The Monday meeting of the South Otago Darts Association (SODA) is a busy night at Balclutha RSA, as up to 50 club members take their shots at additional dart boards recently installed to accommodate growing attendance.
At the sharp end of the SODA squad is Jade Maber, who took up darts just 18 months ago and went on to claim a national junior pairs title last year.
The 17-year-old was introduced to the sport by her grandmother Ruth Maber, who said she had ‘‘a bit of a knack".
"I don’t think too hard about what I’m doing," Jade said.
‘‘It just flows naturally.”
Her first national success came within months of starting and she is presently training to compete at a major youth tournament in Auckland in June.
"The only way you’re going to promote the sport is to get these youngsters playing,” SODA games controller Kevin Grinton said.
SODA is part of a wide network of darts associations across Otago, Southland and beyond, with representative tournament and trophy events offering a crowded calendar.
Many of the newer faces have been introduced through family connections, with parents and grandparents encouraging participation and bringing friends along.
While the core of the club remains experienced players, the deliberate push to bring in younger members is showing results and fundraising is under way to support junior players travelling to national events.
