League-winning youth darts team 'like another family'

After winning their league last season, the Black Country Youth County Darts team is riding high.

"It's just gone from strength to strength," team manager Andy Poole told BBC Radio WM.

Last season, the team had 28 players but has since grown to 33 for the forthcoming season, as well as increasing its number of female players from four to seven.

"One of the most difficult things in darts is getting the ladies playing, so we're very blessed to be going into this season with seven," Poole said.

As well as the overall team, the Coseley-based group, which was established in 2023, has a female-only team, as well as under-18s and under-21s teams.

"It's like having a whole other family," said 18-year-old McKenzie Thomas, captain of the female-only team.

"You have all your support behind you. It's really nice because you might not have the confidence but it grows, it makes you grow a lot better."

Alfie Corbett, the under-21s captain, said the team had improved since his first season.

"From where we came from my first season, it's a big wake-up call," the 19-year-old said.

"We weren't the greatest team but we've really strengthened up this season."

Corbett started playing darts when he was about four or five before giving up and rediscovering the sport again at 15.

"I haven't stopped since," he said. "I've been playing pretty much every day and it's the best thing I've ever done."

Lacey Hughes, squad captain, also had an early introduction to the sport, which runs in her blood, as her father is professional darts player Jamie Hughes.

"Because of that I've grown up around darts my whole life," the 17-year-old said.

"I've travelled around with him on the circuit, I've had the chance to meet a lot of young players, and he inspired me to start playing darts because I wanted to be like my dad but I didn't want to be the same as my dad, I wanted to be my own person."

Kit is manufactured locally, which is important to Hughes.

"It's keeping the culture of the Black Country - we're born-and-bred Black Country and we'll continue to be that through community," she said.

"We're just representing the Black Country through and through."

For Poole, the goal this season is a clean sweep for all of the teams in the group, as well as retaining last year's league win.

Teamwork is the important factor in this.

"One of the biggest changes we've seen over the last few seasons is when they started, they were a group of very, very good darts players but they were all individuals," Poole said.

"And over the last season especially, they've all come together as one team and you can see the change in the game because they've all got each other's back and they've done absolutely exceptional to support each other.

"The oche [the throw line] itself is a very, very lonely place but when you've got your team behind you, you've got everything you need."

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