WELCOME TO THE COACHING PAGES MORE COACHES So far in 2026, we have qualified 20 new Club-Level Coaches. In addition, there are 25 Provisional Club-Level Coaches, who may still qualify this year and, if not, will qualify next year. In addition, we have qualified three Grade 1 GC , one Grade 3 GC, six Grade 1 AC, two Grade 2 AC, and one Grade 3 AC coaches. Reviewing the session logs sent in by Provisional Club-Level coaches has been one of my greatest pleasures these last two years. I am always impressed by the dedication, planning and enthusiasm put into these sessions. The best Provisional Club-Level Coaches also provide thoughtful reflections on what they have learnt as coaches, and what they will do differently next time – something good coaches do throughout their coaching careers. Well done to all who qualified this year! I really hope you will enjoy your coaching, and that you will keep on learning from it. DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A COACH? Croquet England would like to have many more coaches, so if you are interested in becoming a coach, please keep an eye on the Fixtures Calendar when it goes live early in 2027. Most Coach Training courses are held in spring, to allow the Provisional Club-Level coaches to put their skills into practice straight away. A Coach Training course is typically held over two days, although we also run hybrid courses where some of the training is done remotely, and with only one day’s physical attendance. Candidates will learn a range of skills appropriate to the coaching role, and they will be assessed on indoor and outdoor presentations, as well as have to pass a test in basic AC Laws and GC Rules. Coach Training Courses are run by Examining Coaches, typically at Academies. NO LONGER COACHING? If you are a Qualified and Registered Coach, of whatever level, but you find that you are no longer coaching, please let us know. It is important that the CqE Register of Coaches only lists coaches who are active. Occasional advice to club members does not count as coaching, so if you no longer run scheduled coaching sessions, please let the Coaching Committee know that you have ceased to be an active coach. COACHING OVER THE WINTER? Have a think about what you might coach indoors, if the weather is just too awful to be outside. For example, you might review the most common faults in either GC or AC, or go through AC tactics on a white board, or discuss the mental approach to coaching. If you put your mind to it, you are sure to think of other useful topics.
By Ruth Raunkiaer On behalf of the Coaching Committee NEW MERIT AWARD WINNERS Congratulations to the following: Association Croquet – Gold Awards Dennis Scarr, Crake Valley Association Croquet – Silver Awards Mark Simmerson, Watford B-Level Association Croquet – Bronze Awards Yuen Man To (Toto To), Cheltenham High Bisque Peter Rowland, Cheltenham High Bisque Jane Turner, Cheltenham High Bisque Damian Brownbill, Nottingham Annual Tournament Golf Croquet – Platinum Awards Tim Joliff, GC Second Eight Golf Croquet – Diamond Awards Martin French, GC Third Eight Gabrielle Higgins, Sussex County Open Golf Croquet – Gold Awards David Brammer, Hunstanton A-Level Golf Croquet – Silver Awards Gerald O’Brien, Compton B-Level Ian Prince, Guildford & Godalming B-Level Judith Rowe, Ashby B-Level Golf Croquet – Bronze Awards Yvette Currie, Hunstanton C-Level Leonard Taylor, Cheltenham C-Level Philip Hendy, Hamptworth C-Level
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