Philadelphia Program Using Polo To Help Young People

Not far from some of Philadelphia's toughest neighborhoods, polo champion Kareem Rosser learned to play the sport as a child. 

Rosser said he was from "probably one of the worst parts of the city." But his future changed when he joined "Work to Ride," a program that teaches kids in the area to play polo.

"Being able to go to military school [...] go to college and play polo at the highest level [...] the number of ways it probably saved me from, you know, ending up dead in the streets in Philadelphia," he said. 

At the Chamounix Equestrian Center, children learn the aristocratic sport — but those in the Work to Ride program don't need a king's ransom. In exchange for rigorous work at the stables, they get lessons for free.

One participant, Jada Corbin, said the program has boosted her confidence — especially when she fell.

"I guess because I fell off, like, a lot of times, it kind of just, like, made me braver," she told CBS News. 

17-year-old Alyssa Perren is preparing for the city's first-ever Polo Classic next month. The matches are organized by Work To Ride.

"I really, really hope that there are little boys and girls in the crowd that look just like us, that are just like, I can do this," she said.