The Sons of Beaches' - Team for life flow chart
The only team you will ever have to join.
The heavy arrows represents the logical flow from team to team as the member ages.
The thin arrows represents other occasional possibilities.
We have a place for all skill level & ball budget
A member must be in his 50th year or older to join and there is no upper limit. Which team he plays on will depend upon his age, skill level, personal desire and Club needs. The SoB program gives the member plenty of ball opportunity with a wide area of skill level to choose from. You can choose from economical local tournaments to combining your holidays with ball and exotic travel.
Some players may elect to play on more than one team and we will customize a package to fit your schedule and comfort level, leaving room to experiment or grow into other areas.
General Guideline for choosing a Tournament Team
Older players can play down. A 60s player may be called upon to help out a 50s or 55 team. However, due to the age barrier a 50s player can not help out a 60s or 55 team.
When possible, we like the 55 team to have the stronger players as opposed to only meeting the required 55+ yr minimum age. This is to enable our players to be successful in competing with what is out there. It is a false impression to believe 55 tournament ball is a slower or an easier game than 50 ball (in league it is). Until the 55 teams are rated by the organizations (SPN & SPO), most teams are filled with hand pick players. At present, this is a tough area to compete in. There is no way (other than experience) to find true Rec ball at this level.
If you are 55+ yr and an average player, it may be more fun to stay with the 50 Rec team. The 50s division are rated (50E, 50I, 50Compt) and this rating allows a better chance to have fairer competition.
The 50 and 60 Intermediate teams are for those who want a stiffer challenge and you must be a more competitive skilled player to have fun on these teams. Some players who have the ball ability to play on these teams choose to play in the Rec division anyway. These fellows may be nursing an injury or often it is the case that they have been high adrenalin players all their lives, but now that they are older wish to enjoy a more relaxed pace and choose the less stressful 50 Rec games.
If you are not comfortable on the team you have chosen, you can always change to another. The uniforms are all the same and it is easy to go from this weekend's team to another for the following weekend. We are one and at the same time, many teams.
More Ball Opportunities: Later on as the need arises we will form 65 or 70s teams and even now this group plays some 70s exhibition games against our associated London group. League ball is slower than tournament and our Sunday league team is open to all 55+ members. We also have free practice nights each Tuesday open to everyone; invite your friends!
Regardless of your personal ball skill level or the division you play in – all Beaches are equal in status and membership without a class distinction. We collectively enjoy the mutual benefits the club has to offer through our strength in numbers, such as social gatherings, fund raising events and other non-ball activities. We work together as a team on and off the field and we stick together as a family who support each other. Join and grow with the group and never leave. A Beach is a Beach - is a Beach forever!