Dunstable Youth Bowling Club @ BTBA South of England Championships
23rd + 24th January
(I didn’t take any pictures but if anyone from the club wants any pictures added please let me know)
What a weekend! 2 days of non-stop coaching at the BTBA South of England Championships.
I don’t think many of us were to enthusiastic on an 8am roll-off on Saturday and/or Sunday but despite that there was a great atmosphere.
My Saturday and Sunday mornings coaching in the singles and doubles were remarkably similar. I helped as many as I could but found myself mainly coaching two children who have only bowled for roughly 5/6 months. I don’t think either had ever bowled more than 4/5 games so to maintain concentration and put in a great effort for a whole day of 9 games was brilliant to see! Despite the nerves and the inexperience, they both bowled very well!
(For non bowlers reading this I’ll simply put that there are a range of different oil conditions bowlers face - think of it as putting in golf when each hole has a different challenges with gradient/speed/putter technique etc). The lane conditions were tough and caught a lot of the experiences bowlers by surprise. Because of the oil pattern there was a lot misses to the right and even when bowlers managed to hit the pocket it seemed like the corner pins wouldn’t budge because of the angle. In a whole weekend; I didn’t see many bowlers consistently put in a string of strikes and even sparing was significantly tougher. Dunstable YBC had some great performances but some struggled. Bowling is a tough technical game of tough grit, constant concentration and determination and this weekend was certainly proof of that. If you didn’t bowl as well as you hoped - don’t worry! No matter your age or experience we are all always learning and there are positives to take from any event you take part in.
From a coach perspective; I can’t begin to express how good the “mini victories” are. For example; I had a rare moment where I was quite hard on one of the kids who missed the head pin a few times. I’ve done a lot of work with them, know their potential and simply said someone of his ability should not miss the head pin often and if they do; it’s due to a lack of concentration…about 15 minutes later he gets 4 strikes in a row! For most of the juniors I coached; I kept it simple, I reminded them of how hard they have worked and to trust the technique and style they have (and have fun!) Every now and again I asked a kid to move their feet the the left of right but a tournament isn’t the time for significant technical changes.
It’s interesting how singles and doubles events are so quiet whereas team events get much louder. A certain someone who will remain nameless reminded me of a time I shouted “Ogi-ogi-ogi” during last years team event which got no response and resulted in me hiding in a corner (quite traumatic if I’m being honest) I’m happy to report such events didn’t happen this year.
Coaching isn’t just about telling children what to do when coaching; as adults there is much we can learn from them. I genuinely believe some of the adults I’ve bowled in in various leagues can learn from the professionalism, determination and concentration all the kids continuously show during practice and tournaments.
At the team events; it was wonderful to see the energy and enthusiasm from Dunstable YBC. As a junior; I often struggled in team events. I felt nervous about bowling in front of loads of people, kept quiet didn’t usually talk to people around me. As a result; I would often bowl worse in this event than the singles and doubles. The teams I coached on Saturday and Sunday were brilliant! No matter how tough the lanes were or who struggled everyone was very supportive of each other, constantly hi-fiving and cheering each other on. Despite having a significantly higher handicap than the Airport Bowl team on their pair of lanes; the Sunday team I coached nearly won the first two games on scratch! I think much of this comes down to the team building sessions my two co-coaches came up with. Weeks before the start of the tournament the teams were sorted and everyone had a chance to get to bowl with their team mates and get familiar with the format. I know I would of benefited from this when I was a junior!
In conclusion; no matter if you bowl just for fun or competitive and want to win, taking part in these tournaments for the experience is an excellent way to learn, develop your ability and build character. Most importantly; it’s about representing yourself and your team. Whether your successful or not; always do your best and embrace the support from family and friends who share in your experiences and goals.