Sacerdote said that if a court were installed in the middle of Harvard Stadium during the spring, Harvard could host the national championships in the future.
"There's something the school has , Sacerdote and Soler were joined this weekend by team coach Richard L. Brackett. Brackett, an entrepreneur who is also the USCA treasurer, travels from his home in New York City to join the team for matches. In addition to the national tournament, the team has a match against Yale in November during the weekend of The Game. "Strategy is a giant part of match play, and coaches are an integral part of that," Sacerdote said. Much of the tournament was played in pouring rain which made the croquet court much slower, Sacerdote and Soler said. "Like in golf, we play in all conditions except for lightning," Sacerdote said. Last year, the team finished fourth in the tournament, even though it defeated the eventual championship team from George town. Sacerdote, an Eliot House resident, said that many students have many misconceptions about croquet. "Croquet is a cool sport--it's half chess, half pool, half golf," he said. "Despite it's old-boy connotations, croquet is an enduring pastime which, with new technology, has become more exciting, both to play and watch." Sacerdote said today's competitive croquet players have mallets with graphite shafts and high-tech grips, and wear special shoes designed for lawn sports. The co-ed team has six members, but Sacerdote and Soler were the only Harvard players at this year's tournament.