Last week, I talked a bit about how croquet players should remember when discussing the sport, that croquet is the world's best sport. To recap, the main point being that as many players continue to invest significant time and money into pursuing the game, clearly many of us know it is the best sport. Rather than apologizing for being passionate about the game, I propose that players should start from this point -- it is the best sport and I'm not sure why everyone isn't playing it.
So, I thought maybe this week, I probably ought to go through the reasons why croquet is the greatest sport:
1) Gender equal -- Some argue that the long rolls can be an advantage for men who are generally stronger. On a court with proper lawn speed, I think that's pretty much a non-issue.
2) Age equal -- Robert Fletcher hit the interational scene at 14 and it's not uncommon to see players near the top of their game in their 70s.
3) Fresh air and sun -- Yeah, man ... it's an outdoor sport. Get your Vitamin D fix.
4) Active -- A full day in a tourney is a great workout especially if you are playing singles GC. Just a couple games in the morning involves a fair amount of walking? If you've fallen into the sedate life of work, couch and TV, you might want to get out and try croquet. Get moving.
5) Social -- The court is 105' x 84.' It's a cozy little box and perfect for a beer or glass of wine on a nearby porch. I'd say it's the ultimate social game -- all of the action is right there.
6) Skilled -- 1/8" clearance for wickets (in practice, less than 1/8") -- need I say more? This is a precise game with an array of shots to learn and perfect.
7) Tactical -- Learning all of the right approaches, breaks, traps, leaves, etc. is all part of the fun.
8) Jargon -- Tea Lady, Aunt Emma, Peel, Cannon, Chernobyl, Rush, One back, Rover, Triple, Sextuple ... it goes on and on.
9) Strategic -- GC, AC, 9W, US ... they all have varying degrees of depth as far as strategy goes, but believe me, you will be (or should be) thinking several turns ahead. Chess on grass is no exaggeration.
Link to the The Best Sport (Part One)