CROQUET: A WELLNESS ACTIVITY By Chris Alvey, dbmallets@gmail.com, Sponsors of the Townsend Club Award According to my wife — the
pharmacist and therefore clearly the more medically qualified member of our household — sitting is the new smoking. Unfortunately, leaving the house for a brisk walk when it is wet, cold, and generally miserable has never been particularly appealing. As a result, aside from the weekly trip to the office, my outdoor activity levels over winter have been somewhat… aspirational. So the arrival of the lighter, drier days has given me the opportunity to rediscover quite how much of my croquet ability I appear to have misplaced over the winter, and how much practice will be required to retrieve it. As clubs, we are now entering the “taster session and open day” phase of the season — that time of year when we try to tempt curious newcomers onto the lawn, in the hope of keeping our sport thriving and our clubs growing. The appeal of croquet is broader than many people realise. It offers a strong sense of community, gentle activity, and opportunities to build confidence, patience and our creativity. In short, there are plenty of reasons for people to give it a try. Anne and I have the opportunity to go on local radio soon to promote both the sport and our club, as well as our upcoming open day in support of the local hospice. Our publicity officer kindly produced a helpful list of talking points focusing on wellness and health. I should confess that several of those excellent points have been shamelessly borrowed for this article. Thank you, Roy — imitation is the
involves a fair amount of walking, and the simple act of swinging a mallet encourages flexibility, coordination and balance — all of which contribute to cardiovascular health. There are also significant mental benefits. Croquet requires tactical thinking, careful decision-making and sustained concentration, which help keep the mind active and engaged. For those of us who are still of working age and cannot spend weekdays on the lawn, the game can also provide a welcome sense of calm. It offers a space to step away from the pressures of work and lose ourselves in the quiet
Croquet offers a welcome antidote: fresh air, gentle exercise and real human interaction. Not everyone who picks up a mallet wants to compete — which is perfectly fine. Many people simply want a social activity and a pleasant way to spend time outdoors. Whether competitive or purely social, the result is the same: an enjoyable pastime that benefits both our physical and mental wellbeing. And if it happens to involve a little friendly rivalry along the way, so much the better. Photos taken by Tony Thomas
focus of the game. Like many people these days, I work from home most of the week. It’s great for productivity but can occasionally feel a little isolating. Much of my communication happens via email, Teams or Zoom, and although Anne also works from home, we are in separate rooms doing entirely different things.
sincerest form of flattery. The social side of croquet is
undoubtedly a major part of its growing popularity, but when combined with its physical benefits it becomes something of an ideal wellness hobby. Even a friendly game
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 8
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