September 1, 2025
By Kevin Chan, OD, MS, FAAO, IACMM
Photo provided by Dr. Kevin Chan
In the world of sports, playing polo may not be the first sport activity that comes to mind. In fact, few, including myself, know how polo games are played, structured and scored. Do you know where polo was first played, and where did it originate from? No—not your Ralph Lauren Polo image. It was first documented in Persia (modern day Iran) nearly 2,000 years ago!1 It originally served as cavalry training for royal troops, known as “Chogan,” that was dated back to the 6th century BCE.2
Recently, I had a pleasant opportunity to watch my first-ever National Polo Championship Game in Newport, Rhode Island. With little knowledge and preparation prior to entering the field as a spectator, I felt like a total stranger to all the jargon: “mallet,” “chukkers,” “ride-off fouls,” to name a few. While watching the fast-paced polo game, a light-bulb moment popped up. This centuries-old sport is seemingly unrelated to patient care, particularly for the domain of providing myopia care for children. However, there are a few surprising parallels observed between polo and the practical world of patient care that have inspired me.
Backward Anticipation: Reading the Field and Staying Ahead
In polo, the game is not simply about ‘scoring;’ it is a living chessboard. It largely relies on the ability to anticipate unfolding plays—not just one step forward, but several moves in various directions in advance simultaneously in order to position themselves, the teammates, as well as the opponents.
Similarly, the journey of myopia management is far from static. Indeed, it is a dynamic course of action which is primarily rooted in anticipation. To manage myopia effectively, I have learned that it is not merely about assessing risk factors, taking scans, discussing visual and behavioral habits and giving out brochures to parents to “go think about it.” Rather, clinicians must position themselves in full gear so that they can analyze and proactively advise the likely progression of myopia for each individual.
Also, anticipate several steps ahead before parents ask the FAQs, which demonstrate that you are “on it.” More importantly, clinicians should feel comfortable and confident to “read the field right” and “position right” before myopia deteriorates, much like polo players intercepting a pass before the threat becomes real.
Teamwork and Communication
Like many team sports, no polo player can win alone. It warrants forward thinking and anticipation, coordinated communication and team action as a whole. In the realm of myopia care, clinicians don’t work solo. This field also involves a full team, with myopia coordinators, contact lens technicians and front desk staff as advocates. Each member should be cognizant of their own and their teammates’ roles and responsibilities for success. Each must know when to lead, when to support and when to cover. We as clinicians are often preoccupied with the “what” answer–i.e. Parents asked, ‘What is the best treatment or intervention?’ While it is certainly crucial, the cognitive “what” answer does not always drive fruition. Rather, it is the “why” response that intrigues parents and inspires them to think deeper, ask more questions, and create an emotional connection with myopia for their kids.
Precision Under Pressure: Decision-Making in Dynamic Environments
Watching the polo game made me realize that the pace of polo is much more exhilarating than expected. Skillful execution is no longer the one and only element for victory. Rather, polo players are made to think on-the-spot and adjust strategies with resilience as the game evolves.
Similarly, the landscape of myopia management has become more fluid and dynamic. Even the best-laid treatment plans may not always yield desirable results for patients. The myopia may still progress despite adherence, or an intervention may need to be revised.
Because of this, it requires clinicians and their teams to adopt the learn-as-we-go mindset. With evolving research and newly emerging therapies, clinicians can face questions for which they have not realized or heard of. It is crucial for clinicians to learn not simply from journals or podcasts, but also from parents’ genuine concerns. As health care providers, we must be willing to adopt new dialogues and pivot treatment plans strategically using evidence-based guidelines. At times, the pressure on the spot is real; yet it also helps sharpen practitioners’ clinical precision and attitude toward myopia when it comes to decision making in a dynamic clinical setting.
At times, silence under pressure isn’t necessarily a bad or ominous sign in communication. Paradoxically, in my experience, I’ve found that silence, or non-verbal cues, from patients and parents signifies deep thinking and provokes genuine concern about myopia and its lifelong impact for their kids. It means that your words resonate with them, and that can make a big difference in helping the child’s vision for life. Learn to let silence sink in and cope with it harmoniously.
Holistic Vision: Seeing Above and Beyond
Polo is not won by focusing solely on the ball. A player must keep the entire field in view —anticipating lines of attack, positioning horses (much more difficult to handle) and foreseeing opponents’ maneuvers. This holistic vision is echoed in myopia management, where the focus extends beyond immediate refractive error correction. Instead, the goal is geared toward helping patients and parents understand and internalize the ‘why’ of myopia management for the lifelong benefits of ocular health.
In addition, developing a holistic vision isn’t simply about success (or failure) for one patient at a time. Just because you are unable to persuade or engage with a patient or parent for pursuing myopia management does not necessarily mean that the strategy you use is incorrect or ineffective, or the journey isn’t worth pursuing. Do not feel discouraged or deflated easily. It could simply mean that you as a clinician need to stay more agile and learn to pivot the approach for the next patient in anticipation of changes and refinement. The journey of providing myopia care for children isn’t a sprint but an endurance race—for practitioners, patients and their families.
Bringing Polo’s Spirit to the Clinic
Whether it is the daily rigors of training horses or the tactful measurement of axial length or other ancillary evaluation in clinical setting, playing polo and running a successful myopia management clinic share a common ethos—one that values backward anticipation and fosters collaboration and adaptability in the respective fields.
As clinicians, resist taking an easy route, which is simply to prescribe a pair of single vision spectacles for children and move on. Rather than moving on, we should embrace a modern mindset for myopia management—“move ahead” proactively before myopia hits home to the core. With the grit and resilience in holding off myopia, it can bring victory to everyone in the end.
References:
- https://polovalley.com/origin-of-polo/
- https://poloschoolargentina.com/tpost/xkuuxbfar1-polo-rules-an-in-depth-guide
