iwpetanque

island-leg-end · Joined: 21 Apr 2008 Posts: 11

This post may get people talking, what i would like is a list of three good things you like about Isle of Wight petanque and three bad things (or as many as you can think off, its difficult).

Good:
Team spirit on away trips
Organisation I believe is very good (trips, league etc)
Range of pistes’ to play on, whether good or bad

Bad:
Players cursing each others styles when things could be learnt from both
We could try and get more national comps on the Island
Some players’ demeanour on the piste

silver tiger · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 16

How about these. Good. The number of players for such a small region. The number of pubs still willing to host a team despite the growing demand for other uses of the space. Good general organisation. Bad. Despite the large number of players it is still the same regular players at comps. Some of the better players are openly critical of less gifted players (usually after a sniff of the barmaids apron). We could all benefit from extra games ,maybe a second league on a different night. But what do i know.

island-leg-end · Joined: 21 Apr 2008 Posts: 11

This is the sort of discussion that will help to find out what people think and if taken into consideration would further Isle of Wight petanque

silver tiger · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 16

One other thing about getting national comps on the Island. The Hurricanes did apply this year to the EPA but did not get selected. I suspect as usual we are expected to travel to the mainland but people will not come here.

Jan · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 4

Good
As said above Organisation, team spirit etc etc

Bad
Not enough mixing of players, People generally stay within their own clubs / friends
Some players attitudes to less able/experieced players

Agee with all said before

Solutions
Has anyone got any ??????

silver tiger · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 16

To mix players of different clubs,sexes and abilities perhaps one of our comps could be made into a melee style.Or perhaps a names of men and women paired from a hat.But what do i know. Rolling Eyes

timmie · Joined: 20 Jan 2008 Posts: 5

I's like to organise a melee on the Island...an open comp with maybe a cash prize for the first prize and wine etc for 2nd and 3rd...maybe at Plessey or SSRFC depending on available dates. I will have alook at dates and talk to peeps but it will be down to you guys to support it. We've done one at Jersey and will be doing one next weekend there again and it was really good fun...you just don't know who you will be playing with or against next but that's most of the fun...it's not allllll about winning !!!! Razz

Glen · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 7

I think we have a very unique situation on the IW.

The league structure we have, must be the biggest in the country. I've played league in Southern and Thames Valley (both had 2 divisions at the time I played) and in London where we had no league.

On the Island we have 5 divisions. This is fantastic, and we have a huge range of players competing every week, or just enjoying a social evening playing the game every week.

However, in a way this is also our biggest problem. We now have a huge range of ability on the IW. We would like newer players to turn out for competitions, but how can you make that work with players who have played the game at a national / international level.

There have already been comments in this thread about the attitude of 'better' players towards 'weaker' players. Some of our players I'm sure are courteous and sympathetic in victory, but then I'm sure others are of a more 'competitive' nature.

Is this the fault of the better players? Do they have a duty to behave differently if they outclass their opponents, or do we need to look at ways to structure competitions differently or to handicap teams?

Any ideas? How best can we deal with the huge range of abilities of the players we'd like to see playing competitions ?

Glen.

silver tiger · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 16

We have a real catch 22 situation here. To improve you need to play more comps but people won't play comps because they don't think they are good enough. I think you need a touch of arrogance to be a winner at anything, but I have heard a 'better' player say out loud ''why do these people bother if that's all they can do'' Rolling Eyes

Jan · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 4

Its not people being "competitive" thats an issue its plain simple "rudeness" and I have to say that I haven't personally experienced a problem from any of the most competitive players at all.

In fact the opposite from the majority of good players who I have found to be encouraging and willing to share advice, help etc. But then I do ask so maybe thats why.

Personally most of the non enjoyable games I have had have been with players who don't know the rules and then take offence when it is pointed out & players who don't like to measure and hate it when we do. Confused

Sedge · Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 7

I dont think these problems are unique to petanque on the island, indeed they are probarbly true in most other 'Pub' games. The levels of skill and dedication will always differ. Plus providing a competitive environment and adding alcohol has the potential for disaster.

Any problems we ever seem to have are technical/rule queries, but to be honest the majority of the time these are easily resolved. Less experienced players will not know all the rules, but 90% of the time one of their team mates will.

Rudeness/arrogance does happen, the only way to fight that sort of behavior is to make sure that you beat them!

Sean_p · Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 3

I agree with Glen the league struscture is very good and player participation within these leagues is also good, however the turnout for ilsand competions is verging on 'dire'. For me the reason behind this is because most believe that they are not good enough to enter. My answer is " so what?" The only way to improve your game is to play at a higher standard. Yes players who may not be good enough will keep geting beaten untill they become good enough then we will retain more class players who are willing to compete.

When i first started the game for a year or so i would go to comps and be happy if i won a game., but i enjoyed the sport enough to keep trying and getting better. The One frustrating part of the game are the players who have been playing a reasonably long time and continue to play the wrong tactics. I also agree with many of the posts that comps will improve if the higher standard of player are willing to play with the weaker. I am most certainly willing, in fact i am looking for a woman to play the mixed pairs with anyone fancy playing with me?

I promise not to be too arogant Laughing

shooter666 · Joined: 01 Apr 2008 Posts: 12

No quick solution to this one.....as Geln said we have a unique situation.

There is a gulf between the standard of the better players and the rest; this perpetuates itself as the better players practice and travel to play in better competitions while the rest tend to turn up and play.

It's not very rewarding for people to turn up and lose to the better players; and believe it or not it's no fun for the better players to win numerous games by large margins - no-one benefits from this.

The last few years has seen the better players consistently winning all the main competitions which has undoubtedly resulted in the a reduction of the number of entries. However, lets not blame them for being good - lets try and ipmrove the standard of the rest - if they want to.

The Island either needs to put in place a comprehensive cocaching strategy for both juniors and adults or accept that the better players will (usually) continue to dominate the results.

petanque-girl · Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 8 Location: iow

iam a junior and like to play all the comps.Im happy to win one game and even if i dont win i have a good day. i play at higher level to and play with people who play just on a wed night.

it annoys me that they wont go to comps because they feel its always the same people who win, also they cant be asked to go to ventnor or sandown which is a pathetic attitute to have. thing is only way their really going to improve is practice and play better people so you can learn from them and get pushed out of your boundry.

everyone has a chance! even juniors. at the iow triples my team beat 3 adult teams and nearly won the spoon.yes i know its only the spoon but we could have totally lost. showing that you dont have to be the best to get somewhere and even if its the spoon u still have won something even if its something on the raffle. my dad and grandad (harry and darren) beat sean newton and his team in the main. which shows not always top players win. though they usally do.

just wish some people would at least try do one comp or two.

paddy_wight · Joined: 08 Apr 2008 Posts: 1

Things i have enjoyed about the game in the short time I have played it... genuine encouragement from players as a newbie, appreciation of shots well played or attempted... genuine good feeling at the end of the game, amiable barracking. Bad things... players who do "think" that they are better than you, who then get beat and complain about luck!! Nit picky niggling when games going on.

Dont get me wrong I love the game and have enjoyed the petanque scene but as a poster has commented before games and alcohol dont always mix lol. Playing in the lower divisions seems to swing from one extreme to the other, it's either a cracking night with p*ss tkaing and fun and still a good game or way too serious with moans and groans and no one enjoying it.

I know that no-one goes out to lose but if you do... does it really matter, shake the hand and say thanks. Play the game for the game's sake. People will probably say that only losers say that but I think that sportsmen say it too.