Let me give you the gun needed to kill the attitude of Disrespect which is slowly killing Lawn Bowls and Lawn Bowls Clubs. As culture changes with new generations and new technology creating a society of total disrespect, so also does this disrespect affect our sport and fellow player. What we accept in daily life results in changes of our more agreeable character strength. A sincere respect for others seems to be more and more lacking; especially during game play.
First lets understand why the recent "Lost of Respect" in society has reached the point where it is acceptable for the U.S President attacks and name call individuals. A recent NY Times article suggested it will take 20 to 30 years for the US to regain the lost respect because of all the recent disrespect attacks on countries and allies. It is not acceptable.
Today, with our computers and cellphones,we are at a distance from the individual behind them. On a bus everyone is with their phones and like reading a newspaper or watching TV, it does not concern other around them. But it does, because as it is introduced into our society and daily life it also bleeds into our the sports. We see more acceptance of really bad disrespect of rules, laws and evem other individuals.
In this week World Cup Soccer play, we saw a "Red Card" was given to a player for putting his hand over his mouth. He was expelled from the game (or the next game) and could have been expelled from the complete tournament. WHY ?. Because it is ok to swear, insult and attack others, as long as you are not caught. It is ok to rob a Bank as long as you are not caught. In Lawn Bowls where we has rules (much like laws) and controlling individuals like umpires (much like Police and club executives); we accept similar disrespect which are now becoming acceptable in our daily life and in our sport.. Could say "If we are not caught", but the worst is noone is speaking up to request it be stopped or corrected..
My wife uses the computer to play Scrabble and when I saw 5 games of scrabble on her gaming website, I asked "Why 5 ?" to which she replied "I have had as many as 10 waiting to be played. She explained that sometimes she will wait several days for a player to make a move. A total disrespect to those you're playing with. I play Domino late at night and often someone of the 4 players to a game has moved and then gone off to do something else. We sit and wait for several minutes for them to come back and move. Disrespect for us waiting and for the game administrators as when the game is over and we have all left the table; those individuals are still seen sitting at the empty table 10 ro 20 minutes afterward because they are away and probably forgot they were playing or fell asleep.
Last year while coaching a Novice doing her first Novice Single Finals I was not aware that the Provincial Federation President and the Provincial Chief Umpire sitting within a few feet of this Novice Player on the mat. They were doing a loud discussion or private conversation and although both of these individuals are elite players and know to respect the rules of the game. But their lack of "Respect" for the player on the mat, a unknown novice, directly in front of them; only show that they didn't care how their "Loud conversation" affected her game and performance.They probably felt that their conversation was more important which I believe is a common change happening in society, A change, which if allowed toward to progress into our sport and toward our fellow players, will lead to the lost of membership and finally the clubs.
. In the photo (right) from "Youtube video " of the New Zealand Regional Single's Final, where are the spectators. A lot of empty seats behind the two players (Look down at the 2nd photo (below) or check out the video (of that screen capture) and you will see a really good spectator presence, but everyone is off to the left and right of game being played.
When after the game, this Novice explained her problem; I explained that although they were provincial executives and deserving of respect; she should have confronted them. How ?.. (Take her Bowls Gun and Blast them. What Bowl's Gun ? Answer - "The Mat" When a player leaves the "Mat" for a problem it draws everyone attention. Like saying "Bang, Bang look here at what is happening"). Last week a neighbouring skip yelled "Who got Shot ?" and because her voice was very loud (needlessly) and I was on the mat of the neighboring green; I stopped my delivery and also yelled "Who got Shot ?" but quite a bit louder than her. (I know it was not the solution but I get so upset). I don't remember her doing it again.. We don't needs to yell. or run after the bowl and yelling at the bowl; but such actions as stepping of the mat draws attention to the incident.
Because a player has only 2 minutes to perform their delivery and if in stepping off the mat, because of a distraction. the time limit is exceeded; the player or their coach should also expect an extension of the game time limit. (Often I now use a timer at such times) I explained to my Novice that she should always expect that the game officials and club executives will address the problem. This week at that same club, I noticed that the spectator benches were now not 2 feet by 3 meters behind the rinks.
I explained to the novice, that she should have step off the mat, turned directly to them and waited until they stop talking. Then return to the mat and did her best delivery. I explained that if the game umpire saw her standing there, it would be the responsibility of that umpire to come over and address the two individuals. Imagome. warning them that they could be requested to move or leave. Yes the Game Umpire is expected to do that But don't.
The "Mat" is the Gun to kill "Disrespect" In our game, as new members learn the rules of play; they certainly also see a total lack of respect when certain things happen by fellow players or by club members. Do you think that their opinion of our club and our sport also receives a lacking grade of respect ? Certainly with them being proud individuals I am afraid that they would seek out another sport the following year. It is the same if sitting at a table with an individual who is always using foul language (Fuck, Shit etc) and we eventually get up and move to avoid those people. Did my use of those two words caused a reaction in You; yes, so also an incident of disrespect on the green causes a reaction and opinion of our new members to our sport or club.
The rules of the game of Lawn Bowls request that the club executives and game officials (club and umpires) not allow spectators within 3 meters of the boundries of the game in play or the mat's location, and that all players respect the player who is on the mat in the middle of a performance. Even players who are on neighbouring rink, but in the Line of Delivery of a player on the neighbouring rink is expected to not move. When you are on the mat and your delivery is interrupted by something you should step of the mat and redo your Pre-Mat preparations.(check bias, decide on weight, placement of feet on the mat..etc),
Very often the skip is giving instructions to a player while they are doing their delivery. This lack of respect by skips is the same as a player having done a good delivery and moved the jack to give their team a point or two not seeing the skip gives no indication of a "Great Shot". (if not verbal then with a sign of point gained or body language)
Yesterday while travelling home I was told of an incident where the skip was talking to their players between ends of play and a player from the neighbouring rink (or green) came over to their rink and said "Would you two stop talking so much", I explained that this individual is a winter curler who bowls during the summer and expect the same rules of respect that applied in Curling to also apply in Bowls. Actually both games have this rule of Respect.
However, I believe that in the sport of "Curling' it is the club or rink administration that is addressing this problem. Probably warn the individual of removal from the club or refused membership in the following year. In Lawn Bowls the game rules expect the umpire to address this problem. However, the problem is two sided as the individuals should have notice the player was on their mat.
In another sport , Petanque, because France wants the sport of Petanque to be included as a demonstrattion sport in the next Oylmopic in Paris, they have introduced the Red, Yellow and Green cards. (Green is used for a stop timer). Maybe we will see it in Bowls... Like stepping of the Mat which everyone sees and judges the offence, so also the umpire giving a card to a player will indicate what warning applied and what had been said to the player. Often we have no idea what the umpire said to a player.
Because in this incident of a "Club Invitation Tournament"; there were a lot of newer players doing their first year of club game play and them not knowing about what is expected by experience lawn bowler. If they had been told in their coaching I am sure they may have done things differently as to not be a distraction. Also the clubs need to build this education as a part of their bowl's education.
However, the method and words of the offended player also show a lack of respect. The player probably indicated how the distraction caused a lack of concentration or focus. Competitions are meant to teach us what we are lacking and with our next practice, we can work to correct those problems. Also, that individual should have stepped off the mat and waited or looked at the offence.
As an example, this year, because I had not done competition for several years, I discovered my mind wander to sounds. a bowl pick-up device metal click behind me, a loud voice on the neighbouring green. To work on my focus during games; for two weeks in my daily and personal life, when I was interrupted I stop doing what I was doing (walking, or what ever) and re-did my thoughts. Hard to do but I had to train myself, to stop my delivery and step off the mat with a distraction. It was hard and strange to do; but it worked and the following week I did the Provincal Singles. against the best in our area and performed better then I expected.
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