Watch the Polo Pro-Amateur Tournament held at Santa María Polo Club 2010 above and see what you could be enjoying in 2011 if you apply for a place in this year's event!

HERE'S WHAT BEN BATEMAN HAD TO SAY ABOUT HIS 2010 EXPERIENCE.

Following the success of last Summer's inaugural Polo Pro-Am project The Santa Maria Polo Club are once again searching the coast for those who are ready to take on the challenge of a lifetime, learning to play polo and working towards a spectacular finale as part of the Gold Cup in August.

We caught up with Ben Bateman a 32 year old Father of two who has lived on the coast for over 30 years and was lucky enough to be selected last year.

So Ben how did you hear about the Pro-Am project and what initially interested you?

I heard about it in the SUR and after visiting the Santa Maria Polo club website I applied immediately. The opportunity to learn to play polo, and then play on the main stage at Santa Maria during the height of the summer season, with a full crowd watching, really appealed to my vanity, but more than that it was the challenge to prove to myself that I could do it and win!!!!

Presumably you'd ridden before?

I really had no riding experience at all but that did not put me off. I am quite fearless so I had no concerns about the riding, if you have good balance and you are able fall and pick yourself up without losing confidence, it is all a bit of a buzz and very addictive!

You must have been shocked to be selected?

I don't remember being shocked that I was be picked, I'm full of self belief and guess I never really expected not to be. I knew that if I was the right person for the job then the organisers would see past my lack of riding experience.

So what was the most challenging aspect of the project?

It had to be getting fit but it was well worth the effort. You use muscles that you have never used before, Polo is a physically demanding sport. If you are like me and know you should be making an effort to keep fit but don't, this could be the motivation you need. By the end of the summer I felt fitter and stronger than I had felt for years.

How easy was it to fit around your daily and working life?

I work for Holmes Property Sales in Sotogrande, Summer is obviously a busy time but most practice sessions were in the evening, which works well as it is after work. On the fitness front I choose to go to the gym in my lunch break or early in the morning before work.

Was the Pro-Am project what you'd expected?

Absolutely YES!!! It was a fantastic opportunity a great experience and given the chance I would do it all over again…. To begin with I was a little sceptical about it, but it was absolutely one of the best opportunities I have ever had.

What exactly did you get out of being involved in the project?

I got fit, met wonderful people, had one of the best summers of my life, which is really something considering I have lived on this coast my whole life. I learnt to play a sport which is usually out of reach of the normal person and gained a huge amount of self-satisfaction.

Can you describe what the final match day itself was like?

I am a keen skier, I snowboard and play rugby. The match itself was better than a day skiing in fresh powder with clear blue skies, more demanding than a tough game of rugby and more exciting than jumping out of plane for the 1st time.

Finally if you could give one piece of advice to someone contemplating getting involved this year what would it be?

Throw yourself in head first, commit yourself to the project, train hard and play hard it will one of the best things you will ever do in your life.

If you'd like to be considered for selection in this Summer's Pro-Am team please email jl@teammanagement.org.uk and we'll be able to provide you with more details. Please note the closing date for notes of interest is Monday 18th April 2011.