The Springs Croquet Club celebrated USCA National Croquet Day (NCD) on Saturday, June 11, 2022, because a number of our members could not attend on the originally designated date of June 4.
This was a collaborative effort of both Henrico County Recreation and Parks and TSCC members. Henrico County provided valuable assistance with marketing by providing signage, sending postcard invitations to neighbors, and providing snacks and refreshments and diversions for younger children on the day of the event. The plan was to provide a hands-on introduction to croquet from the very basics for totally new players to the more complex aspects of our sport for experienced players. This was done by setting up our playing surface into three areas for the basics and one larger area for playing six wicket games. The areas are at separate ends of the court so that you can progress from the basics at one end of the court.........to more advanced croquet with more sophisticated equipment on the other end of the court. After being shown the basics of the stance, grip, aim and swing, players were given a chance to try their hand at exercises with help from a mentor. The exercises are done at "skill stations" designed to develop three basic skills:
1. Learning to hit your ball to a position in front of the wicket This is practiced using a thin white plastic strip in the shape of a fan extending outward from the target wicket. The player tries to place the ball properly from different distances.
2. Learning to score the wickets This is then practiced from directly in front of a wicket from various distances.
3. Learning to hit other balls to get bonus strokes (roquet) This is practiced using target balls that are immobilized with a central spike (only one ball to chase after roquet) through the center of the old, discarded ball. To interest youngsters the target balls were painted to resemble the planets Mars and Earth.
After the skill stations are completed players were invited to play 9-wicket croquet on a shortened course. The smaller court helps insure success early in their experience. Club volunteer-mentors continued instruction while playing and supervising.. The game was played with no carry-over deadness and frequent bisques. Players were allowed to roquet the same ball again during the same turn if they scored a wicket after first hitting the target ball. With each new turn the striker is live on all balls. These modifications of the rules made games progress efficiently and served to provide an introduction that helped maintain player interest. Numerous games were played with novice players and adults who had not played "since who knows how long ago".
......Meanwhile and simultaneously at the other end of the court.... 6-wicket croquet was played by experienced players using higher grade equipment on the smaller, but proportional, court. Deadness boards and white boards were in evidence displaying the complexity and required concentration of more complicated croquet.
And at the end of this National Croquet Day past memories of croquet exploits were shared, new friends made and past friendships were renewed. Throughout the court from one end to the other players enjoyed keeping the ball rolling!