I calculate relative strength of sections at all tournaments where I get results, and I can determine the relative strength to which the section performed, compared to all other sections in the division. At the World Cup, since the players on the sections changed so much I could calculate the relative strength of the section when that particular individual was playing.

For each combination of players on a section, I calculated how much that section scored compared to all the sections they played against. Then I calculated what each player’s performance number should be to make it as close to the way they performed as possible. I used ’0′ as the standard, so the player(s) who had the lowest performance numbers were considered 0, then all other players were rated in comparison to them. Since the men only played the men and the women only played the women, I calculated them separately. The men’s numbers have no relation to the women’s numbers and vice-versa.

Throughout all the games of the tournament, when the following players played, their sections performed as if the player’s rating was:

Women:
6 – Jo Cocker ZA and Sophie Sargeant ZI
5 – Victoria Sharp ZA
4 – Erin Smoyer US, Jessica Jolly AU, Jossie Spilsbury SA, Sandra Weston AU, and Sue Gower NZ
3 – Alison Mathie AU, Audrey Logan ZI, Avis Wotton IR, Celicia Jacobs SA, Debbie Harris UK, Dori Johnson US, Heather Shuttles US, Jodi Tiver AU, Julie Royden-Turner SA, Laura Newman-Dempster NZ, Lizzie Shearing UK, Rona O’Dwyer IR, and Suzanne Sargent ZI
2 – Beth Peaker NZ, Charlotte Pykett UK, Joanne Lavery IR, Olivia Gloyn NZ, and Sarah Simkin UK
1 – Dara Mangan IR, Lauren Watson ZA, and Nikki Crooke SA
0 – Kirsten Michelson ZA and Rachael Gayler US

Men:
5 – Graham Maclarty SA
4 – Michael Krynauw ZI
3 – BJ Byrne IR, Danny Duhig UK, Eoin O’Donnell IR, and Travis Timm SA
2 – Cameron Shepherd AU, Danie Swan ZI, Dean Gower NZ, Gavin Cocker SA, Graham Keith ZI, Henry Beckett ZA, Jason Burbidge UK, Lance Anderson AU, Rob Shuttles US, Robert Sibley AU, Ryan Murphy US, and Will Weston AU
1 – Aidan McDonagh IR, Anthony Barker ZA, Gary Malcolm NZ, James Davidson UK, James Rae ZA, Regan Gloyn NZ, Ryan Strider US, Seth Alcott US, and Shane Hill NZ
0 – Murray Evans ZA and Seb Chambers IR

–
Paul Johnson
512-698-6827

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgRelative strength of players at the 2011 World Cup

I just counted the swings in World Cup game 15, USA v Zimbabwe.

There were a total of 37 swings at racquets. 8 of those swings (22%) got the ball out of the ball carrier’s racquet.

The team that was carrying the ball came back up with the ball 5 of those 8 times, so the ball only changed possession 8% of the time.

In 5 of the 37 swings, a penalty was called against the swinger, 14% of the time.

The link below is to the spreadsheet that shows the count for each team, swinging and carrying, each section swinging and carrying, and for each individual player swinging and carrying.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16069593/World%20Cup%202011%20Stats/Swings%20calculator%20Game%2015%20-%20US%20v%20ZI.xls

Normally, counting the swings indicates that it is better to never swing. However, Ryan Strider, only swung at a racquet 1 time during that game. He got the ball out of the ball carrier’s racquet, and Ryan’s team got possession of the ball. So Ryan was 100% as getting the ball out of the racquet, and 100% at causing the ball carrier’s team to lose possession. The next closest was Andy Baker with 67%. He swung 3 times and got the ball loose 2 of those times. However, he never caused the ball to change possession, and he had a penalty called against him for one of his swings.

Paul Johnson

512-698-6827

Check out our horses at:

www.home.earthlink.net/~pjpxmcd

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgWorld Cup Stats Swings

There were 32 women that played in the World Cup. The top 10% in my favorite 4 categories were:

Highest personal possession percentage:

• 76% – Sandra Weston AU
• 71% – Jodi Tiver AU
• 70% – Julie Royden-Turner SA
• 68% – Celicia Jacobs SA

Lowest percent of hit losses (compared to your total possessions):

• 0% – Julie Royden-Turner SA
• Suzanne Sargent ZI
• Jossie Spilsbury SA
• Victoria Sharp ZA
• Rona O’Dwyer IR
• Avis Wotton IR
• Kirsten Michelson ZA

Lowest percent of missed pickups (compared to your total possessions):

• 0% – Kirsten Michelson ZA
• Lizzie Shearing UK
• Alison Mathie AU
• Nikki Crooke SA
• Heather Shuttles US
• Audrey Logan ZI
• Erin Smoyer US

Highest section conversion percentage:

• 58% – Lizzie Shearing UK
• 57% – Jodi Tiver AU
• 56% – Sandra Weston AU
• Alison Mathie AU
•  Jessica Jolly AU

There were 32 men that played in the World Cup. The top 10% in my favorite 4 categories were:

Highest personal possession percentage:

• 88% – Cameron Shepherd AU
• 78% – Will Weston AU
• 75% – Robert Sibley AU
• 74% – Graham Maclarty SA

Lowest percent of hit losses (compared to your total possessions):

• 0% – Gavin Cocker SA
• Graham Keith ZI
• Eoin O’Donnell IR
• Aidan McDonagh IR
• James Davidson UK

Lowest percent of missed pickups (compared to your total possessions):

• 0% – Gavin Cocker SA
• Graham Keith ZI
• James Davidson UK
• Graham Maclarty SA
• Cameron Shepherd AU
• Lance Anderson AU
• Danie Swan ZI
• Shane Hill NZ

Highest section conversion percentage:

• 69% – Cameron Shepherd AU
• 67% – Will Weston AU
• 66% – Lance Anderson AU
• 66% - Robert Sibley AU

Below is a link to the entire spreadsheet that will show all the stats for all the players:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16069593/World%20Cup%202011%20Stats/Full%20tournament%20stats.xls

Paul Johnson

512-698-6827

Check out our horses at:

www.home.earthlink.net/~pjpxmcd

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgWorld Cup Stats

This may be a first…
A couple from Montana were out riding on the range, he with his rifle and she (fortunately) with her camera. Their dogs always followed them, but on this occasion a Mountain Lion decided that he wanted to stalk the dogs (you’ll see the dogs in the background watching). Very, very bad decision. The hunter got off the mule with his rifle and decided  to shoot in the air to scare away the lion, but before he could get off a shot the lion charged in and decided he wanted a piece of those dogs. With that,  the mule took off and decided HE wanted a piece of that lion. That’s when all hell broke loose for the lion. As the lion approached the dogs, the mule snatched him up by the tail and started whirling him around. Banging its head on the ground on every pass. Then he dropped it, stomped on it and held it to the ground by the throat. The mule then got down on his knees and bit the thing all over a couple of dozen times to make sure it was dead, then whipped it into the air again, walked back over to the couple (that were stunned in silence) and stood there ready to continue his ride as if nothing had just happened. Fortunately, even though the hunter didn’t get off a shot, his wife got off these four pictures.

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgNEVER take a horse when a mule is available…

By Don Blazer

“You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”

My mother told me that years ago, and while I’ve tried on occasion (intentionally or unintentionally) to prove her wrong, my efforts always proved her right.

Every horse can do every movement of every exercise of every discipline!

That is a fact!  While every horse can do everything, no horse does everything well…..proving, that if you want a silk purse, don’t start with a sow’s ear.

I’ve started with a lot of sow’s ears….for various reasons; bought her at an auction, she was cheap, she was pretty, needed another horse, looked athletic, was sure I could fix her problems.

But a sow’s ear is a sow’s ear; it is what it is.

Thank goodness; knowing that makes your horse choices so much easier.

What do you want?   Do you want a silk purse, a race horse, a jumper, a dressage horse, a western pleasure horse, a roping horse, a trail horse, a driving horse, a hunter under saddle or a racking horse?

If you want a silk purse….start with silk.

If you want a race horse, start with one bred to be a race horse.  If you want a western pleasure horse, start with one bred to be a western pleasure horse.  Want a jumper?  Start with a horse bred to be a jumper.  You getting the idea.?

Today, there is a pedigree to suit every desire.  Examine the pedigree.  If the pedigree isn’t filled with the “discipline” you want to pursue, skip the horse.  Keep looking until you find a horse with a pedigree that screams, “I’m bred to be the kind of silk purse you want.”

Okay, finding the right pedigree is a good start.  Now you have to be sure the horse is “built to do the job.”  It’s a funny thing about equine genetics (or genetics in general). Sire and dam don’t always reproduce their most desirable traits.  And in some cases they don’t reproduce a foal with the conformation traits necessary to perform well at the discipline the sire and dam found so easy.

Start with “body type.”  There is the draft horse, the sport horse, the endurance body type, the stock horse type, the hunter type, the dressage horse.

I don’t care what anyone says, or how many exceptions there are to disprove the rule:  get the body type best suited to perform at the work and discipline you have in mind.  If the pedigree says, “Yes,” and the body type says, “Yes” then you’re in excellent position to take the next step.

And the next step is “balance”.  Balance is about the only conformation trait you’d like to see in any horse for any discipline.   (The forehand, back and hindquarters are each just about 33 per cent of the total body.)  After balance, you’ve got to start looking carefully at various proportions and angles—how long is the neck, how sloping the shoulder, how steep the croup, how short the cannons, how high the stifle, how low the hocks, how straight the hind leg, how are the front legs positioned, etc. etc.?

Looking at each part of the horse, you must determine how the conformation you see is going to affect the horse’s movement.  Knowing how he’ll move, you can decide just how good his chances are of becoming the silk purse you seek.

Know this:  start with the horse that has the best chance physically to be the kind of horse you want, and you’ve got about a 40 per cent chance of getting what you want.

Know this: the horse’s mind is going to control about 50 per cent of your success at getting a horse to perform at the level you want.  A horse can have great conformation, great talent, great pedigree, but if he doesn’t have a great mind you’re going nowhere!

Know this:  about 10 per cent of getting the silk purse you want so much is going to be in the training.  Training is not rocket science, but it does take some knowledge and talent.  The more of both, the better.

Just as you sought the silk for the purse, seek out a “purse maker”…not a “carpenter”.  And if you are going to do it yourself, you better become an expert on silk purses.

Finally, hope for a freak.  All champions are freaks; but that’s another story.

In the horse world, Don Blazer is an author, trainer, trader and teacher.  Visit his web site www.donblazer.com for more articles on horses.

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgA Horse, Of Course

I have developed a code for documenting actions that happen during a polocrosse game.  I’ve been working on it off and on for about 10 years, and since I quit competing about 2 years ago I’ve been using this system at every polocrosse event I attend, for every game I watch.  By writing a few simple letters and numbers, I can record every time every player possesses the ball, every time he scores, bounces, misses a bounce, misses a 10-yard throw, throws a pass, throws a bad pass, catches a pass, has a pass thrown to him, misses a pass that was thrown to him, has the ball hit out of his racquet, commits a penalty, snags a ball, misses a pickup, as well as throw-ins, re-starts, and out of bounds off a horse.

This code can be written on paper, easily, by anyone watching the game and later copied into a computer, or typed directly into a computer while watching a game.  It can also be done while watching most videos of a polocrosse game.  These numbers can be counted to come up with statistics in each of these areas for all players.  I think tracking statistics can help players improve by recognizing and targeting areas of weakness, and showing how they compare to other players.  It can also show a player’s progressive improvement (or not) over time.

When I got my code developed, I made an Excel program that would count all the events and calculate the stats from them for each game.  Then I expanded the program to contain an entire tournament with all the players in all the games, complete with stats for each player per game, and/or stats for each player for the entire tournament.

The Excel program was very useful, and besides the stats and scheduling, it also kept track of and calculated the performance ratings of each player, kept the running scores and stats as the game was being played, calculated the standings of each team in each division, and kept the running stats of each player for each game, and for each player for the entire tournament.  I had so many calculations in the program that it got huge for each tournament, and was slow to re-calculate after every entry.  Now I’ve paid someone to build me a database system to do the same things.

The database system will hold all the tournaments, with stats etc., and still be quick and not very big.  I added horses to the database system, so I can also track all the horses that play or umpire.  When I go to tournaments I take my computer and enter the tournament and the stats for all the games on the one field that I can watch, and at the end of the tournament I can tell the players how their stats went, and/or who had the best stats for the tournament.  If I don’t get the stats from a tournament, or some games in a tournament, I still can enter the players and horses, the games they played and their scores for each chukka, from the score sheets.  With that information I can calculate the performance ratings for all the players at the tournament.

Theoretically anyone can write my code on paper, and if I could get anyone to do it, then I could also get the stats from games that I can’t watch.

I was able to put all the 2010 tournaments into my database, and I’m going back and entering the stats from my Excel files into my database.  I have done all of 2009, and about ½ of 2008.  Since my Excel file didn’t have horses, I’ll perpetually be trying to complete the database file by figuring out which horse people played at each tournament.

I can also enter the stats while watching a video of games.  I’ve started a separate database for World Cup games.  I have some videos of the 2003 games and will watch them and enter them into the database as I get time.  I don’t have any videos from the 2007 games, but I would like to get them and have all of them entered before the next 2011 World Cup event.

I will be happy to teach my system to anyone that wants to use it or even experiment with it.  I would also like to get more people in the US to help take stats so that all games are preserved for statistics.

Paul Johnson

Cell Phone 512-698-6827

Click here to Check out our horses

Thanks to Polocrosse-international.orgPolocrosse Stats