Lawn
Bowls has well and truly entered the new millennium.
All
bowling clubs contain a wealth of talent, business experience and organisational
ability.
None
more so than South Australia’s Kensington Marryatville Bowling
Club in an initative designed to promote our great sport.
A
state of the art IBM CD rom called ‘Winning Bowls’ in which the computer
software user can
When
new bowler Darryl Hemsley walked into
Kensington Marryatville Bowling club and enthusiastically set out to learn the
skills and shots of our intriguing and subtle sport, he little suspected the
support and vision of President Colin Branson, Coach Tommy Miller and a host
of fellow club members.
Kensington
Marryatville provided the acting venue, and in cooperation with Constellations
Software, some nine months of ‘shooting the Club’s Opening Day’ ,
‘shooting the club’s players and ground staff ’, produced the ‘Winning
Bowls’ CD rom as a reality. Darryl
avidly listened to everyone’s opinions and thoughts on bowling, and with
computer programmer friends produced over four hours of interesting content
using the latest computer effects.
“Winning
Bowls” - for novices and those who want to improve their game became a
commercial product available to bowling enthusiasts, clubs and bowling stores
and district libraries in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.
Colin
Branson, with his background in business, has declared the tremendous effort by
the Club and Constellations software as being unique -
“ The World’s First CD rom concerning our sport - with international
selling potential”.
Coach
Tommy Miller has since watched with interest the production of many 1,000’s of
CD’s and sales to countries around the world as predicted.
Tommy’s video ‘clips’ simply demonstrating how to ‘hold a bowl
proper’ and how to take ‘grass line’ have been watched by school kids,
library patrons and current bowlers in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Malaysia
and recently, the United States of America.
Reviewers
of the CD in the press and computer industry have been impressed by the idea of
a sport for older participants, reinventing and presenting itself in a new way
to school age players and those retiring and coming into the sport.
It
seems ‘novel’ and ‘unusual’ - the older generation using the latest
information technology - software and internet communication, which can to many
people appear baffling and complicated, to promote a sport with such a
historical and conservative tradition.
A
challenge has been thrown out to the many clubs and individuals ‘coming on the
net’ and using computers for their club organisation :
“Do
you have a ‘Grand Vision’ for Your Club ? “
*
* Have you considered using your unique Winning Bowls CDs to encourage
interested future bowlers
Let
people who lean over the
fence, intrigued by our fascinating
game, take home a copy of this CD ROM to
learn the fundamentals.
Let
your potential new club members sign off and
borrow this comprehensive
**
Contact your nearest Primary or Secondary School ! **
Approach
your local P.E. teacher with your FREE Special School CD ROM.
Let
the local kids discover the subtle challenges of bias lawn bowling
The
‘Winning Bowls CD rom has attracted thoughtful and enthusiastic reviews from
papers and magazines Australia wide since its launch and subsequent success in
the last year.
The
latest is by ACHAPER -, the Australian Council for Health Physical Education and
Recreation. Their reviewer Marianne Harding, had fun doing her testing and
review while visiting her physical education teacher daughter in Darwin.
Her
comments demonstrate how the future of a terrific sport with its time honoured
traditions may continue to prosper and grow if presented in friendly way to the
next generations of bowlers:
“
I was pleased to review this CD. It is the only one that I have come across in
this sport and I was keen to preview it as a suitable resource for the year 12
Elective or as a minor sport in the physical education programme. The Kensington
Bowling Club is the venue for the CD.
Included:
A ddress by the Captain, B reathing, C
oncentration, D elivery, E valuate, F igures,
G
ame, H appiness and finally Questions. It is presented so the reader can explore
the finer points of the game......the key areas as indicated above are
excellent.
The
short video clips add a real dimension for the novice. It is also suitable to
those players who want to improve their game.”
Marianne
goes on to suggest that a teacher resource work sheet could also be developed to
provide a class unit of theory, for students trying the game out on their local
rinks.
(
This ‘unit‘ is currently being
developed for secondary schools, to support the ideas of the CD.
She
sees Lawn Bowls for School Students as a great project with untapped potential
.......
“
a web site is available - make suggestions to www.constellations.com.au “
Kensington
Marryatville like many clubs with proud histories of organisation and vision, is
to be commended for the initiative of its executive. All clubs by encouraging
new bowlers entering the sport to use currents skills and talents to promote our
great sport are being intensely proacive and ‘visionary’. South Australia is
leading the way with its ‘Night Owls’ and similar initiatives.
All
unique promotional materials are good
for a fascinating subtle and intriguing game, enshrining the best of
‘Australia Mateship’ and sportsmanship.
‘Winning
Bowls’ - an IBM CD rom, is designed to help ‘win’ a vigorous future for
our sport.
Lawn
Bowls has well and truly entered the new millennium with this new development.
..................................................................................
Students
Erin and Shantini, who visit the Kensington Marratville rinks with their class
mates as part of their sporting programme, best conclude this story with their
own words :
“We
have always had this biased idea that lawn bowling was a sport of the older
generation,
but
with the help of this CD we have realized that it is so much fun and is meant
for all who
are
interested.
This
CD has really broadened my views on Lawn Bowling.
Thanks
for making the CD, its really taught me and my friends how much fun lawn bowls
can
be...
It
was an excellent program that enabled us to learn the game.
From
the little icons to the interactive videos, the CD kept the viewer interested.
Great
Stuff ! “