Williamstown resident Valerie Haseloff has been awarded the Victorian Croquet Association’s first-ever life membership. 85259 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By ALESHA CAPONE
PEG out, peel and pioneer are all familiar terms for Williamstown croquet devotee Valerie Haseloff.
Ms Haseloff said she received a “delightful surprise” when the Victorian Croquet Association awarded her with its first-ever life membership last week.
The Cairnlea-based association is celebrating its 98th anniversary this year.
Ms Haseloff spent six years was as Croquet Victoria president and was instrumental in moving the club’s headquarters from Brighton to the West.
She first played croquet while on honeymoon, but decided to take up the sport when she retired 15 years ago.
“I like teaching beginners and the friendships you form from going through different clubs and tournaments and I love the challenge of the game,” Ms Haseloff said.
Ms Haseloff said overseeing Croquet Victoria’s move to its 12-court home in Cairnlea was one of her croquet career highlights.
“I was also very excited when I first played gateball in Japan for Australia,” she said.
Gateball is an Asian sport involving the use of mallets and two teams of five players.
In addition, Ms Haseloff said she enjoyed becoming a croquet referee during her first year of playing the sport.
The sprightly grandmother said her love for croquet might even be carried on by future generations of her family.
“I have a five-year-old grandson who asks for a croquet lesson whenever he comes over and I have high hopes for him,” she said.
Ms Haseloff, a resident at The Village Williamstown, will soon be able to play croquet in her own backyard.
“Our green is being resurfaced in early 2013 as part of a village refurbishment, so I’m really looking forward to getting out on the new court with some friends and organising some competitions,” she said.
