to make the best use of his time, and how to work hard and play hard. The
culture of this team is solidly STUDENT-athlete. You will see books on the pool deck and study tables at
tournaments. Any parent will tell you the most challenging season is spring, when the boys are idle.
All this excellence bleeds over into other parts of life. Most of our boys are active in their religious
communities, volunteer organizations, and social activities. With opportunities to develop polo skills
outside of the high school season, they develop friendships with players across town, across the state,
across the country. Traveling for tournaments gives them the chance to learn how to navigate the world a
bit—things like organizing travel gear, how to tip a server, and how to represent your team and school in
public. Throughout the season they will be in situations where they have the chance to problem-solve,
stretch their leadership muscles, be thoroughly humbled, and celebrate with abandon.
Much of this is not limited to your son. You, too will get a chance to develop some new skills.
Volunteering at the score table gets you up close, so you can pick up the basics of the game. Soon you
will be recording or running the shot clock with confidence. Making breakfast and helping with after-
game meals gives you a chance to play chef with no pressure. These boys love everything! You will
learn the quickest route to high school pools around the state and the nearest Qdoba, Panera and Noodles
and Co. outlets. You will learn to just go ahead and buy more, so you don’t have to keep going to the
grocery store because you are already out of bread, eggs and bananas.
Just as your son will have a team that has his back, so will you. This is the village. I am so very grateful
for all of the support and encouragement I’ve received (and continue to receive) from the other parents
since we joined this team. There is within our circle, a wealth of information on every conceivable topic:
course selection at Huron; college applications; recipes to feed a crowd; all things health-related; books to
read; lucky socks. You name it, someone on our team knows about it and will gladly share information.
So, in short, welcome. We are glad you are here. Say it with me—Go Rats!!
fresh-ness is energizing. And it marks the passage of time. This will be my sixth year with Rat Polo. My
older son, Eli (former player and captain), is starting his second year at Michigan State; we just dropped
him off Sunday. And, yes, he is playing polo there. My younger son, Avi, is starting his junior year at
Huron.
What I want to say is that you’ve done a great thing by getting involved in polo. This is a wonderful
sport. Joining this team will provide so many opportunities for learning. All the practices and games will
build loads of physical strength and endurance, as well as ball handling skills and game strategy. Your son
will grow so strong this season. If he is new to polo, it is a chance to learn this sport—exciting terms like
“ball under” and what “being rolled” means. Your son will have the chance to learn about winning with
grace and losing with dignity. Playing a team sport means the joy of every victory is multiplied by the
number of players in the water and all the fans in the stands. The burden of a loss is shared, providing real
comfort.
The game is just one aspect of the polo experience. Another big lesson is time management. I remember
thinking that perhaps it was foolish to sign up my freshman for a sport that involved before and after
school practices, weeknight games and weekend tournaments. How on earth would he handle the rigors
of high school academics? But the truth is, he developed so much discipline from doing exactly that. He
learned how to prioritize, how to make the best use of his time, and how to work hard and play hard. The
culture of this team is solidly STUDENT-athlete. You will see books on the pool deck and study tables at
tournaments. Any parent will tell you the most challenging season is spring, when the boys are idle.
All this excellence bleeds over into other parts of life. Most of our boys are active in their religious
communities, volunteer organizations, and social activities. With opportunities to develop polo skills
outside of the high school season, they develop friendships with players across town, across the state,
across the country. Traveling for tournaments gives them the chance to learn how to navigate the world a
bit—things like organizing travel gear, how to tip a server, and how to represent your team and school in
public. Throughout the season they will be in situations where they have the chance to problem-solve,
stretch their leadership muscles, be thoroughly humbled, and celebrate with abandon.
Much of this is not limited to your son. You, too will get a chance to develop some new skills.
Volunteering at the score table gets you up close, so you can pick up the basics of the game. Soon you
will be recording or running the shot clock with confidence. Making breakfast and helping with after-
game meals gives you a chance to play chef with no pressure. These boys love everything! You will
learn the quickest route to high school pools around the state and the nearest Qdoba, Panera and Noodles
and Co. outlets. You will learn to just go ahead and buy more, so you don’t have to keep going to the
grocery store because you are already out of bread, eggs and bananas.
Just as your son will have a team that has his back, so will you. This is the village. I am so very grateful
for all of the support and encouragement I’ve received (and continue to receive) from the other parents
since we joined this team. There is within our circle, a wealth of information on every conceivable topic:
course selection at Huron; college applications; recipes to feed a crowd; all things health-related; books to
read; lucky socks. You name it, someone on our team knows about it and will gladly share information.
So, in short, welcome. We are glad you are here. Say it with me—Go Rats!!