CROQUET NEWS:  Croquet Looks to Overcome Sticky Wicket

1 July 2008
Memorial Park, Houston, Texas, USA
by Jeremy Rakes in Bellaire Examiner, Houston, Texas, USA

John Osborn takes a shot during a game of croquet at Memorial Park.

For many people, it is hard to envision croquet as a true sport.

But for those who think of the game as just part of a leisurely day in the back yard with friends and family, there is a competitive version of the activity making inroads in the area.

The Houston Croquet Association doesn’t play just in back yards, either. Since 1989, it has been in operation, playing in Memorial Park since 1996 when the city built it a course.

As a competive sport, it is still widely unknown, but the HCA hopes it will grow.

“It’s a unique sport that takes a lot of skill and strategy,” said Johnny Mitchell of the association. “It is a mental and physical game that attracts a particular audience.”

But, Mitchell said the particular audience it attracts can be anyone. He said there are different variations of the game, but the HCA plays six-wicket croquet, which is popular in England and played throughout the world. It is a serious version of the game, played on a flat surface similar to a golf green.

The group plays year-round with a lot of people playing on Saturday and Sunday. Mitchell admits that the majority of the members are in their 40s and 50s and few young people play the sport, but he would like to see that change.

“People are used to the old game that you play in your back yard where you just hit the balls around,” Mitchell said. “We are more than happy to put a mallet in people’s hands and show then how to hit the ball, but it takes time to become proficient at the sport, and that frustrates some people.”

Mitchell said croquet is a game that can’t be picked up quickly because it takes time to learn, and it is fairly complicated, which frustrates people, but he would love to introduce people to the game and get them started.”

Croquet is similar to tennis in that it can be played in singles and doubles and there are national competitions for it. The state championship for croquet was held over Memorial Day weekend at Memorial Park.

The courts at Memorial Park are adjacent to the tennis courts.

“Croquet is an unknown sport,” Mitchell said. “People don’t know about us because we are hidden away in the park. We’ve had a big turnover of players in the last 10 years, and although the numbers haven’t increased, we have a lot of new members.”

And, he said, the association is always glad to welcome new participants.

“We just want an opportunity to introduce or, maybe, reintroduce people to the sport,” Mitchell said. “We think they would enjoy it.”