Jim Bast

(USA)

Jim began playing competitive croquet in the Fall of 1981 at the Arizona Croquet Club.  Less than two months later he played in his first USCA National Championship.  Named USCA Rookie of the Year in 1982, he then competed in the USCA International Challenge Cup in 1982 and 1983 against Scotland and South Africa.  Jim became the USCA national singles and doubles champion in 1984, in American Rules.
He then turned his sights on a new goal, helping the United States efforts to be accepted into the MacRobertson Shield competition.  Fortunately, the Arizona Croquet Club fostered a strong emphasis on Association Laws croquet.

In 1985, Jim was a member of the first USCA test team to tour Great Britain; competing against Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. 

 
Jim competed in the first six Sonoma-Cutrer world championship events.  In 1991, he became the first American to reach the finals at Sonoma-Cutrer, narrowly losing to Dave Maugham.  Also, in 1991, he played for the USCA Solomon Trophy team and played in his first WCF World Championship at Hurlingham.

In 1993, Jim was named to the first United States MacRoberston Shield team.  For him this is the most meaningful moment in his croquet career, to date.  He does, however, remain quite fond of his two Arizona Open titles.

Jim essentially “retired” from croquet for nearly ten years to start a family with his wife, Cynthia, an affordable housing attorney in Austin, Texas.  Although, he did surface briefly to win the USCA Southwest Regional Championship in singles in 1997.  In late 2005, Jim and Cynthia’s children had aged sufficiently for him to begin to play again.  He has been plodding forward ever since, and enjoys the unbridled support and enthusiasm of his wife, for whose presence he feels blessed.

Jim and Cynthia reside in Austin, Texas where, sadly, there is no croquet club or lawn.  He practices on a sport court and travels to Houston to play on a regulation lawn.  Jim retired from a career in professional sports to be the stay-at-home parent; the “toughest job I ever had, and I’ve had some doozies.”  Their two daughters, Olivia (8) and Amelia (5) use the Solomon grip.

AC Playing Record