San Luis Obispo High School senior, devoted scholar, and athlete Andie Rupprecht has been competing in polo since the sixth grade. This sport is quite unusual for the central coast, not being typical for the average high school student. Expressions interviewed Rupprecht on her involvement in polo and her love for the sport.

Expressions: How long did it take to learn how to play and how was learning it compared to any other sport?

Senior Andie Rupprecht: I already knew how to ride so that made learning how to play much easier, but compared to other sports I’ve played, it’s a much tougher learning curve because there’s so many aspects to the game. When you put six people on horses running around in an arena and swinging mallets, it can get pretty dangerous, so having a comprehensive understanding of the rules of play and safety is really important. In addition, you need to know how to ride and handle different types of horses while worrying about safety and strategy.

Expressions: What’s your favorite aspect of the sport?

Rupprecht: I love the community that surrounds polo. I’m surrounded by a small group of people that share the same passion I do. It’s very different from other sports in that there is no huge divide between the professionals and the amateurs. While I definitely revere many of the professional players, they really aren’t celebrities in the sense that pro athletes in other sports are. Since it’s such a small community, you get to meet a lot of your idols just going about their daily life.

Expressions: Have you won any tournaments or competitions?

Rupprecht: I play on an interscholastic girls team for most of the year. Last spring, we won our regional tournament and moved on to the national tournament where we tied for third. Our season is just starting for this year and we have regionals in a couple of months and are hoping to make it to nationals again.

Expressions: In what ways is the sport rewarding?

Rupprecht: The most rewarding part for me is seeing how much I’ve grown from the sport, both as a player and a person. I used to be a very timid player, but I’ve come to love the adrenaline and intensity of fast paced matches. I work as a horse manager and groom at a lot of tournaments, and that has really taught me how to be proactive and how to get things done. Just knowing how much I am capable of has given me so much confidence.

Expressions: Do you plan on continuing playing in college or the future in general?

Rupprecht: I do plan on playing in college. Unfortunately, not many of the schools I’ve applied to have intercollegiate teams, but most have clubs nearby, so more polo is definitely in my future.