Does anyone here have cerebral palsey and use a Segway?

[polo_pro]

I agree with hellphish in general. But I will point out that the goalie position doesn't require as much movement. A few of our less abled players favor goalie for this reason. They get to be in the middle of it and participate.

Most people who haven't played polo a fair amount have one misconception in their mind. Unlike many other sports, in segway polo, the goalie isn't the critical player who makes or breaks the game. The realities are that every goalie I know lets balls get through. The real question is whether his team supports their goalie making those shots at the goal as least likely to finally get to him. So when a goal is scored, folks don't scowl at the goalie and tell him to do a better job. Instead they say, "ah well...we'll have to even this up by scoring a goal of our own!"

This is actually one reason I put new players at goalie (usually on the "better" team). They see less action, they don't have to know the "right of way" rules and most importantly they quickly learn how this sport differs from many others. As goalie, they can be at mid field (catching the ball before it ever starts coming down to their end of the field), and they get to see the "right of way" rules in action. And when the inevitable goal is scored against them, they get to see how their fellow players are pretty much unconcerned about it.

ps - We once had a Frenchman with an advanced case of MS play polo. He fell off a few times, but Henri had a grand time! Keep in mind, most first time polo players fall off their segway. Not many people get the experience that allows them to maneuver in tight turns at speeds far above what they'd normally do. So it takes some getting use to.

[segsurfer]

If there's one thing I would advise you not to do, I would advise you not to underestimate me. If I am faced with a problem, sooner or later I will come up with a solution. If I can figure out how to skateboard with a walker you can be damned sure that I will figure out how to be actively involved in segway polo!!! I am not about to sit in between goal posts just because that is the status quo.

[segsurfer]

Sorry for exploding, but I get kinda mad when people tell me what I can and cannot do. Polo, this is not specifically directed at you, just all the naysayers out there.

Sorry

[segsurfer]

I believe I fit the BillK's description of a handicapped "militant sob" again I am sorry

[polo_pro]

Well, segsurfer, you've misjudged me. My goalie comment had nothing to do with "putting you in your place". I was trying to counter hellphish's comment that you (or any other new player) might feel uncomfortable bouncing across the field swinging a mallet while seated. While I agree with Hellphish, I don't think that it should deter a person from trying segway polo...hence I offered up the suggestion I give to all new players, disabled or not. Just for your information, Henri didn't play goalie at all...he had no concerns and wanted to jump right in, so he never spent a minute playing goalie.

Also, you didn't read my post completely. Specificly, I stated that goalies do NOT sit between the goal posts in this sport. Whenever I play goalie, I'm at midfield. Heck, if my team is doing particually well, I'll be on my opponent's side of the field. This way as the ball shoots out from a bunch of players towards my goal, I can knock it right back into play.

ps - I actually have a fair amount of experience sitting on a Segseat. I've glided from SF to LA over 11 days making extensive use of it. In fact, I'm probably one of the earliest users who made extensive/intensive use of it. Though after my long glide, I'm sure there's a few disabled gliders who've exceeded the miles I racked up so quickly in the Segseat.

Also, if you'd like to erase your "explosion", you can always punch the Edit button for the few hours following when you post. This won't prevent people from quoting you during those hours, so your strong words may still come back to haunt you!

[segsurfer]

Sorry about that polo, I guess I was just going off at the mouth a little bit on unfounded bases. I had started to read the blog about you doing that trip. Pretty incredible man. I think you'd make a good candidate for organizing an around the world trip on segways I am not adversed to riding over rough terrain, the bike paths in my neighborhood have holes in them that could swallow a hummer. I'd much rather take rough grass over those.

best of luck to you on subsiquent long distance glides

P.S. Alas I did not erase my post so to any administators out there, I am not opposed to you guys removing my outburst

[segsurfer]

Did you play on the woz cup team?

[polo_pro]

Originally Posted by segsurfer

Did you play on the woz cup team?

Nope...my elbow was giving me trouble at the time, and the main focus of that tournament was the NZ poleblacks. Also if you are refering to the USA team that played against the NZ poleblacks in the finals of the tournament, that's the Aftershocks. They have soooo many players already that they haven't taken on a new player for year!

ps - I think the only change to the Aftershock's roster happened a years and a half ago when they kicked someone off the team. I won't go into the circumstances surrounding that, since it's one of the more unpleasant stories (and generally kept "hush hush" as so many of the more interesting moments in segway history are). Suffice to say organizing an international polo tournament is almost as difficult as organizing a Segfest, and hence tempers flare when inevitably things go wrong.

[segsurfer]

I didn't know that Bill Belicheck played segway polo.