Bowls Masters Remember

Yesterday, Sept 23, 2015 a great name in Sports has passed at the age of 90.

A Name and Player who made his Sport

and this is the apporiate time to speak about our older Members and champions who have given so much to us, our club and our sport
 Does your club have spectators who are long time members and have reached an age while health and physical ability does not permit them to bowl.  Yes, every club has a few, who are at every competition or Local Social Game.

Last year I was playing in the city's Recreation Centre which had a Boxing Club training. Yes we were all watching as we waited for the announcement of teams.  A tall gentleman passed me and as he walked through the door of the noisy Boxing Club, everything went quite.
For  a few minutes all you heard was the Boxers in the Ring with the Punch and Footwork sounds. Then a voice was heard to say, "Fellow Club Members, we are honored to have with us tonight, the Quebec Lightweight Champion, MR.(name) "

In Blind Lawn Bowls or Visually Impaired Bowls, we find a lot of older bowlers and coaches giving their time to help these special need players to enjoy an evening on the green.  Sometimes, they even take a Coaching (assistance or helper) role and travel to National and International Competitions.

Since a Visually Impaired Bowler does not have visual understanding of the Lawn Bowl's Head these coaches or assistance often are able to offer their years of experience in Competition to improve the play and decision of their bowler.

Recently, we have seen the use of Bowl Pushers which help older bowlers to get the bowl on it way without a lot of bending. Yes, Bowls is a young man sport when it comes to Competitions which last for several days and 18 ends two or three game a day. 

But anything that a club does to encourage the previous generation of champions to participate is good for the sport.  When I started bowls, a older gentleman took me under his wings and give me the love of the sport which he had.  Today at 70, I offer my advice to younger more capable bowlers.  Does your club have a place for older members ?  No I am not talking a Social application.  They loved bowls and would love to be active even if just on special holiday social games.

A few years back our club offered Duel Player Games.  When the walking up and down the green is the hardest part of the game for Senior Bowlers, a Duel Player stays at his end of the green during half of the game.  At the other end of the green is another partner who bowls his bowls back for him. These two bowlers act as a singular bowler and only walk up the green to change ends at the mid-point of the game.  (14 end game at 7th end).   The last bowler I helped at this was a founding member of the club who has almost lost his sight and was at the club for a club event.  His family got involved and before the 4th end I was no longer needed.  

There are many ways to involve our older members.  If your heart is in wanting to involve them you will find a way.  As our great Yogi Berra said as one of his "Yogi-isms" "It ain't over until its over". 

Even if you are asking advice of an old National or International Competition Lawn bowler who is no longer bowls, you will show your appreciation for all he has done for your sport.  Be more than a taker of Club services... Be a builder