What's
new
Stuff
we've added recently
Sports
index
Pick your favourite
Features
A
good read
My story
The
people you meet
Employment
Get
a job
New products
Gadgets
and gear
Archives &
downloads
Try our library
Coming
events
Get out there!
Links
Clubs & contacts
The
trade
Where to buy stuff
Fitness
& health
Editorial
About us
Letters
Weather
Streetmap Our
other mags
Main
Guidomedia index
Guidomedia
AllFlying |
Bowled over
Lauren Hilbert reports
that young women are making their mark in a most unlikely sport…
 Australia
is used to producing teenage sporting prodigies. Lleyton Hewitt, Ian Thorpe and
Cathy Freeman were all household names before the tender age of 16.
At the age of 15 Kelsey Cottrell (pictured) is another young gun to be stepping
up to the plate, or in her case, the mat. However, what's different about
Cottrell when compared to Hewitt, Thorpe and Freeman is that we expect young
stars in tennis, swimming and athletics, but not in lawn bowls.
A Queensland schoolgirl, Kelsey Cottrell has just been selected as the youngest
lawn bowler ever to represent Australia at next month's Asia Pacific
Championship. With young and vibrant ambassadors like Cottrell it comes as no
surprise that the sport, traditionally reserved for retirees, is in vogue again.
The times are definitely changing in the world of lawn bowls. You no longer need
to be a pensioner or Mick Molloy keen to make use of a well-located parking
permit to enjoy the sport. The traditional image of grandad in his whites and
sensible hat is taking a beating as young people, especially young women, flock
to the green.
Bowls Australia Chief Executive, Mark Rendell says, "It's fantastic to see
Australia's youth enjoying the sport."
He is keen to see more players like Kelsey emerging from the greens.
"Kelsey Cottrell is one of many talented junior bowlers. She is living
proof that it's important to foster our country's up and coming young
players," he says.
It is this desire to foster young talent that saw the government launch a
$700,000 Get on the Green campaign, to attract new people to the sport and raise
the games profile.
"Get on the Green is an exciting, modern version of lawn bowls which will
promote the social and fun side of the game," said Senator Rod Kemp, the
Minister for Arts and Sports.
"The program is based on modified, simplified rules, to make it fun and
easy to play in an accessible, casual and relaxed environment. It's a program to
encourage new players to give the sport a go."
Now in it's final stages the campaign seems to have been a success. There are
now more than 340,000 Australian's registered to play lawn bowls. Making the
game one of Australia's most popular sports.
Two clubs actively participating in the Get on the Green program are the Sandy
Bay Bowls Club in Tasmania and the Fitzroy Victoria Bowls Club in Melbourne.
Both clubs, like so many across the country were near extinction, with record
low numbers and a rapidly aging membership.
Spurred on by the Get on the Green campaign many old and traditional clubs like
these had to make some major changes. Bowls clubs have started to allow players
to play barefoot, to ditch the traditional whites and to allow alcohol onto the
green.
Fitzroy Victoria Bowls Club President, Ray Benson says this wasn't easy.
"We had to make young people feel welcome, that this wasn't just a place
inhabited by older people. To do this we had to relax what we call our bowling
laws," he says.
While older more traditional members found the changes hard to adjust to at
first, the figures prove that these changes are definitely making bowls more
attractive to young people.
Ray says, "Here at Fitzroy Victoria we have seen a 75 percent increase in
numbers through our doors."
Mel Jones, President of the Sandy Bay Bowls Club says that numbers in her club
are also on the increase again. "People are starting to realise that this
is not an old mans sport. It's a young man's sport that old men can play,"
she says.
Mel Jones adds that it's not only the men that enjoy the sport. "The women
are a vital part of bowling in Australia," she says.
According to Ray Benson young professional women are steadily becoming Fitzroy
Victoria's biggest clients. He says, "They come here after work, let their
hair down, grab a drink and catch up with their girlfriends in a fun and social
environment."
On a warm summer evening Fitzroy Victoria is filled with hundreds of young women
and men keen to get their own dose of under arm action. In scenes reminiscent of
the hit series The Secret Life of Us, it's obvious to see that lawn bowls is now
fun, social and above all else cool.
Kelsey Cottrell is happy to see so many other young ones enjoying the sport
however, after three years of playing she is quick to point out that there is
more to bowling than lazy Sunday afternoons and beer. "It's definitely very
challenging," she says. "You have to have good hand eye co-ordination
and you've got to learn to bowl in all different conditions. Sometimes its
freezing cold and then your in 40 degree heat."
While Kelsey Cottrell remains modest many in the bowling community believe she
too is helping to alter the sports image.
Ray Benson says, "I definitely think the sport is becoming more popular
because of Kelsey. When other teenagers see her playing they think, hey, I could
do that too."
But for Kelsey being a role model is not something she likes to think about.
"I just want to concentrate on being the best I can possibly be, that's got
to be on the top of my mind," she says. "The Commonwealth Games would
be great."
Kelsey may not want to admit it but like it or not she is definitely helping to
improve the image of lawn bowls. Thanks to many influences young ones from
across the country eager to get the bowl rolling.
But the with the steadily decreasing age of the lawn bowler the question must be
asked, how long will it be before we walk past the bowling green and not find
nan and pa? Instead we may one day find proud young parents encouraging their
pre-schoolers to bowling glory in the hope that one day they too will become a
Kelsey Cottrell.
By Lauren Hilbert
Nov 2005
(Picture by Bowls
Australia)
 Return
to top
| We
cover...
Athletics
Basketball
Cricket
Football
Golf
Motorsport
Netball
Swim
Tennis
& much more!
See Sports index
|
