"Two is a couple, Three is a crowd" Lawn Bowls is a "Crowd's" Game
My thoughts are about my first time playing in a "Four" tournament. The excitement as a "Fours Team member, standing there behind the jack, as we watch the great recovery shot or Point draw of our skip on the mat.
"Are we suppose to be here ?" I remember asking, as I stood in the "T" formation behind the head. Like some football defensive formation, the opponents players, behind us, forming a straight line, as they each hide one behind the other.
It is not until my first "Fours Competition that I experienced this great team spirit, of standing together in the head and the excitement when we all burst into one roar of approval following the great shot of our skip..
In triples play, often the Second or Mate must stay at the mat with the Lead as support or be in the head with the Skip as they decide on the best strategy for winning this game. There is much a new player wants to learn as they venture into tournament play, and "Fours Play" never leaves a team member alone.
Either with your fellow player forming the "Lead" Section or the Mate has come to the mat to bring instructions from the skip on the games changes. Or standing as a team behind the head. Communication was always a team thing. Never a skip/mate in the head thing which excluded the lead. Skip's leadership and ability of play requires keeping the team together and at it peak.
I remember travelling hundreds of miles to watch our Provincial "Four" team play in the Nationals. I was excited to see them do well. But when a good shot was done, I noticed one player, who was a last minute replacement for the team; standing alone as the remaining three players gave "High Five". I later heard this same player say at his club, that he would never go back to the Nationals. It was too expensive and not an enjoyable experience. "Fours must be a Team experience"
In Club play, "Fours" are seldom played, but a "fours" game is the best place to educate the new player. Coaching of new players should not be during club play but in actual coaching sessions. But explaining the do and don't of play must be taught on the green, where people can make mistakes and learn..
"Don't move in the Head", can often be heard during a "Fours game. In club play, the skip or mate are usually the only players seen in the head, and many a "New Bowls players" has been told they should be on the bank behind the green.
As a new Bowls member develops knowledge of the game from coaching sessions, the actual experience of play and explanations of decisions best build their ability to advance toward becoming a knowledge player. Most of what I know of playing lead in Triples and Pairs came from "Fours"
"Know your opponents preference". What if left to bowl forehand or backhand do they prefer? What are their strengths ? Everyone has a different forehand/backhand natural distance. How does the "Natural Distance of Leads" compare ? How does the opponent "put-on weight" or "Take-off weight? Does a frontal bowl cause a fear of raising the opponents Bowl ?
"Know the opponent team strength" It is great when a skip ask only that your bowl to the jack. But does their skip overpower your skip's ability to draw ? Does a Runner exist in the opponents bag of tricks? Does the opponent prefer using one side of approach other than the other? Sometime in a game teams will go up and down the green on, the same side because of the play conditions. Does your skip close the short side? or the Wide side. Does your opponent "Balance their Head"
"Are the opponents, or your team, "Fair weather" Players ? When the cross wind adds on or takes off the draw line, do they know or waste a bowl finding the line? When the mat position is changed by a meter or more, does you opponent adjust quickly? Does your team adjust quickly ?.
No these are not concerns for the "Lead" and "Second" but these are learned aspects of "Fours" which the Front end players discuss. (As does the Skip end players do)
One last event, not intended to rundown anyone, but show the team spirit and values are important.
When I was living in Quebec in the beginning 21th century, I had the honor to bowl in the Governor-Generals. "Fours" inter-province Competition. Each Province qualifies their team by Roll-off and the final day competition is a big thing. with meals, band openings, and a annual trophy. It develops friendships from neighbour provinces and sportsmanship is keen.
Playing on this competition at our club, we were stealing the game. First the total points of the day is the method of tournament win calculation, and we had won the morning game with a two team effort and a wide point margin. As the afternoon game came to a close, the opponents had taken few end and points. The win was certain as neither of the two "four" opponent teams had a sufficient lead to win their game.
We had given up a head or two, with a few points, sort of a sportsmanship thing; and as the last end finished we had the second and third point. For some unknown reason, our skip could not accept them taking the last end, even if the points had no effect on the game or the days' competition. His killer runner crashed the head as his last bowl was played. It was hard to look the opponents in the eyes after the skip action which could be seen more as an insult. Clearly his wanting to show them and rubbed their nose in their team's weakness.
The skip action was not his decision alone. It reflected on us all, as a team, It lack of sportsmanship, only showed our province in a bad light. He was so much of "himself" and his Runner ability he show a lack of respect for us, his team. Although he was a great bowler and skip, I never wanted to play for his team again.
Today, as I prepare, in coaching, a skip who will go to the2013 nationals; I want his experience to be great. He, has experienced similar lack of sportsmanship last year at our inter-provincial "Atlantics" and I know he is bigger than that. Because our province does not play more than one or two tournaments of "Fours" a year; this experience can not be learned on the greens.
 |
| High Park Lawn Bowling - Monogallery.ca |
"Are we suppose to be here ?" I remember asking, as I stood in the "T" formation behind the head. Like some football defensive formation, the opponents players, behind us, forming a straight line, as they each hide one behind the other.
It is not until my first "Fours Competition that I experienced this great team spirit, of standing together in the head and the excitement when we all burst into one roar of approval following the great shot of our skip..
In triples play, often the Second or Mate must stay at the mat with the Lead as support or be in the head with the Skip as they decide on the best strategy for winning this game. There is much a new player wants to learn as they venture into tournament play, and "Fours Play" never leaves a team member alone.
Either with your fellow player forming the "Lead" Section or the Mate has come to the mat to bring instructions from the skip on the games changes. Or standing as a team behind the head. Communication was always a team thing. Never a skip/mate in the head thing which excluded the lead. Skip's leadership and ability of play requires keeping the team together and at it peak.
 |
| ADF lawn bowls fours team of SQNLDR at the Arafura Games |
I remember travelling hundreds of miles to watch our Provincial "Four" team play in the Nationals. I was excited to see them do well. But when a good shot was done, I noticed one player, who was a last minute replacement for the team; standing alone as the remaining three players gave "High Five". I later heard this same player say at his club, that he would never go back to the Nationals. It was too expensive and not an enjoyable experience. "Fours must be a Team experience"
In Club play, "Fours" are seldom played, but a "fours" game is the best place to educate the new player. Coaching of new players should not be during club play but in actual coaching sessions. But explaining the do and don't of play must be taught on the green, where people can make mistakes and learn..
"Don't move in the Head", can often be heard during a "Fours game. In club play, the skip or mate are usually the only players seen in the head, and many a "New Bowls players" has been told they should be on the bank behind the green.
As a new Bowls member develops knowledge of the game from coaching sessions, the actual experience of play and explanations of decisions best build their ability to advance toward becoming a knowledge player. Most of what I know of playing lead in Triples and Pairs came from "Fours"
 |
| 2012 Governor Generals Finals Kingston LBC Facebook |
"Know your opponents preference". What if left to bowl forehand or backhand do they prefer? What are their strengths ? Everyone has a different forehand/backhand natural distance. How does the "Natural Distance of Leads" compare ? How does the opponent "put-on weight" or "Take-off weight? Does a frontal bowl cause a fear of raising the opponents Bowl ?
"Know the opponent team strength" It is great when a skip ask only that your bowl to the jack. But does their skip overpower your skip's ability to draw ? Does a Runner exist in the opponents bag of tricks? Does the opponent prefer using one side of approach other than the other? Sometime in a game teams will go up and down the green on, the same side because of the play conditions. Does your skip close the short side? or the Wide side. Does your opponent "Balance their Head"
"Are the opponents, or your team, "Fair weather" Players ? When the cross wind adds on or takes off the draw line, do they know or waste a bowl finding the line? When the mat position is changed by a meter or more, does you opponent adjust quickly? Does your team adjust quickly ?.
No these are not concerns for the "Lead" and "Second" but these are learned aspects of "Fours" which the Front end players discuss. (As does the Skip end players do)
One last event, not intended to rundown anyone, but show the team spirit and values are important.
When I was living in Quebec in the beginning 21th century, I had the honor to bowl in the Governor-Generals. "Fours" inter-province Competition. Each Province qualifies their team by Roll-off and the final day competition is a big thing. with meals, band openings, and a annual trophy. It develops friendships from neighbour provinces and sportsmanship is keen.
 |
| Quebec's Women G-G's 2012 Team |
We had given up a head or two, with a few points, sort of a sportsmanship thing; and as the last end finished we had the second and third point. For some unknown reason, our skip could not accept them taking the last end, even if the points had no effect on the game or the days' competition. His killer runner crashed the head as his last bowl was played. It was hard to look the opponents in the eyes after the skip action which could be seen more as an insult. Clearly his wanting to show them and rubbed their nose in their team's weakness.
 |
| 2012 Quebec Men G-G's Team |
The skip action was not his decision alone. It reflected on us all, as a team, It lack of sportsmanship, only showed our province in a bad light. He was so much of "himself" and his Runner ability he show a lack of respect for us, his team. Although he was a great bowler and skip, I never wanted to play for his team again.
Today, as I prepare, in coaching, a skip who will go to the2013 nationals; I want his experience to be great. He, has experienced similar lack of sportsmanship last year at our inter-provincial "Atlantics" and I know he is bigger than that. Because our province does not play more than one or two tournaments of "Fours" a year; this experience can not be learned on the greens.
No comments:
Post a Comment