The Woodlawn Croquet Program is holding several instructional clinics to help get the croquet balls rolling for the Outer Islands Croquet League. This recently formed League was established to develop croquet programs at nine island schools, Monhegan, Isleboro, Vinalhaven, North Haven, Isle au Haut, Swan’s Island, Frenchboro, Islesford and Matinicus.
The first clinic, held on Thursday, October 8th was attended by croquet coaches Laura Venger, North Haven, Jake Tuminski, Vinalhaven and Melissa Amuso, Islesford. They worked on developing their skills and learning the strategies of golf croquet. A second clinic will be held on October 21st for students from several of the island schools with the Woodlawn players.
The League formed after Melissa Amuso, a parent from Isleford commented at an Island Institute meeting that there was a lack of recreational activities for the children in their small school system. A summer resident at the meeting suggested golf croquet and offered to donate tournament quality equipment including indoor carpeting and wickets to each of the island schools. The League is overseen by an advisory board comprised of local and summer residents and Bob Kroeger, a nationally acclaimed croquet teaching professional. The hope is that the student golf croquet program will be successful and the enthusiasm for the game will spread to the entire island community. Each school has become a member of the United States Croquet Association whose motto is Wicket Hoops / Wicked Fun, much to the delight of the students.
Golf croquet is fun as it can be played individually or as a team of two. Players alternate shots and the play is both defensive and offensive as you try to get your own ball through a wicket while keeping others from making their shots. The rules of golf croquet can be learned in about ten minutes and you can spend a lifetime perfecting it. It can be played on school lawns and open fields as well as established croquet lawns.