Unfortunately, at present, even the best Australian teams struggle against quality international opposition.  To help remedy this, the ACA decided to run a Captain’s course.  Over the weekend of May 20 and 21, twenty-four Gateball captains came to Woody Point, in the Moreton Bay region of Brisbane, to learn about the subtle art of Gateball captaincy. 

We want to thank both the ACA and Moreton Bay Regional Council for giving funding for the event.

The event was opened by Councillor Karl Winchester from Moreton Bay Regional Council, pictured below with all the participants and presenters.

The Course was led by a team of presenters: Philip Brown – Gateball  High Performance Manager, and Level 3 Gateball Coaches, Glen Whitehead, John Park, Geoff Crook and Barbara Northcott.

The aim of the course was as simple as it was complex: Better Captains Making Better Teams. 

We set out to share our knowledge to help every team get a little bit better.  But by “our” we don’t mean just the presenters.  The course attendees developed a great spirit of co-operation, too.  Everyone was sharing their knowledge freely and giving guidance where they could. 

The course lasted the full two days and covered multiple aspects of the role of Captain.

Of course there were a number of topics on Gateball strategy, including structuring your balls to make gate-touches more available, numerical play, the advantages of a cluster of balls.  But there was more than just Gateball tactics.

John led sessions on how to get the most out of the training your team does.  Barbara discussed the nuances of leadership and how to help your team become the best they can.  Geoff explained how the best team he had ever seen played with immaculate defensive Gateball techniques.  Glen helped us to understand the real probabilities of making certain types of shots.

We were also lucky enough to be able to film a game from multiple cameras, including a drone.  This footage will be made available soon, once the editing is complete.

The course was held at Eildon Croquet Club who were immaculate hosts.  The courts were well prepared and the catering excellent.  We bid hearty thanks for all the assistance we received from Eildon.

Most of the course consisted of a short discussion in the club room, followed by drills or scenarios out on the lawns.  The full presenters’ notes will be made available on the Gateball Australia website.  This means that individuals can read them, but we’re hoping that the captains who attended will take the knowledge back to share with their clubs and regions.  There’s lots of interesting scenarios designed to highlight features of Gateball strategy.

We hope everyone will go back to their clubs and start practicing – we want the Australian teams at the coming Australian Gateball Championships in Wodonga in September to show our International guests that the hospitality ends at the starting box!

Philip Brown – High Performance Manager – Gateball