Report on Next Generation for YCF Zoom meeting 12 08 2024 from Ted Flexman of Ripon Spa Croquet Club
For details of our 2023 project, please read the Croquet Gazette issue 406 pages 39 and 40.
Season 2024
As far as the Next Generation project has been concerned this has been a great disappointment. We had three experienced child protection cleared coaches last year, but were reduced to one this year, completely ruling out completing our schools programme. We had an invited open day at the club targeting the school contacts we had made last year and it turned out to be the wettest day of the season so far with no takers!!
So what do we feel we had achieved?
Certainly the first objective of raising croquet’s existence to three primary schools. Certainly giving those schools an enrichment to their curriculum which was very positively enjoyed by the children.
Certainly changing the image of croquet to some of the teachers and perhaps changing some negative preconceptions.
What have we learned that we can pass on?
You have to be very committed to take this on.
Perhaps we should have worked with only one school.
We need a larger group of players willing and cleared to work with children.
The four Uber sets are brilliant and very good to use with children eleven years and under.
The fun short games and activities are enjoyed by our players as well as the children.
We went into schools. It would have been so much better in some ways if the schools had been close enough to come to us!
Had illness not prevented us we could have created an after school club which I am convinced would have led to setting up a junior section for our club and I am bitterly disappointed this was not possible.
What next?
We haven’t given up! We are offering croquet as an activity as part of a Ripon Together Initiative for two mornings later this month and see what this might bring.
We will consider next season and see what is reasonable.
We are willing to help any YCF Clubs considering the Next Generation ideas in any way we can, because we believe in it!