You may have seen our other information on the sport of polocrosse, what the rules are and even where our clubs are…..but how do you actually learn to play?

The APA has a current contact list of certified coaches/instructors/clinicians who are available to travel to your location for clinics and instruction to safely help your polocrosse experience. APA certified coaches have been approved and held to a high standard by the Coaching Accreditation Program (CAP).  The CAP was created to standardize the process of certifying qualified polocrosse instructors.  These individuals have committed their time and energy towards the growth of polocrosse in the United States, ensuring a core competency in play and in teaching.  They’ve also demonstrated their commitment to safety and horsemanship, having undergone the necessary course requirements to validate their certification.  We strongly encourage new players to utilize an APA certified coach of this caliber. 

Interested in trying polocrosse, but not ready for a Coach or Clinician? Make it fun and safe by using the Polocrosse Beginner’s Handbook to prepare you and your horse for polocrosse success. The information and drills will help you and your horse get the most out of a clinic or instructional event.

Ryan Murphy
CAP Certifier
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Sanbornville
, NH
336-362-7507 | coachmurphybb@gmail.com

Read More About Ryan

Ryan Murphy took a long journey to become the coach he is today. It all started in 1989 at age eight when he was introduced to the sport of polocrosse by his pony club. From pony club polocrosse on small ponies, Ryan began his international travel to the UK in 1996 and started traveling out west playing A grade for the first time in 1998 for Orphan Ranch.

While attending college at SMU in Dallas, Ryan played four years with Lone Star. After graduating from college in 2003, Ryan moved to North Carolina to play and coach the Carolina Club. After coaching from the start in his teens and moving up the ranks in polocrosse to represent the USA in three World Cups, Ryan started Polocrosse Made Simple, LLC in 2011.

Ryan’s style is player coach, because he’s experienced it all on and off the field. He’s coached all ages and played all levels and in many different countries. Polocrosse athletes shouldn’t be treated any different than other athletes and Ryan understands this.

Karl Balogh
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Boyds, MD
301-503-2954 | kkbalogh@gmail.com

Pete Balogh
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Boyds, MD
301-653-5425 | pbalogh93@yahoo.com

Read More About Pete

Peter started playing polocrosse in Pony Club years ago in Maryland. He has played all over the US, as well as represented the USA on youth and men’s teams in Canada, UK, Zambia and Australia.

Peter participated in many clinics and lessons when he first started out and feels that those experiences helped him become the player he is today. He looks forward to giving back and helping people learn this great sport of polocrosse.

Ashley Barbour
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Lucedale, MS
601-508-7082 | b3.performancehorses@gmail.com

Read More About Ashley

Ashley found the game of polocrosse through USPC in which she is a Graduate B from Fox Hollow Pony Club in Brooksville, FL. She grew up competing in eventing, hunters/jumpers, and polocrosse. She actively starts and trains young horses for any discipline with her husband, Jeremy Barbour. Their main focus is on horsemanship from the ground up, which makes for better communication between horse and rider.

Jeremy Barbour
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Lucedale, MS
228-355-0255 | jeremy.barbour@gmail.com

Read More About Jeremy

Jeremy has grown up riding and competing in most western cow horse events. He has attended 2 Chris Cox Horsemanship Seminars. He has been starting and training horses with the focus on horsemanship from the ground up for 10 years. He has only been playing polocrosse for 5 years but in that time has gone all the way to B Grade with the plan of moving to A Grade in the near future.

 

Sally Batton
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Plymouth, NH
603-359-0008 | sabatton@gmail.com

Read More About Sally

Sally has been coaching horsemanship and polocrosse at the collegiate level for 35 years, and recently started the Newfound Polocrosse Club in Plymouth NH.

Sally is the author of the first book published on the sport, Polocrosse: Australian Made, Internationally Played. She brings a wealth of information on the game and is capable of teaching all levels, from the rank beginner to the most accomplished player.

Stacy Campbell
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Disputanta, VA
719-947-2144 | poloxgrl18@gmail.com

Read More About Stacy

Stacy has been a riding instructor teaching horsemanship and basic riding skills for 10 years. She has been playing polocrosse for 9 years and this past year started teaching the basics to beginners. By the end of a day clinic beginner players are able to understand and play a slower chukka.

She is starting a new club near Richmond Virginia.

Jennifer Carpenter

Player Development Program Chair

APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Round Hill, VA
703-475-7832 | playerdevelopment@americanpolocrosse.org

Read More About Jennifer

Jennifer is a life long rider and horse owner with a passion for facilitating extraordinary riding opportunities accessible to all ages and abilities. Volunteering with a son and daughter in United States Pony Club since 2004, Jennifer served as club District Commissioner 8 years ushering families thru the program; and teams to rallies, Championships, Prince Philip Cup, and Presidents Cup victories and International Mounted Games Exchange experiences.

Promoting and organizing workshops, rallies and national championships in mounted games and polocrosse, led to serving as APA liaison and the first American Polocrosse Association (APA) sanctioned tournament held at USPC Championships Festival in 2021. Jennifer was honored to receive the 2021 Essex All Blacks: Friendship Cup recognizing contributions to the development of American polocrosse. Jennifer continues to serve on the USPC Activities Council, Marketing & Promotions Committee, and Chair for APA Membership Development, a fit by profession.

Jennifer enjoys traveling the US playing polocrosse with her family and hosting tournaments, camps, international players, coaches, and inviting riders to get in the game with Heartland Polocrosse Club and Pony Club Riding Center in northern Virginia.

Virginia Carpenter
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Round Hill, VA
703-508-1472 | vaprince12@gmail.com

Read More About Virginia

Virginia Carpenter is a C2/HB from Casanova Warrenton Pony Club and has been riding for 15 years. Virginia competes in Polocrosse, Mounted Games and Eventing as well as participating in Tetrathlon, Dressage and Show Jumping rallies since she joined Pony Club in 2006. Virginia has gone to Pony Club Championships in Polocrosse three times and has played B grade in the American Polocrosse Association.

Currently, Virginia has been training her 4yr old OTTB Captain America aka “Steve”. Virginia and Steve were the first pair to complete and win the Crosse-Over-Challenge at the APA Nationals in 2018. Virginia has gone to Championships in games five times, and has won the Prince Phillip Cup and Presidents Cup with her team, We Got Game. She was also a member of the 2016 US Pony Club International Games Exchange team to Australia.

Virginia thoroughly enjoys teaching and coaching beginners to ride and play polocrosse and mounted games. She has run summer camps at her barn. Virginia is an incoming member of the Pony Club National Youth Board and was selected to attend the 2019 National Youth Congress. Virginia studies National Security and Foreign Affairs at Virginia Tech and is a part of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets in the Air Force ROTC.

Rahul Desai
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Summerfield, NC
864-421-3020 | rpdesai@gmail.com

Read More About Rahul

Rahul has been involved with polocrosse for many years, starting as a young boy growing up in Zimbabwe, Africa. He has played on multiple international teams throughout his career, with the most recent being the 2019 World Cup. He was the coach of the 2010 USA Open Team that toured to Zambia and has also served as the head coach for the Carolina Polocrosse Club for several years now.

Rahul has experience coaching players of all ages and levels and has previously been a featured clinician for youth summer camps in Greensboro, NC. He has traveled across the USA teaching clinics and is always open to offering assistance to any groups in need.

Sarah Desai
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Summerfield, NC
336-254-1477 | sarahfcdesai@gmail.com

Read More About Sarah

Sarah has been playing polocrosse for 18 years. She started playing in USPC where she graduated an “A” on the traditional path. She has evented through Preliminary and won an NCDCTA championship at Third Level. She has taught polocrosse and basic balanced riding for 15 years. She has trained top level polocrosse horses for many years with her husband Rahul Desai. She was recently the Ladies Team Captain on the 2019 USA World Cup Team! She has played in various countries to include South Africa and Australia. She loves working with players and riders of all levels to achieve a great relationship with their horse and success on the field.

Cameron Firmin
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Fruita, CO
720-391-3959 | camfirmin@gmail.com

Read More About Cameron

I’m a farrier by trade. Spent a year in New Zealand with my apprenticeship. I enjoy traveling, photography, and I love polocrosse. Germany and Iceland have been some of my favorite travels; loved the culture and the landscape. My favorite pictures are those of everyone doing a goofy face.

I am absolutely infatuated with polocrosse. I’m hoping to reach my highest potential as a player and help grow the sport itself. My favorite aspect of polocrosse is the community. Absolutely fantastic people for who I am so excited to see at tournaments all around the nation. I’m looking forward to supporting this community and can’t wait to see polocrosse grow.

Zach Hulbert
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Mouton, AL
256-221-4333 | zhulbert@tnequinehospital.com

Read More About Zach

Zach learned the sport of polocrosse through Huntsville Pony Club in 2005 from an eventing background. He was on the Youth Development Team exchange from 2008-2010 and later served as assistant coach for multiple inbound youth tours and head coach for the 2014 tour. He is an equine veterinarian that graduated from Auburn University in 2018. He competes in A grade, breeds Australian Stock Horses, and enjoys training young stock to become polocrosse athletes.
Zach is a strong supporter for spreading the sport of polocrosse and can lead in beginner clinics or guide upper level players for improvement. He is a member of the Tennessee Valley Polocrosse Club.

Paul Johnson
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
McDade, TX
512-698-6827 | pjpxmcd@earthlink.net

Read More About Paul

I started playing polocrosse in 1989 and have played for the Lone Star Polocrosse Club in Texas. I accumulated seven National Championship buckles before I quit playing competitively. I have played all over the US, and in Zimbabwe, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico.

I have trained horses to play polocrosse, and coached people to play polocrosse. I wrote a textbook, so others could learn to play polocrosse correctly, and train their horses to play polocrosse. It is still the only book in the world that tells people how to play polocrosse.

In 2006 I taught three players how to break and train horses for polocrosse, and then coached them on their green horses in three tournaments, where they were able to get their unbroke horses to compete up to the players’ level, all within six weeks.

In 2016 I coached a team of six players for four tournaments. Their APA ratings totaled 15 before they started, and after the last tournament their APA ratings totaled 30.

I only teach students that seriously want to learn how to play polocrosse effectively and are willing to put forth the effort to learn.

Kate Lahr
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Robbins, NC
910-986-1715 | kelahr58@gmail.com

Read More About Kate

Kate has been playing polocrosse with the Carolina Polocrosse Club for eight years and has been an assistant coach of the club for a year. She has had the opportunity to travel to several countries to play and represent the American Polocrosse Association. Through her travels she has been able to better her own game and is eager to share her knowledge of the sport with others.

Kat Liner
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Whispering Pines, NC
910-695-6004 | katliner@yahoo.com

Read More About Kat

Kat Liner has been playing polocrosse for 12 years and has represented the US
in the sport in multiple youth tours, adult tours, and a World Cup. Having started
in Pony Club then competing in other countries such as Australia, New Zealand,
and South Africa, she understands different playing strategies and has the ability
to instruct players of all playing abilities.

Wade Liner
CAP Certifier
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Whispering Pines, NC
919-427-0348 | linerwade@yahoo.com

Read More About Wade

Wade has been involved in polocrosse for 13 years and currently serves the
American Polocrosse Association as the Player Development Program Chief
Coach. He has served the APA Board as past President, Player Development
Chair and Eastern Zone Representative. He has also served the Carolina
Polocrosse Club as a President, Vice President and Selector.

Wade’s proudest coaching moment was coaching a U16 Team in New South Wales, Australia.
“That team refused to be discouraged or intimidated by the more experienced
teams in Australia. They just kept improving.”

Summer Weldon
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Hartley, DE
302-757-4298 | summer62296@gmail.com

Read More About Summer

Summer has been riding horses for 17 years, 7 of which have been playing polocrosse. She also has a background in eventing and hunter/jumper. She teaches riding lessons to all different age groups, which has taught her to be able to adjust to multiple learning methods.

Summer was on the USA U21 team that traveled to Ireland in 2015. Her experiences in Ireland and the Player Development Program have caused her to want to help others gain that awesome experience as well.

Emma Strider
APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor
Pomfret, MD
571-405-4094 | poloxeer1@gmail.com

Rob Shuttles

APA Certified Level 1 Coach, Clinician, Instructor

Elgin, TX

512-517-5292 | jrshuttles@yahoo.com

Read More About Rob

Club: Lone Star Polocrosse Club
Years playing: 32
Family playing: Heather, Aubrey, and Haydon immediate. Multiple playing members otherwise.
Highlights:
USA Captain at World Cup’s 2003,2007,2011,2019
USA Captain Quadrangular in South Africa 2017
USA Umpire/Coach at World Cup 2015
Coached several inbound/outbound tours
Multiple clinics around the country through the years