What and Why a Post Novice Course

 I open my desktop computer to do a blog on why Lawn Bowls Clubs should do Post-Novice Courses and the beautiful Screen photo of my Login was Purcell Mounrains.

I know my country but never saw that view of Canada so I looked up it location. Just west of Lethbridge Alberta. I had visited Lethbridge when my sister-in-law lived there and surely saw the montains but not from the view of that photo.. Why, this subject??. That is whom I am, "Learn something new and do a bit of research to better understand it.". Each person is unique in their character and likewise has their own raison for joining the club and trying Lawn Bowls.

The Post-Novice Course must promote the unique raison why the new member of a year or two ago joined the club and  if done properly the instructor will find that the new member ends up becoming a long time club member and eventually an executive or president. Yes this Post-Novice is to help the new member make correction to their physcial performance or knowledge. It will also supply the club executive knowledge of new member's satification. If their decision and expectation were not as they thought; very likely they will not register next year.

. Maybe social structure. or maybe their interest in our sport  was like me wtth the photo(above), they just want to know "What is Lawn Bowls". Just talked with a Novice this evening and her work is extremely detailed so she joined Lawn bowls because; she said about her satification of her game, "I think of nothing when I am lawn bowling, it is so relaxing".

The first lesson of the course is always to define and layout the material to be taught or discussed and it is important to not think every new member wants to be the next Canadian Lawn Bowls champion. The Post-Novice course is to complete the teaching of the sport but each person has a different level of interest in the prefection of the game. The Post-Novice course should be a place to ask questions and learn about the sport, the club, the work of lawn bowls organization and the people whom are old club members and may have even been a Canadian Team members. If a new member finds their expectations of the sport or activities at the club were what they expected then  they will return each year; if "NOT", we have lost them to another club or another sport next spring.

Course layout - After the welcome and greeting those present, the instructor can explain the international structure of coachs and world wide Lawn Bowls organizations. The course should explain what was just written (above). A summary statement of the Course objective might be "It is hoped that after the 5 weeks of a session ever Tuesday afternoon, you have  received suggestion on where you can improve and develop in your Lawn Bowls abilities. Maybe this year maybe over the next few years. And if  you had a different expectation, maybe your suggestions will help us make our club more of the  interest to members that it should be. It should be a place you come to relax and meet friends and your  level of Lawn bowls abilities can be developed to what you wanted."

 For this reason the Post Novice course should not be a fee course but a "Question and Answer" course where members and club both learn what is needed to improve the sport and the club. Some novice will only want to improve their abilities to the point of playing club games, others, who may  have a winter sport of a similar nature, may wants the similar and common logic and strategy of both sports. But the instructor should make it clear that no one is expected to want to become an world class champion or an elite player. Each has their own expectation of the club and the executives. But we will always find in the new member, those who develop their love of the sport and eventually become more caught up in their performance. It is the members who build and save the future of the club and it is the new members who has to define to the club where to grow."

Why a Post Novice course - The Club coach normally, who is teaching new members is doing an introduction to the game and although attempting to not introduce mistakes into their performance; there will always be disappointment and dissatification by new members to learn fast enough. These evaluation of the club can only lead to the new member not returning the following year. It is the time to listen and act. Yes, maybe slowly but they must have hope in the club.

 But there is always a problem at all sport clubs where new members do not return the following year. It is to capture and hold as many as possible while they are with us. Maybe, some older members have to accept a place for these new members. All clubs have a problem with having enough coaches or them having the with time needed to teaching and still look to the needs of Novices. A lot of clubs don't do Post-Novice courses. That is why I think this blog is important to define what should be offered to Novice who after a few years of practice and games, still wants to improve their performance. As we welcome change we also guild a future for the club. Every year, like in many sport clubs we see after the members have gone so also goes the club..

Bowl given to a scotish player (in photo)
 was found in P.E.I. (with his great-grand son)

In the March 2013 blog on the Diary of the "1906 British Tour of Canada"  which was re-published by me in August 2024; the players and their families who came to Canada in the summer of 1906, visited a  Lawn Bowls Club in Valleyfield Que. (just outside of Montreal); But today this club does not exist. The following Diary extract from the Archive.org  gives a description of that Lawn Bowls club they visited; a club that was build for the  Valleyfield Cotton Co  employees  ( extract Page 89 of the Diary) 

"The clubhouse contains a library, six billiard tables, and a skating rink, in addition to the bowling green. The Britishers were not only very well pleased, but somewhat astonished at its commodious and well- furnished appearance."

Yes, This club is gone. Build for the 3000 employees of a small cotton mill town (Valleyfield) in a town of maybe only 10,000 residence (1906) at the companies expense.  So many great clubs like this are of the past and even today Lawn Bowls all over the world fight to stay strong and not be added to the long list of Clubs which have been lost. 

Many the long time members of lost clubs, like myself, are still doing competition at a new and different club. My old club in New Brunswick (Photo right), I believe was destroyed to build a 2nd skating/ Hockey rink when membership dropped below 20 members. Our club and green was just across the street from the Riverview arena. 

We get those new members and if we don't work to keep them their departure means the lost of our club too. Yes some members who only want a Lawn Bowls service and we hear them say " I pay to play and that is all I want to do"; are still important to the future of the sport and our present clubs.

Course Layout - A five session course of 2 to 3 hours with a week seperation to allow the participants to practice and try what was taught. Nothing is going to be perfected in the month and half course but it says to the Novices that we are interested in their opinion and progress. The course is more than a "Do it this way" course but if instructor shows a sincere interest most likely the participants will be back the following year. If the club has a Level 3  Coach, teaching techniques and correction for those wanting to begin competitions; even better.

 Also the instructeur should know that their role is not to perfect the coaching of the first year coaching but also to accept some new members will never go father than draw bowling at the club or interclub games.  There are members for the fun and if one day a Level 3 Coach give a detail course on competition play and these members show that they are not interested; all is good.

Day 1 - Introduction to the 5 basic sessions.  To expand on the Beginning Course and maybe help correct some errors which were not addressed. The beginning course was to teach enough to get the new member into playing and having fun.This first session should mention a lot of unknown facts which draw the interest of the Novice. What is Walking the mat, What is tricks to put on extra weight. What was that competiton that was played last summer between several countries. More a evening of "What did you always wanted to know but did not know it could be taugth. We don't know what we don"t know so we don' t ask.

Day2 3, and Day 4-with each day, will be covering in detail one of the three basic knowledges of  which has an influences on the Lawn Bowl Performance. First Day is the Novice's  Performance and Variables like Getting Weight, or Line when the jack has just been moved. Various tricks like "Finger Line", a seldom seen tricks which help recover fast and save a wasted bowl of gussing. All little tricks learned or seen over the years which will help a Novice improve their Physical Performance, 

   Day 2 (being developed) is on the Conditions of play like Rain and Wind and even how to know if the green speed has changed. A blog on a Montreal Lawn Bowl Club showed that in early spring the green speed had changed three times in only four ends because of the end of day temperature change. ( Photo below or See how once can measure changing green speed in blog My Tina Meter on Changing Green speeds)   the effect on the game from the equipment like your bowls, the greens conditions, the conditions of play and even the rules.

Lawn Bowl Club on Waterfront

This year World Bowls is introducing three 3 jack positions and 3 Mat positions for the Commonwealth Games in 2028;  how it will change bowls at a club level.  Or what difference does changing your bowls make with bias, bowls size, bowl weight to a Performance..

 And Day 3 -  Questions and knowledgeable answers. Like "I was told, that I should take a mark on the green for my line because the back board is far away" or "Should I change bowls because the Bias does not do for me what I want?"  I wss surprise to hear a fellow competition player who had been at the Canadian Nationals several times tell a visitor that the "Bowls have a weight inside which make them fall to one side"

All the 5 days should have been structure with 10 minutes instruction, 10 minute practice or correction of a fault and 10 minute rest and discussion. (all new players shold be taught that too long a practice in to good and destroys what could have been learned The fifth day should be a Look at the future and example of what quality coaching (level 3 and Level 4 (Competition Coach) even sport psychology and problems like fears or stress or selftalk. Not to teach it but to let the particants know that level of development is there in the future if they decide to become the next club Top Player..

 The firth session which is a summary and  some correvtion of material missed in the other four days; it should be structure for.Question like "What is the best bowl for a lead" or "What strategy is used in Singles ?" should have instructive videos to teach how some of the greats play or answer those questionsé The instructor must understand that each course participant is not going to go to the same level of development. Some will learn about the problem but not make any change, other will attempt to make corrections but will always be asking advice and other participants will make a plan and decide certain traits of their performance will be what they work on for improvement.