INTERVIEW WITH DAVE BROOKES - UKPA CHAIRMAN
What
sort of responsibilities do you have as Chairman of the UKPA?
I am
responsible for promoting the sport both nationally and internationally. I also
represent the sport in and the association in the UK. I am also responsible for
chairing all UKPA meetings.
The
best things are that I have seen the development of the sport over the last ten
years, while also seeing an increase in the number of junior members coming
through from Pony Club.
The
worst things are definitely the criticisms from people who do not look at the
big picture and future of the sport because they tend to be only thinking about
themselves and what they can gain at the present time.
What
can we expect from Polocrosse in the UK this season?
We’ve
got a new venue for the Nationals which is in Upton-on-Severn in Worcestershire
and we are expecting the Nationals to be bigger and better than ever.
The
UKPA ladies squad have just finished a successful tour to the USA, beating their
rivals convincingly, while the Under-21 squad is going on a tour to South Africa
in July. The men’s squad will probably be visiting Ireland for a weekend of
competition in July.
We
should also be getting confirmation of a world series in 2003.
How
do you feel Polocrosse in the UK compares to other countries?
We
all have similar problems and similar highs and lows and, although our
organisation skills are good, we’re perhaps not geared up enough to host tours
to this country yet.
Which
tournament do you enjoy most throughout the season?
The
Inter-regionals are definitely my favourite, as teams lose all club rivalries
and players are all specifically from the UK playing against each other.
How
much are you looking forward to going to Darwin for the Australian Nationals?
I’m
over the moon and I’m really looking forward to meeting up with some old
friends and, of course, to seeing some excellent Polocrosse.
What
plans are there for raising the profile of the sport?
There
are lots. There have been more demonstrations at shows in the last six months.
We also now have our own UKPA website. There are regular newsletter updates and
we’ve got a good sports development committee.
What
do you hope to see UK Polocrosse achieving in the future?
I
would like to see the UK make it into the top four countries in the world.
Unfortunately that means knocking one of the current top four out of their spot,
which could prove difficult to do.
I would also like to see the sport being more widely recognised on the world scene to develop our country’s coaches through a number of training schemes.