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The last twenty years has seen international teams, world class
tournaments and the national rankings dominated by players who started
playing as teenagers.
It is our ambition that our thriving junior section will produce
players to compete at this high standard: we are well on our way
there.
Once a basic competence is achieved, junior players are encouraged
to enter Club tournaments. Some of our present junior members have
reached the finals of some events beating older and more experienced
Club members. We have over the last few years been fortunate enough
to see several juniors, having started their croquet at Ramsgate,
progessing to greater things and representing the Club in both golf
croquet and association croquet tournaments.
James Goodbun is one of our star juniors, joining the Club when
nine years old in 2001 and in his first year winning the Junior
Tournament. James has progressed by winning Club golf doubles competitions
two years running and in 2008 four of the Club Members competitions
beating seasoned players. At the Clubs CA Golf Croquet Championship
James entered playing against low handicap players and showing great
character when matched against Reg Bamford in his first pool match.
James in 2008 was invited to play in the Inter Counties Golf Tournament
and in the All England Golf Croquet Championship finished as runner
up, the highest any Ramsgate member has achieved. In 2009 James
was a UK representative in the under 21 World Championship in Cairo
getting into the quarter finals.
Then there are the Rice boys, Andrew (17) started playing croquet
7 years ago following a visit to the Club with the Cubs. He was
hooked and started attending the Junior Coaching sessions on Saturday
mornings. He started by learning Golf Croquet but soon found out
about Association Croquet and has won two Club association competitions
with adult partners and two on his own. His younger brother, Oliver
(13) desperately waited for his 10th birthday so that he could follow
in Andrew's footsteps and started playing Golf Croquet two years
ago. He is full of emthusiqam and loves coaching the younger members,
or anyone else that he can.
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Juniors are first introduced to Golf Croquet to learn and practice
the basics of hitting the ball straight and running hoops. Once
these essentials have been mastered, they progress rapidly to Association
Croquet, a game in which strategy becomes as important as playing
the strokes.
The junior section meets, at the Club, for coaching
from nationally qualified coaches on Saturday mornings from 10.00am
until 12.00pm. Our current membership is 10 / 12, covering an age
range from 11-17 years. More juniors, both boys and girls are welcome.
If you would like to learn more about the club's junior
section then contact George Jones on 01843 836996
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