The United States Croquet Association (USCA) is thrilled to announce the dates for Croquet Week 2023, taking place from March 10-19, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The nine-day event will feature a variety of competitions and activities for croquet enthusiasts of all skill levels.
The fun begins with the highly-anticipated Croquet Week Golf Croquet Tournament on March 10-12, a singles-only event that has grown in popularity with tough competition. This will be followed by the ever-popular Club Teams and St. Patrick's Day celebration on March 16-19, where participants can display their club flags and show their club pride in this doubles-only club rivalry.
For the first time ever, the USCA is offering the opportunity to play under the lights on Thursday, March 17. Lights will be rented for the courts and volunteers are encouraged to participate. As a special bonus, those who choose to play on Thursday night will not have to play on Thursday morning, allowing them to arrange their travel plans accordingly.
In addition to Thursday Night Lights, the USCA will also be hosting a pizza party and fun and games organized by Karen Heckman on March 17th. Our Treasurer, David Isaacs, is sponsoring a few pies and challenging others to sponsor a few pizzas to see who makes the best pizza.
Annual MEETING AND AWARDS
On Wednesday, March 15th, the USCA will be hosting its Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, which will be a hybrid event and can be watched on our YouTube Channel managed by Russ Dilley. The Annual Meeting will begin at 6 PM and the Awards will begin at 7 PM.
Anyone who plays in either tournament will be given free entry into the Awards dinner, which will be a buffet, as long as they RSVP so we can gather an accurate headcount. Non-tournament players can attend the dinner for $50. Everyone is invited to the Annual Meeting for free though! Hear from our President, Damon Bidencope, and learn about all of the exciting activities happening at the USCA and around the country!
AWARD NOMINATIONS
The USCA is also inviting nominations for a variety of National awards including Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Appreciation, Club of the Year, Club President of the Year, Collegiate Club of the Year, Employee of the Year, Family of the year, Female Player of the Year, Financial Support, International Support, Jackie Jones Award, Jr. Player of the Year, Jr. Rookie of the Year, Michael Strauss Award, Most Improved Jr. Player, Most Improved Player, New Club of the Year, Outstanding Individual Contributors, Outstanding Support of Croquet, Recognition Award, Regional District President, Regional Vice President, Rookie of the Year, Spectator of the Year, Sr. Player of the Year, Sr. Rookie of the Year, Teddy Prentis Award, and Volunteer of the Year. Nominations must be received by Sunday night, January 22, 2023.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The USCA is always trying to make our events more meaningful and maintain their affordability. Listed below are a few ways that you can help support these events:
Gold sponsor: $25,000
Tournament Director and Managers: $3,000
Opening Reception: $2,500
Lunches: $1,500 each day
Finals Brunch: $3,000
Beverage Station: $1,500
Sponsor a court: $750
Trophies: $500
The USCA is also bringing back its silent auction, featuring various nostalgic items from the USCA's inventory. Come prepared to bring home a piece of croquet history.