The Black Country Youth County Darts team is riding high after winning their league last season, with the squad growing from 28 to 33 players for the forthcoming season. Team manager Andy Poole told BBC Radio WM: "It's just gone from strength to strength." The team has also increased its number of female players from four to seven, a development Poole described as a blessing: "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."
The Coseley-based group, established in 2023, now boasts a female-only team as well as under-18s and under-21s sides. McKenzie Thomas, 18, captain of the female-only team, said: "It's like having a whole other family. 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, reflected on the team's improvement since his first season: "From where we came from my first season, it's a big wake-up call. We weren't the greatest team but we've really strengthened up this season." The 19-year-old, who started playing darts at four or five before giving up and rediscovering the sport at 15, added: "I haven't stopped since. I've been playing pretty much every day and it's the best thing I've ever done."
Squad captain Lacey Hughes, 17, has darts in her blood as the daughter of professional player Jamie Hughes. "Because of that I've grown up around darts my whole life," she 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." Hughes also highlighted the importance of locally manufactured kit: "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. We're just representing the Black Country through and through."
For Poole, the goal this season is a clean sweep for all teams in the group, as well as retaining last year's league win. He emphasised the importance of teamwork: "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. 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 itself is a very, very lonely place but when you've got your team behind you, you've got everything you need."
