2021 Review – Kent Target
As we prepare for the 2022 season, our Clubs take a look back at their 2021 successes! Kent Target, based in the South East, tell us all about their 2021:
2021 was another jam-packed year for Kent Target, with more members than ever! We bounced back from Covid restrictions and were finally able to sand pitches for practices and hold a tournament again. We were really back in business! We kicked off the season with some successful specialist training weekends for high, medium/low goal and juniors.
And then came our tournament in May – the first 2-day tournament back under Covid restrictions in 2021. Slightly scary to organise at times but we managed to adhere to all the social distancing rules and it was a great kick start to the season. With only one pitch, we squeezed in as many players and campers as we could fit – about 60 players!
After that, there were plenty of tournaments (and training opportunities) to keep us busy and it was particularly encouraging to see all of our juniors progress so brilliantly as the season went on and a new E grade team full of parents start to take shape. The culmination of our season was of course Nationals. We showed off some awesome new club kit, had amazing fun at our club social events and came away as National champions, thanks to everyone’s brilliant individual performances. Despite the A grade’s frankly fantastic (and inhuman) efforts, (mentioning no names Charlie Hewitt…) we couldn’t bring home the A grade trophy but with one goal in it, we are getting closer every year. Bring it on for 2022!
After Nationals, the UK Open Team was announced and we are super proud to have 6 (well, 7 if you count the now internationally retired Webby) of our members selected. We have our fingers crossed for some Kent Target representation at the World Cup in 2024 and will be working even harder with our players to help them achieve it. With over 60 members this year, the committee, selectors and coaches have certainly had their hands full with organisation. We have restructured our committee for 2022 to help serve such a large club more effectively and will keep our new members portal (which we tried out in 2021) in place, as it proved a great success in helping to manage all of our communications, online bookings and payments. We also have some other exciting plans for 2022. We are expanding our efforts with Area 11 Pony Club Polocrosse , with Penny Webb now at the helm. Our 9 fantastic qualified coaches will be joined by a dedicated club coach for the season – joining us from Australia. Plus we also have plans to host a training weekend at Risebridge Farm and a big 2-day tournament at Admington grounds, in conjunction with Warwick club. Roll on the season!
