Nine Wicket News

A Grassroots Story

By Paul Bennett

In the days of the news press, I would receive my daily newspaper from Louie, our local paper boy, who on occasion would ask my brother Billy or myself to help him deliver it throughout the neighborhood. We would earn a cash reward for our work and a valuable experience by walking the neighborhood and providing the service that had to be done every day, early each morning. My dad and I would read the paper over breakfast before he would go off to work and I would go off to school (my work at the time). It wasn’t until I was well into my adult life of daily work, toiling on electronics at Motorola, that computers and the worldwide web sprang forth from the ether. I would compile microcode for an MC6805 computer using 8-inch floppy diskettes, used to receive and control the electronics inside some of the first digital pagers. Email was taking hold and replacing hand-typed memos that would circulate around the office.

And here we are today … wondering where to find out places to play nine wicket or six wicket croquet in your neighborhood? And how to build croquet memberships? Are you reading this article in the Croquet News in “printed format” or “online?” How much news and information do you get through a local provider? I have recently read that local neighborhood papers are beginning to flourish. They may be printed and distributed for you to read at your local coffee shop. They hope to target you more directly than say the Los Angeles Times could ever possibly manage. Most will likely also be available online for you to peruse at home or on the go. My point is to learn more about the best methods for publishing and advertising an event or meetups at your local croquet club. Do you simply know to show up on Tuesdays to play a game? If no one is there, will you practice your strokes and strategies? How do you build up your club and your presence inside a local park? How many people walk away if there is no one around to help them? Well, 20 years ago, the Buffalo Croquet Club took over the old lawn bowling courts and began its development of croquet inside its park. Recently, after speaking with Paul Neubecker, I found out they were successful in recruiting new members in the past two years using various mediums. If you search “Buffalo Croquet Club” on Google, you will find links to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, local newspaper articles and local TV coverage. Yes, croquet is alive and well in Buffalo and it is easy to connect with someone to play the game. Neubecker found that the introduction of a Thursday night structured league play was successful in growing the club from a half dozen active members to more than 40 members. “Scores are recorded and league rankings updated weekly with some commentary on highlights from the games going out in a weekly email with the following week's schedule,” he says. “I think this structure has been critical for engagement and retention.” Given the size of the group, you get scheduled for either 7:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. games, with some double banking happening. League games usually end by 10:00 p.m., but some folks choose to hang around and play until the beer runs out, which has at times lasted until 2:00 a.m.

Many USCA clubs are founded inside country clubs, which reserve play to members only. Publicity is done within the club’s policies and communication publications. These initiatives and materials tend to be driven by the business leaders at the country club.

Public facilities and clubs, on the other hand, can invite members to join and recruit players to try the sport using broad public means of communication. Recruitment is the responsibility of the club leaders and their fellow members. The Buffalo club doesn’t actually formally exist as a legal entity but operates under the umbrella of the Olmsted Park Conservancy. It’s now colloquially known as the Buffalo Croquet Club but was for a long time known as the Buffalo Croquet and Debate Club, because over 20 years (and many beers), debate over the rules was often as competitive a sport as the croquet itself. To learn more about the Buffalo Croquet Club, contact Bob Gannon, club president, or visit their Instagram channel at www.instagram.com/buffalo_croquet_club/.

Seeking More 9W Information

Share the techniques and strategies you have used for promoting your club with me. I am wondering how many nine wicket croquet players are in America? How many have transitioned to the six wicket game? Who is looking to build an active croquet club in their area?

Send your input, comments and suggestions for nine wicket to Paul Bennett and for club development to the USCA management office.

UPF IS YOUR BFF

CROQUET WEAR FOR PROTECTION AND STYLE

WhiteTieCroquet@gmail.com (415) 203-2794

www.WhiteTieCroquet.com

YOUR GO TO ONLINE RESOURCE FOR CROQUET APPAREL

Fundraising for Charity

Have a favorite charity? Croquet is an excellent way to socially gather local community groups together for a fundraising event.

Brice Jones is famous for his use of croquet at the Sonoma-Cutrer winery with its two most excellent croquet lawns to attract both world-class players and host a fabulous charity event for local charities, including the Make A Wish foundation. That yearly event went on for the better part of two decades until Jones sold the winery to Brown and Forman. Mike Orgill later resurrected the event for another half decade when he adopted the North American Open championship from Jacques Fournier.

Nine wicket is well known among us as “garden croquet,” since it can be set up and played on normal park grass — referred to by the United States Croquet Association as “long grass.” Other versions of the game may be set up and played on long grass, but they are indeed much harder to play on that surface due to the length of long and difficult split shots. (GC may be an exception.) I have come to find several events which involve croquet as their central theme designed to help raise charity money. Organizations and corporations look to the USCA for rules and guidance in hosting these events.

The nine wicket committee is looking to organize both regional and national tournaments together with these charity events in order to grow our membership and USCA recognition. Amateurs may sign up and play in the novice division. Those with croquet experience and desiring more challenging games may sign up for the official USCA regional championship. There they will play against other USCA members who are vying for regional status and preferred status to play in the next two national events.

The USCA is also looking for a way to record organized league play in order to develop a national handicapping and ranking process. Look for these events and developments and think about incorporating croquet into your next fundraising or corporate event.