Well, it's more like your Evening Coffee* this week, but I hope you enjoy this video from Bill Bromley showing Reg Bamford's magic moment. I'm sure we'll soon see full coverage of the five-game battle between Reg Bamford and Ahmed Nasr, but sometimes it's nice to just cut to the chase and enjoy the celebration. In the meantime, you can always run through the text commentary to relive the glory (Part 1 | Part 2).
And now for the best of the week ...
15 YEARS OF OXFORD: Over on CWO, Mike Orgill has an in-depth piece on the key resource for association croquet players -- oxfordcroquet.com. In actuality, it's a great resource for all croquet players, so if you haven't checked it out, be sure to stop by.
CLUB TEAMS EXTENDED DEADLINE: We’ve extended the deadline! Last day to sign up for USCA Croquet Week is now Thursday, March 9, 2017. It all starts with the Croquet Week Golf Croquet Tournament (three days-singles only) from March 11-13, 2017 with an entry fee of $200. That is followed by Club Teams (five days of American Rules doubles only) from March 15-19, 2017, with an entry fee of $395. Club Teams entr includes: two drink tickets, beverage station, daily lunches, participants dinner/annual awards, a delicious SandyJames brunch on the final day and a Croquet Week pin. Sign up for both events for $575. USCA members can find the entry form in the membership area of the USCA website or email tournamentusca@aol.com for information.
2017 NORTH CAROLINA OPEN: For Association Croquet players that want to test themselves in the North American hotbed for AC, the North Carolina Open singles tournament will be held at the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, March 25–28, 2017 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Entry is open to all players who are current members in good standing of a WCF-affiliated croquet association (such as the USCA, Croq-Can, or the British CA). The entry fee is US $225 per player. This includes USCA sanction fee, an opening reception, and daily lunches.
IS GOLF DYING? George Saad has an essay on the current downtrend in golf participation and the potential opportunity for croquet on the tofindcroquet.com site. Saad hits a few key points, but he touches on a concept I have been considering as well. The new under-25 generation may be better suited for croquet as a more in-depth challenge than older generations had been. Video games are a big part of their lives and the depth and richness of those games can make many sports seem one-dimensional. Croquet for that personality, may be the ultimate combo of an active, skilled and strategic activity that embraces the outdoor environment. No matter what, in my work here in Kansas City promoting the sport, I've seen a number of younger players thrown into the deep end of deadness nine-wicket and they adapt and stick to the game quite well. Or, it may be that this new generation will pass on golf simply because that's what dad played. They could be looking for a pastime to call their own.
*The big delay this week was a combo of an RSS feed issue from a bad source and the unfortunate corruption of the video editing software used for our YouTube channel. Looks like we're back on track and smooth sailing ahead.