Encouraging Young Darts Players

Darts has always had the image of being an old mans game with most players having the familiar beer belly. Indeed when I first joined a darts league if you saw a 50 years old player he was considered an old man, but now it is the norm. Some years ago, one team I played for had an average age of over 55 and at 46 I was the youngest member. This is still not particularly uncommon, although I know that one or two younger teams are now starting to join the Rugeley leagues.

Even so many darts teams are struggling to survive because they are having great difficulties in recruiting new players. New players for teams tend to be players poached from their rival teams or players that have simply moved into the area. Very few teams are actually recruiting school leavers. However, there are two teams in Rugeley that have recruited one player each who are not even old enough to leave school yet. Indeed both of the players concerned have not long started “Big School!!!!” as they are only 11 years old!!!!

Dan Williams who plays for the Plough Wanderers is one of these youngsters and he already has an impressive list of achievements on the leagues records page for this season. During the Monday Leagues first half’s matches he has hit 2 X 152 starts as well as several other starts of over 100. His high scores include numerous over 120 as well as a very impressive 174. Playing for the Plough again on a Wednesday he has had a 114 start and 137 score this season even though it is a very short season compared to Monday. (See Dan's New Web-site)

The other youngster is Dan Weaver who plays for the Red Lion Brereton on a Wednesday. He is the same age as Dan Williams, but as yet does not have the same match experience and confidence although he did play a few games for the Lion last season. Having said that he hit some quite respectable scores in his doubles games when we, the Greyhound, played his team the other night and I must also point out in his favour that he was helping our maker by telling him his scores as our marker couldn’t add them up fast enough!

Most youngsters these days just seem to be into computers and all too frequently can be heard on television interviews saying that there is nothing for them to do if they go out. Perhaps more parents should teach their children traditional games and past times. I don’t know how many youngsters play card games these days at home, but I am sure pub crib teams would see an increase in members if they did. Dominoes is another traditional pub game that is struggling to survive. I am not saying that all children should be encouraged to go into pubs, but these two young lads (Williams and Weaver) have been introduced to darts by their family members and they are undoubtedly enjoying themselves. Who knows they may even make the grade and become professionals in a few years time. How many of the pro’s have you heard say that they started playing as a teenager because they played darts with their dads.