Description

Kareem Rosser was just eight years old when his brothers stumbled across the Chamounix Stables in a Philadelphia park. That wrong turn would change his life forever. In 2011, he captained the first all-Black team to win the National Interscholastic Polo Championship.

Today, we learn all about the sport of competitive polo, which is less genteel than it looks. It’s almost like a mix of ice hockey and NASCAR. Kareem opens up about the whiplash of traveling from the rough neighborhood where he grew up to the Hamptons and back in a weekend. He also talks about how he uses the tragedies he’s experienced to drive his passion to help others.

Show Notes

1.  A behind-the-scenes look at Philadelphia’s inspiring Work to Ride Program | Ralph Lauren
2. A Polo Primer: Lessons From a Pro | WSJ
3. 'Why I Play': Dominating polo while being black | The Undefeated
4. Ride to the Olympics CEO on increase in Black polo players: 'We break barriers' | ABC News
5. When You're Ready: A Love Story | Kareem Rosser

Show Credits

Host: David Greene

Executive Producers: Joan Isabella, Tom Grahsler

Senior Producer: Michael Olcott

Producer: Michaela Winberg

Associate Producer: Bibiana Correa

Talent Booker: Britt Kahn

Engineer: Mike Villers

Tile Art: Bea Walling

Sports in America is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.