Bike Polo

Does anyone one here play Bike Polo? I at least want to try it, so if anyone on here plays or knows other people who play, or are also looking to play, please let me know!

If you have any information/details on the subject that you want to share as well, that'd be great! Thanks!

--Jackie

Also, I obviously am looking for just a beginning level, since I've never played.

bikepolo.ca seems too... serious(?)

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Permalink Reply by brandon lee* on September 9, 2009 at 3:10pm
If you go into Rapid Transit on North Ave, near Milwaukee Ave, one of the head mechanics there plays. His name is Ben. He's a nice guy and I'm sure he would help you get in on a game. I believe they play every wednesday and sunday mornings. But I'm not sure where.
Permalink Reply by J on September 9, 2009 at 3:16pm
http://www.myspace.com/chicagobikepolo

"Wednesdays 6:30-9:30. Sundays 2-8. Garfield Park between Monroe and Jackson."

This I believe is a hardcourt game. We play grass polo down here in Hyde Park. We'll start up again in a week or two... not nearly as competitive/skilled as the Garfield Park players.
Permalink Reply by DonRay A.K.A. Zesty on September 9, 2009 at 4:53pm
Where in Hyde Park? I want in on this---beginners welcome?

J said:
http://www.myspace.com/chicagobikepolo "Wednesdays 6:30-9:30. Sundays 2-8. Garfield Park between Monroe and Jackson."

This I believe is a hardcourt game. We play grass polo down here in Hyde Park. We'll start up again in a week or two... not nearly as competitive/skilled as the Garfield Park players.
Permalink Reply by J on September 9, 2009 at 3:29pm
Mark, those sites are pretty out of date. And for what it's worth, I've also seen pickup grass polo played in Lincoln Park, Montrose, and elsewhere... so perhaps if those players are here they can pipe up.
Permalink Reply by Jackie on September 9, 2009 at 3:37pm
J., If I could play bike polo in Lincoln Park, that'd be perfect.

I checked out the group/team that plays in Garfield Park before I posted this discussion, and A. that is pretty far from me, and B. I think the people who play there are experienced and probably pretty serious about it.

Thanks everyone, keep it coming!
Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on September 9, 2009 at 5:49pm
They do take it serious but they love getting new people interested.

Jackie said:
J., If I could play bike polo in Lincoln Park, that'd be perfect.

I checked out the group/team that plays in Garfield Park before I posted this discussion, and A. that is pretty far from me, and B. I think the people who play there are experienced and probably pretty serious about it.

Thanks everyone, keep it coming!
Permalink Reply by Jackie on September 9, 2009 at 5:53pm
Yeah, but I've never been good at sports, and I'm not really competitive either. So I'm not sure I'd ever take it serious enough to be able to play with people who have been playing for a long time, and are serious about it. I really want to play bike polo, but just for fun. I don't want to test anyone's patience either. Hah.
Permalink Reply by Megan on September 9, 2009 at 6:14pm
I wanted to try my hand at it last summer and the guys playing in Garfield Park were awesome for encouraging beginners. I'm pretty sure they still play there at least on Sundays, and that was supposed to be the be the better day for beginners to come out because the day light hours are longer and you can get more games in.

Jackie said:
Yeah, but I've never been good at sports, and I'm not really competitive either. So I'm not sure I'd ever take it serious enough to be able to play with people who have been playing for a long time, and are serious about it. I really want to play bike polo, but just for fun. I don't want to test anyone's patience either. Hah.
Permalink Reply by Patrick O'Connor on September 9, 2009 at 11:49pm
Aren't you on a bike, meaning nothing is really that far inside the city?

Jackie said:
A. that is pretty far from me
Permalink Reply by Jackie on September 10, 2009 at 2:32am
Haha, for a moment, I thought that the park was located almost in a western suburb, or more way out. It's not as far as I thought. ...

Patrick O'Connor said:
Aren't you on a bike, meaning nothing is really that far inside the city?

Jackie said:
A. that is pretty far from me
Permalink Reply by J on September 10, 2009 at 6:23am
Starting up again in a couple of weeks, either on the Midway or in Jackson Park, depending on the soccer schedules. I'll post the info to the calendar when it's ready. Oh, and by all means beginners are welcome. We play the "traditional" bike polo. Some call it Indian rules, some grass polo.

This is as opposed to the much faster hardcourt game, also called "little beirut".

The games differ both in equipment and pacing. The hardcourt game is basically street hockey on bikes. They use a street hockey ball (smaller/harder/faster) and usually DIY mallets. The game allows for body checks, mallet-on-mallet action, and generally more aggressive play. This is not to say that the Garfield Park game isn't welcoming to beginners -- it's just that the style is different. It's usually 3 on 3.

The grass game is played on a larger field is generally 4 on 4. It can be a lot more tiring because (a) you're not supposed to put a foot down while in play and (b) due to the bigger scale, there's a lot of huffing and puffing chasing down balls. You use what is essentially a miniature soccer ball, which is a little less dangerous, but when hit by a skilled player, can be lofted high into the air with a lot of control. This game is much closer to soccer than hockey. I prefer it because it's a bit less hectic, and if you fall, it's on grass. And because it's so tiring, folks are less likely to get violent or overly aggressive :)

The best players I've met around here for the grass game tend to be young guys from India or Pakistan, where there are actually high school leagues! Watching these guys wail the ball 50 meters with accuracy is awesome, and better yet they're usually riding 50 pound clunkers and still ripping around the field!

All that said, both styles are fun. The grass game is a bit softer, and therefore maybe easier for some newcomers to deal with.

DonRay A.K.A. Zesty said:
Where in Hyde Park? I want in on this---beginners welcome?
Permalink Reply by Jackie on September 10, 2009 at 6:19pm
I want in on this, please!

J said:
Starting up again in a couple of weeks, either on the Midway or in Jackson Park, depending on the soccer schedules. I'll post the info to the calendar when it's ready. Oh, and by all means beginners are welcome. We play the "traditional" bike polo. Some call it Indian rules, some grass polo.

This is as opposed to the much faster hardcourt game, also called "little beirut".

The games differ both in equipment and pacing. The hardcourt game is basically street hockey on bikes. They use a street hockey ball (smaller/harder/faster) and usually DIY mallets. The game allows for body checks, mallet-on-mallet action, and generally more aggressive play. This is not to say that the Garfield Park game isn't welcoming to beginners -- it's just that the style is different. It's usually 3 on 3.

The grass game is played on a larger field is generally 4 on 4. It can be a lot more tiring because (a) you're not supposed to put a foot down while in play and (b) due to the bigger scale, there's a lot of huffing and puffing chasing down balls. You use what is essentially a miniature soccer ball, which is a little less dangerous, but when hit by a skilled player, can be lofted high into the air with a lot of control. This game is much closer to soccer than hockey. I prefer it because it's a bit less hectic, and if you fall, it's on grass. And because it's so tiring, folks are less likely to get violent or overly aggressive :)

The best players I've met around here for the grass game tend to be young guys from India or Pakistan, where there are actually high school leagues! Watching these guys wail the ball 50 meters with accuracy is awesome, and better yet they're usually riding 50 pound clunkers and still ripping around the field!

All that said, both styles are fun. The grass game is a bit softer, and therefore maybe easier for some newcomers to deal with.

DonRay A.K.A. Zesty said:
Where in Hyde Park? I want in on this---beginners welcome?

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