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Croquet Coaching is now available for You

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Flying Circus Croquet Coaching in 2015

What coaching course does your club need in 2015?

We have coaches standing by ready to help.  Just let me know what you need and I will match your club’s need to the coaches available.

Courses are available in Golf and Association Croquet for all levels from beginners to A-class.  Each Flying Circus course is typically 1 day long and caters for 8 – 16 players of a similar ability.

Best of all – in the North West, our courses are free to all club members.

All North West Clubs who would like to hold a course should contact the Federation secretary, Paul Rigge – paul.rigge@tiscali.co.uk

 

Course for Handicap 16-20:  Bowdon Friday 10th April 2015

Coached by Ken Cooper, this ever popular 1- day North-West Federation Bronze Course concentrates on the important parts of the CA’s 2-day Bronze course and covers openings, split croquet strokes, hoop approaches, basic cannons, 4-ball breaks, general strategy against better players, break management, plus blackboard lessons on 3-ball endings (if time permits).

The course will be run from 10am- 4pm.  Bring your own lunch.  This tends to be a very intense day to get everything covered but well worth it in the end.

The course is free of charge but spaces are limited. If you are interested in attending please let Ken Cooper know ASAP – kenco99@btinternet.com

 

Coaching Training Course

Last year we ran a very successful 2-day course for aspiring coaches at Chester.  This year Westmorland has 2 people who want to complete this course so if there are at least 4 others in the area who want to attend this them we can arrange it.

This 2-day course aims to improve coaching skills and enables players to have the opportunity to be assessed as part of their development as a graded coach.  The course includes both theory and practice covers:

  • Responsibilities of a coach
  • Planning a coaching course
  • Principles and techniques of good instruction
  • Planning and preparation of a lesson
  • Practical advice, hints and tips for delivering a lesson
  • Resources for croquet coaches
  • The CA coaching structure

Anyone seeking to become Club Coaches, CA grade 1, 2, or 3 Association coaches or CA Golf Croquet coaches may attend.  To attend the course you are expected to have a working knowledge of the rules of Association Croquet and/or Golf Croquet.

Westmorland have offered to host this, or if another Club is interested then the 2 Westmorland people will travel.

 Please contact me the Federation Secretary if interested.

paul.rigge@tiscali.co.uk

 

Kick Start your Croquet Season in York

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YORK CROQUET CLUB
Croquet Association Courses at York
March and April 2015

Bronze Coaching Course (AC)
At York Croquet Club, Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 March 2015

Course leader: Roger Staples, chairman of the CA Coaching Committee
Open to CA Members and non-CA Members
Cost: £35 (CA members), £45 (non-CA members). Applications close 22 March.

• Association Croquet Coaching course
• Restricted to AC handicap 12-18 unless otherwise agreed with the Course Leader
• Ideal for those wishing to consolidate the basics and improve their game by advancing their techniques and tactics.
• This is a comprehensive course based on the CA Bronze programme. The course is designed to prepare players to improve their handicap play and should enable successful players to consider achieving significantly lower handicap croquet the following season.

Silver Coaching Course (AC)
At York Croquet Club, Thursday 9 and Friday 10 April 2015

Course leader: Roger Staples, chairman of the CA Coaching Committee
Open to CA Members and non-CA Members
Cost: £35 (CA members), £45 (non-CA members). Applications close 29 March.

• Association Croquet Coaching course
• Restricted to AC handicaps under 12 unless otherwise agreed with the Course Leader
• Ideal for those wishing to consolidate the basics and improve their game by advancing their techniques and tactics.
• This is a comprehensive course based on the CA Silver programme. The course is designed to prepare players to improve their handicap play and should enable successful players to consider playing Advanced Rules croquet and achieving their Silver Award.

Notes for both courses:

1. How to apply: fill in a CA Coaching Course Entry Form and send it to the Course Secretary, John Harris, 7 Mount Parade, York, YO24 4AP. Please make cheques payable to The Croquet Association.
2. Morning coffee and afternoon tea will be available on all courses. Please bring packed lunch. Alternatively, there are three take-aways and a Sainsbury’s Local within five minutes’ walk of the ground.
3. Please indicate other coaching courses attended during the previous two years.
4. Receipt of your entry and further communications will normally be by email.

If you need to discuss the course further please contact:
the Course Secretary, John Harris (01904 620211, jharrisnet@gmail.com)
or the Course Manager, Roger Staples.

The Club is ten minutes’ walk from York Station.
Plentiful accommodation within easy walking distance.

York Croquet Club’s new website: www.yorkcroquet.org

Offers of Drinks and Pods but must show Handicap Cards – (AGM 2014 Summary)

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Executive Summary of Fed AGM 8th November 2014

Fed Chair Liz Wilson with the 2014 League Winners - l to r - Gary Wilson (Pendle - B Level); David Boyd (Chester - Midweek); John Dawson (Chester - Advanced); Don Williamson (Southport - Short); Paul Kenworth (Bury Peelers - Handicap); Pat Clare (Chester - Golf); Ken Eccles (Bury East - Level Play Golf).
Fed Chair Liz Wilson with the 2014 League Winners – l to r – Gary Wilson (Pendle – B Level); David Boyd (Chester – Midweek); John Dawson (Chester – Advanced); Don Williamson (Southport – Short); Paul Kenworth (Bury Peelers – Handicap); Pat Clare (Chester – Golf); Ken Eccles (Bury East – Level Play Golf).

Another fine November day as the delegates assembled from far and wide for the Federation AGM at Culcheth Croquet Club.  Liz Wilson, chairing her last meeting warmly welcomed everyone and the meeting flowed smoothly and efficiently to an early finish.  Thank you Liz for your time as Chairman – your skills and dedication have led the Federation through a very successful period.

Treasurer Bob Connop presented a healthy set of accounts and it was commented that our latest asset – a digital projector – is a valuable addition to our training programme.  Development Officer described the latest coaching initiatives – pods for A class players – as a great success and now considering a programme of two hour pod sessions for B and C class players for 2015.  Child Protection Officer, Jean Hargreaves, informed the meeting her title has now changed to Safeguarding Officer and clubs should adapt their processes accordingly.

League Manager, Tony Thomas, reported another successful and busy season of 170 matches and trophies were awarded to seven representatives of the title winning clubs.  The B League is desperately in need of a new trophy to replace the Glass Jug – can anyone help?  There was an interesting discussion on Handicap Cards and it was decided players must present their cards at league matches.  In cases where this does not happen, opposing captains can contact the League Manager who will seek confirmation of handicaps from clubs and can then retrospectively adjust match results if wrong handicaps have been used.

There was a surprise motion about removal of Bonus Points in the Advanced League (this year, one team were undefeated all season but still only came second in the league) – clubs requested more time to consider this and there will be a postal vote before the end of November to decide the issue.

Paul Rigge reported a great success for a North West representative team who won the Pennine Cup in 2014 but has difficulty in raising sufficient volunteers to play in this fixture.  He now generously offers free drinks to all volunteers in 2015!  Other highlights were Bowdon Croquet Club who won the national Secretarys Shield as well as the Longman Cup.  Remarkably, Graham Good from Bury becomes the first player in history to win both the national All England Golf Croquet and Association Croquet titles in one season.

Following the CA working Party Report and regional meetings there is now an invitation for the Federation to become a member of the CA and whilst the southern Federations seem agreeable, the northern Feds still have doubts – the issue was shelved until our next meeting in March.

Dates for club tournaments and Federation Millennium competitions were agreed.  The Federation Meetings for 2015 will take place on 7th March 2015 and 7 November 2015.

We welcome new Chairman, Garry Wilson from Pendle, best wishes as you lead us further into the promised croquet land.

The above is a personal view written from memory before the formal Minutes are issued.

 

 

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