Sunday 4th was the culmination of 6 months of monthly melees and it was damn close run thing. On the day only one person won all 3 games but a 3rd place secured the win for Jane. The trophy will be engraved and presented at a future date. It stays in the clubhouse and anyone can see all the previous winners’ names engraved on the base.
But over the 6 month season 48 players took part in the monthly melee and the cumulative table is below. 10 people didn’t trouble the scorers and the overall winner was not determined until the final boule was thrown on Sunday.
Players new to pétanque probably won’t know about regional events but every 2 weeks in winter there is the opportunity to play competitive pétanque in Yorkshire. These generally take place on Sundays at clubs around the region and attract players from all over Yorkshire plus a few from other regions such as North West or the Midlands. You don’t have to be a Yorkshire member or a Pétanque England member.
Competitive means that the players take it more seriously and take more time than a social game at Huddersfield. They know the rules and play to them. Teams study the game situation more closely and consider all options before deciding on the right shot to play and can display high skill levels. You can play against relative beginners who are trying it out or against players who have played for Yorkshire (Huddersfield has had 5 members who have done this) and occasionally players who are or have been England Internationals.
These are full day events with usually 5 rounds. They are all a snake format where each team plays 5 of the other teams. They start at 0945 and end about 1600. Throw in a 2 hour drive each way to a distant venue such as Bridlington and it makes for a long day. Each event has between 12 and 30 teams battling it out.
But a dedicated group of players goes to these events and has a great time. They take their own chairs, lunch and flasks of coffee and full cold/wet weather gear so they’re ready for anything to play the game they love. There are no fixed teams – players mix and match according to who’s available. Friendships are made and players improve faster in this hothouse environment. Complete beginners find it hard to start with but if you persevere eventually you find your feet and start winning a game or two.
In Winter 2022/23 we are halfway through the season with 6 winter Pairs completed and 6 more to come in the second half of the winter. 14 Huddersfield players have taken part this autumn and nearly 100 players are listed in the results table on Yorkshire Pétanque website. Here’s the top 10 in the league table at the end of 2022.
The next event near us is at Mirfield on Sunday 29th January. If you want to watch play will start just before 10 am. If you want to enter ask a committee member for advice. It’s £10 a pair. Here’s the rest of the calendar.
As 2022 draws to a close and the results of the club members final melee is established we are now able to calculate the final scores for the Champion of Champions award.
For our newer members and indeed some of our longer standing players who may not already be aware of the rules and conditions of this challenge this year it comprises five events played throughout the year:-
Club Singles
Club Pairs
Club Triples
1st 6 month Melee
2nd 6 month Melee
The results of which generate points as follows:-
1st place scores 7 points
2nd place scores 5points
3rd place scores 3 points
4th place scores 2 points
5th place scores 1 point
This years winner will be presented with the trophy engraved with their name once the results have been checked and verified.
Brendan & Paul attended a day long coaching course in November. It involved pre-course reading and online revision beforehand and on the day there was a presentation from the chair of the PE coaching commission plus a written exam on the rules of the game, an observation of two novice players analysing their faults, a practical demonstration of the main petanque techniques and a communications test. Both passed all elements and after a DBS check to look at safeguarding issues which is underway they should become an accredited Club Coach very soon. This is the lowest of 4 levels of coaching award and teaches the primary elements in playing Petanque and its playing rules to newcomers to the sport and improves the skills and performance of intermediate-level club players.
The Petanque England coaching licence is an ID card that can be used when working with schools or vulnerable adults. The licence, which is only issued after DBS checking has been completed, is valid for three years and includes the coach`s membership number, their photo and their DBS clearance certificate number and expiry date.
Club coaches are expected to deliver training/coaching a minimum of 3 times a year (once at their own club and 2 other clubs) to retain this status. Both Brendan and Paul are looking forward to helping HPC in the future.
This afternoon was well organised and well attended for a cold November afternoon. No-one won all 3 games which is unusual but it meant that after 2 rounds many teams were in with a chance of winning. The winning score of 2 wins and +13 points is low but shows that if you keep playing hard you could win a prize.
Huddersfield Pétanque 