The following story was written by Leigh Hoffman, a Messiah Village resident. Leigh reflects on learning the game of croquet…

Most people have never heard of Holly Cong, PA. (It is in Bucks County near Doylestown.) It was a long way from my hometown of York and my Uncle’s parent’s farm was out in the middle of nowhere. We family visited for a weekend over July 4, 1946,  the summer when I was 14 years old.

To entertain us, my aunt got out her strange-looking croquet set and assembled the course. The yard was big and level and the wickets and posts were spread out across it. What kind of a game was this?! I knew only horseshoes and quaits  for yard games and then tennis at our local park,  but nothing else.

Well, my Aunt explained the game and  then we started to play. My Dad was up first, then my oldest brother, my uncle, aunt, and then me. To my surprise, we played all day! The last game had a prize for it. “Wow!” I thought, ”I must play well to get it!” I ended up winning that final game and my prize was a watermelon kept at the bottom of the well. My brother brought it up and it was good and cold. What a sweet relief for such a hot day!

That was my first experience with croquet and it proved to me there were many more yard games for family fun and pleasure. After I became a family man, we had croquet for our kids to play. Even after they were grown and gone, my wife and I played to see who would do the dishes. As I see it, croquet is a great family and friends game no matter what age we are!

Did you play croquet growing up? What are your memories of the game?

If you are interested in playing croquet, Messiah Village is hosting a charity tournament April 24 called Wicket on the Green. Amateurs and pros are welcome to compete! Visit www.WicketontheGreen.org for more information. To see Leigh discuss his memories of croquet please watch the video clip that aired Monday night from ABC 27’s Chuck Rhodes’ Out & About here: Out & About for Wicket on the Green