Steve Brown, the former professional darter and driving force behind the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC), has declared the organization as "the only legitimate pathway from a local academy to the PDC stage" amid a booming youth darts scene. In an extensive conversation with Online Darts at Hangar 61 in Bristol, Brown highlighted the dramatic changes in the sport, noting that youth players now have access to professional academies, livestreams, and a clear development pathway, a far cry from the small halls or pub back rooms of a decade ago. He emphasized the jam-packed darts calendar, stating, "It's truly incredible how busy the calendar has become. There's not really a spare weekend anymore. As long as it continues like that, it's a good thing."
Brown credited Luke Littler's sensational breakthrough for accelerating growth, saying, "What Luke has done has sped everything up massively. We were already on a strong growth path, but his success really hit the turbo." He also pointed to darts increasingly becoming part of sports clubs like cricket, football, and rugby clubs, which now open academies three or four days a week instead of one or two. However, he warned of downsides, such as parents pressuring children to become future stars, with kids comparing themselves to Littler. Brown advised, "Everyone needs to realise they're running their own race," and stressed focusing on individual development rather than others' standards.
Looking ahead, Brown expects the average age of professional darters to drop further due to a strong talent stream, predicting players might have shorter careers because "the conveyor belt of talent will be so strong." He raised concerns about the PDC's limited 128 Tour Card spots, suggesting expansion might be necessary to avoid a breakaway organization, as "in the future you could easily have 500 players who are good enough to play on TV." Brown also noted alternative routes via organizations like the World Darts Federation and Championship Darts Corporation, adding, "Now you don't necessarily have to be a top pro to make a living from darts."
Addressing competition in youth darts, Brown expressed displeasure with other parties trying to capture market share, saying, "There is definitely a bit of a grab going on underneath that, and I don't particularly like it — especially when companies try to poach academies." He highlighted the JDC's 15-year history, full-time team, and around 15 employees, but acknowledged, "We can't police what other people do." The JDC's new venue, Hangar 61 in Bristol, was found after five or six years of searching, with Brown explaining they invested heavily to turn it into a world-class facility for junior darts, featuring livestreams and media training to prepare young players like Mitchell Lawrie, whom Brown praised as "a great character" and "hugely popular with the other players."
Reflecting on his own career, Brown admitted he partly sacrificed his darts potential to build the JDC, stating, "Do I feel like I didn't fulfil my full potential on TV? Yes. Do I regret it? No." He still plays once a week but laughs about losing to people he shouldn't, though he doesn't rule out a serious return if needed. Brown concluded optimistically about the future, saying, "The talents keep coming. And the next generation of darters is going to be even better than anything we've seen so far."
