With Fives enjoying a huge surge of interest and popularity within schools all over the country and with more and more courts being brought back into use; why is it that there has been a slow but steady decline in the numbers playing the adult game over the past few years, now punctuated by an apparent collapse amongst some adult clubs.

School Fives has always run on a very fragile system. The whole popularity and success of the sport within any school has always depended on one individual member of staff who has the time, energy, and enthusiasm to run the game. As soon as this individual disappears, for whatever reason, and there is no apparent successor, then an almost instant collapse of the whole Fives set-up will result. Many Fives-playing schools have suffered from such a situation in the past. Countless schools demolished their courts as a result, whilst those schools that we know today, have all weathered their less active times.

Over the past few years the fragility of Fives within schools has been dramatically reduced, since all schools are now aware that at any time, they are able to acquire the professional services of the Rugby and Eton Fives Coaching Agency, in order to import whatever type of support they should need to ensure the smooth running of the sport from one year to the next. The need for total dependency on one individual has now been removed. At least twenty-three Fives-playing schools will be employing the services of REFCA next season. Many of these schools would not be playing at all were it not for the ability to place the management of the sport into professional hands.

Old boys/adult Fives is actually very similar to school Fives in the way it is administered. Almost without exception, Old Boys Fives clubs rely entirely on one individual to mastermind the running of that club. Take that person away, for whatever reason, and no matter how few or how many club members there may be, the club will often cease to function properly. Matches have to be arranged: finances have to be organised; teams have to be organised; and results have to be collected. Very few clubs possess key figures who have the time (but certainly do have the interest!) to run their existing club as affectivaly as they would like. Even fewer clubs possess individuals with the time and energy to forge close links with recent school leavers. The existence of contact details held by the EFA administrator for students leaving school each year is of no use unless clubs put in the time required to follow up those contacts. Too many clubs are forced to stumble on providing just enough activity for existing players, rather than to look ahead and to create the opportunities for new players. The goodwill amongst Fives players is still there. What has changed is pressures in this day and age upon our time. We have to be able to play Fives without having to put in all the time that is required to organise matches.

A solution has been found in Zurich; the Zuoz old boys have for many years now, accepted that they have time to play Fives, but not to administeir it. As a result, all matches are arranged through a diary service. The person running the diary ensures that all matches are set up properly, and all the necessary arrangements are made. The Zuoz Old Boys can enjoy reliable, well organised Fives whenever they want it.

Recently, at the Club Secretaries meeting in London, Howard Wisaman distributed details of just such a service which he has set up for use by the Fives-playing community. At a very low fee, matches can be handed over to 'Match Management', who will arrange your team well in advance, check availability of players and the opposition just before the match and ensure that all attend the right venues and at the right time. 'MM' will require your club to provide a list of existing players and contact numbers. By utilising the services of 'MM' the adult game can be run professionally on behalf of clubs who would otherwise struggle to find the necessary time to organise themselves. An increase in the number of younger adult Fives players should result.

We need to run our amateur sport in a more professional way if we are to gain full enjoyment from playing the game, and if we are to encourage a larger number of youngsters to become Fives players as adults.

M.R.F.

What's Wrong with Adult Fives by Mike Fenn (EFA Annual Report 1998-1999)
Created: 27th January 2004 by Mike Fenn
efa@etonfives.co.uk

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