New Croquet Association plan to boost AC

Please read this important message.  It's pretty radical! To play our part we need to get going straightaway. Please send any questions to chris.webbley@icloud.com Thank you,  Richard Peperell

A message from the Croquet Association Chair of Croquet Development, Avril Primarolo.

"As many clubs will know, the welcome growth in GC over recent years has regrettably been paralleled by a decline in the number of members playing AC.  The reduction in AC members of the CA has been a worrying 23% since 2010, and every year records a new decrease.  Several attempts to remedy this have been trialled over the years, such as One-Ball.  These have had some success, and I pay credit to the people who have helped organise these events.  

But if croquet in its original form is to survive, let alone proposer, the CA AC Committee has -- reluctantly -- come to the conclusion that a more radical approach is now needed.  After considerable discussion and consultation with all the UK Federations, the following will be trialled on a strictly voluntary basis for the 2021 season.  We do hope that a large proportion of members will want to engage with this.  To facilitate this, clubs will be provided with a financial incentive based on uptake.

The system is simple to understand and will be easy to operate.  All club members with surnames beginning with A-M will be asked to play at least 33% of their 2021 games as AC matches.  For a minority, of course, this will be easy as they already play AC mostly or exclusively.  For the remaining majority, cross-code coaching will be provided both on-lawn and through online modules, and your club's coach(es) will be fully engaged with this. (Comment from Ian Shore: don't worry -- we are ready!)  New AC handicap cards are currently being distributed to all clubs.  People with surnames from N-Z will act as a control group for what is an exciting national experiment.  All members will be invited to provide feedback 

We believe that this is the right way to arrest the decline in AC in the UK.  Considerable interest has already been expressed from other countries, some of whom are facing the same systemic problem.  The review of the change will take place in Autumn 2021, with the results being put before the CA Council by next Spring.

Please step up and help to write a new chapter in the history of our wonderful sport.  Thank you in advance for your support, and we look forward to hearing from all clubs when we send out the invitations to contribute to the review later this year.  

A. Primarolo,  Croquet Association Chair of Croquet Development