New Bowl Season Attitude

Unless you travel south (or north) of the equator for of-season bowls, your Bowl Season starts in the spring and finishes in late summer. An earlier blog "Catch up Bowls" showed a canadian bowler,  Clark, who each year goes to Portugal for his winter bowls

Vilamoura LBC  in Vilamoura

 Some of us are able to bowl all year because of the available indoor facilities. Others of us play a similar sport which keeps us physically fit. 

The Canadian sport, of Curling, which is Canadian  Lawn   Bowls on ice, has the all same delivery movement as a good Bowls Delivery.   However, the jack distance, or house rings, are always at the same distance (of a short jack of 21 meters). Myself, I play the French game of Petanque which is also different.

As the local clubs “Bowls” season’s opening date approaches, we began searching the net for articles or major competition of  Lawn Bowls.  Today, while searching for 

The scores of the 2017 Blind Bolds Champioship in South Africa, I noticed a large readership of the blog "Preparing for the new season "

There is a big difference from day to day stats as seen by the stats below, however I don`t think Russia is beginning to start Lawn Bowls; probably simple a heavy search.

The interest in the pre-season blog explains why  I decided on this blog which reflects on your attitude to the club and the sport as part of your preparation for the new season of Bowls.

 My years as a coach are passed but I have discovered that after the clubs' Coaching Clinics for new members, there is always a lack of support to bowlers interested in advancing to a level of competitions. For this reason, this year I will develop and promote a Friday night Skills Evening event.

However your activities in Lawn Bowls should always be more than a physical preparation; and I suggest you prepare a new attitude for the coming Lawn Bowls season.
 Always there are members who will only pay their club subscription fee and only be involved in the club activities. Maybe they feel that they have purchased the right to play as a member.That is ok.  We need membership fee and we must remember that not everyone will develop their skills to the level of local, provincial or national competition. These "Pay-to=Play" members eventually will become the social member whom we seem to only once or twice a year on the greens for a major  social activities.

Maybe during the off-season your club has had a get-to-gether activities for these “Players”.  But with the new Bowls season, as new members are welcome to the club; we  long time members should evaluate our involvement in both Lawn Bowls and our club’s development. 

Update Stats Next Day after Blog

 (Update March 30 ) As the new season begans, I wonder if I should continue blogging or slack off a bit. Yesterday, I did this blog and now today I see 22 readers from my twitter announcement.  Guess the blogs are appreciated.  

Each of these new members need a mentor and I remember my first year at the club and how Jim and Mo made me feel welcome.They sat on the clubhouse porch and chatted about the years past when they won medals after medals.  No, I am not suggesting to pull up a chair, but every year a club will  lose members and your attitude and support with all members may keep a member from leaving.

Why did a member or group of members leave the club?  Did they suggest at the end of last season some problems which lead to this decision.  This evaluation, your support to the club; should be a major thought  as we see the  lower registration numbers.  Talk to these  previous members and make a decision to try to fix that problem.

Lawn Bowls has never been of  a major public interest unless you live in one of the three major Lawn Bowls countries. (Australia, Great Britain and South Africa) where year-round televised games of Bowls, draw a large audiences from the couch to the green.

 However, your decision and planning in preparation for the new season should answer the question “What am I going to do to develop and secure the future of my club and sport of Lawn Bowls this year?”.