The International Player Development Squad (IPDS) helps to achieve the potential of Croquet England Associates who realistically aspire to represent Great Britain or gain a place in the AC World Team Championship through a season-long programme with coaching and mentoring. Typically, a player would spend two years in the squad, during which time they will either have gained the necessary skills and graduated to international play, or have reached their natural ceiling below that level.

Squad Objectives

• To help aspiring international players gain the skills to graduate to the GB Squad and be selected for top-flight international play.
• To provide squad members with individual goal-setting and motivation, mentoring, tactical discussions, on-lawn coaching, and guidance on which events they should be entering to maximise their experience.
• To create a collective focus on playing at the top international level.
• To arrange suitable theory, practical and email sessions to help extend the players' understanding of the more complex or subtle aspects of the game.

Selection Criteria

Each autumn, candidates will be considered on the basis of:

• An improving grade profile
• A bias towards players who have not been playing long
• Their potential to reach the top flight, rather than current playing standard.

While the AC Selectors will aim to consider all fast-improving players with low single-figure AC handicaps, it will be helpful if clubs can identify to the Selectors any rapid improver with high-level potential, which is perhaps easiest when considering nominations for the Apps and Steel Bowls, and Spiers Trophy each year. Nominations should be sent to the Chairman of AC Selectors.

Commitment Required

This is a two-year programme. Selected players will be expected to attend a training weekend and a mentored match weekend each year. In most cases, to gain maximum benefit from membership of the squad, players should expect to play at least 40 ranking AC games per season. Training days will be free of charge but players will be expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs, although Croquet England Bursaries may be applied for.

The International Performance Director (AC) leads the IPDS.