This is so true. "Cliquey" is a thing that happens exactly because a group of people are being super friendly with one another, and for whatever reason someone else perceives themselves as being on the outside of that.
It's exactly the "super friendly" feeling juggling clubs have that makes it easy to unwittingly ignore newcomers, because it's so easy for non-newcomers to pass with regulars or drink tea with their friends!
But in fact people who show up that are beginners really do often feel on the outside of that super friendly environment, particularly if they are demographically unlike the existing crowd or if they aren't crazy outgoing people who just make friends with strangers the whole time for the hell of it. It's all very well if the committee or the one designated person spends a good amount of time teaching the newcomers, but they're still going to feel like a burden in general if nobody else makes an effort.
This is why post-club drinks, or during-club tea and biscuit breaks, are such a good thing. All the folks who are passing or training seven balls in the corner can stop it and make small talk about jobs or kids or beer or holidays for a bit, and help make "welcome" into a verb.
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Post by emilyw
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