But how do you actually play?
Croquet sets typically come with 6 mallets, 6 croquet balls, 9 wickets (metal hoops), and two stakes to accommodate up to 6 players. Usually played on a recently-mowed lawn, the playing area consists of a large rectangle, 50 by 100 feet. Arrange the nine wickets and two stakes in a diamond pattern. Each player (or team of two) is given two croquet balls and a mallet. If six players are playing use the additional ball. Each player has one shot unless their ball goes through a wicket or hits a stake, than he or she receives a bonus shot. The turn ends when the player runs out of bonus shots or hits a stake. One point is awarded for hitting the ball through each wicket and stake in the designated order. The first side to score 14 wicket points and 2 stake points with each ball is the winner.

As mild mannered as this sport may seem, croquet can be extremely competitive. Blocking the opponents’ balls and ruining their shots is fair game. For more information about backyard croquet or to learn about other variations of the game, check out the U.S. Croquet Association web site. (Source U.S. Croquet Association)

Croquet by Winslow Homer, 1864

Breakfast at Wimbledon:
This year’s singles matches between Serena Williams & Vera Zvonareva and Rafael Nadal & Tomas Berdych will be action-packed. I have always wanted to have a Breakfast at Wimbledon party, however I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination.

Here are a few of the dishes that I would serve:

• English Breakfast Tea
• Scones and jam
• Eggs Benedict
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Asparagus
• Strawberries and Cream
• Mimosas

Cheerio!

Style Snaps to the following players:

• Serena Williams: simply yummy in her Nike Strawberries and Cream tennis dress

• Venus Williams: aka Miss Tina Turner

• Maria Sharapova: my style favorite for her beautiful Nike Rose Petal dress
  

And finally if you are new to tennis, here are a few terms to keep you abreast on the matches:

• Ace: When the tennis ball is served and not touched by the receiver, usually happens in the blink of an eye

• Advantage: If a player wins the point from a deuce and requires one more point to win the game. It shows up as Ad:player on the scoreboard

• Break: When the receiving player wins a game.

• Deuce: The score is tied, 40–40

• Forced Error: If the opponent hits a challenging shot forcing the receiving player to miss the ball.

Next week, I hope to watch Venus and Rafi win this year’s championship.

With the off-season approaching, I hope the coaches check out LacrosseRecruits.com, this web site shows off the skills of some of the area’s hottest lacrosse players. This year they partnered with the ever-preppy Vineyard Vines and created the “2010 LacrosseRecruits.com Summer Circuit” T-shirt. Pink Whales and lacrosse sticks, how can you go wrong? If you are not on the tournament circuit this summer, you can buy one of these fab t-shirts at LacrosseRecruits.com.

Shirt Detail

Wonder Pup loves his Vineyard Vines LacrosseRecruits.com T

Back of the shirt

Ladies, it’s that dreaded time of year, when guys around the nation check-out to drink beer and draft their fantasy football players. This late-August ritual is precursor to an unbelievably long season of watching our guys spend the next 16 plus weeks yelling at the tv with laptops in hand, keeping tabs on their players. When they are not watching games, they spend their time reading football gossip blogs and watching college football, hoping to get the one-up for next season. The thought of all of that football makes me want to scream…and not for my favorite team (go Ravens!).

It’s just a damn shame that Project Runway doesn’t air on Sunday afternoons.

Grunting has become a growing trend for female tennis players. According to the UK’s Daily Mail, tennis star Maria Sharapova’s grunts have been recorded at 101 decibels, Monica Seles grunts at 93dB, and Serena grunts at a demure 88.9dB. For the sake of comparison, a lion roars at approximately 110 dB.

What’s next?
Will grunting spread to other sports? Girls giving mighty yawps upon striking the field hockey ball or growling as they score the winning lacrosse goal. And who said that the ladies can have all of the fun…maybe the men will start grunting too.

I love Wimbledon: the refined British accents, classic Ralph Lauren blue and white striped shirts, and cute Christy tennis towels. It makes me want to go shopping!

But in all seriousness, there is nothing better than spending an afternoon watching cute guys play tennis, especially Andy Roddick. Andy is a quintessential prep, especially dressed in his Lacoste tennis gear. And who needs a tennis pro when you can watch Venus and Serena. They are such amazing tennis players.