July, 2022

Welcome to the eighth edition of our Coaching Newsletter

Following Victoria

Following Victoria

I would love to see the rest of the country follow the lead provided by Victorian clubs that have recently taken to appointing coaches in a formal setting. My best guess is that a few clubs dipped their toe in the water a few years ago and have had some success.

Several of my favourite advanced coaches have taken up roles in Victoria, and I wish them every success. I wonder how long it will take for the trend to continue south, west and north? Good coaches can make a real difference to the look and feel of a club. I think this is a really exciting move, let's call it a trend, but let's hope it's a wave and dream that it could be a tsunami.

Growing your club

As we head toward the end of the financial year, the annual membership period for many clubs will elapse leaving the majority hopeful their renewals and new membership will not reflect a decline in their ranks.

The reduction in membership numbers has long been a concern for not only bowls but many other sports within our community and whilst we all face our own set of challenges to reverse the trend it is a problem we all need to tackle head on.

If there is any group of people the sport relies on to bring new people to the greens it’s you, our coaches. Whilst your role of introducing new bowlers to the fundamentals of the sport is critical, other areas such as planning ways to facilitate new interest should also be high on a coach’s agenda.

Now is a great time to start mapping out how you hope to recruit new members to your club in the coming 12 months.

Some ideas that might help achieve that could be.

Club open days:

Set aside a day, (weekends work better), to open your greens up to your local community. Make sure it is well advertised and be sure to appeal to your members to tap into their network and help by bringing a family member or friend along.

Make the day interesting. A few giveaways and a sausage are always popular. You want your guests to feel welcome.

Also consider a reward system for your members. We have run a promotion at my club where any current member that signs up a new member gets points added to their card. People like to feel appreciated so demonstrate that where possible and they will continue to support you.

Community social bowls programs: 

Many clubs run events aimed at getting new bowlers on the green. Some great examples of this would be the Bowls Australia Rookie Rollers program or BPL Cup. The key to these events is to get your membership to embrace it and make sure you follow up on participants after the event.

If you need help then contact your local Bowls Australia RBM, they are a fantastic resource for clubs so use that to your advantage.

Above all, as coaches we need to remember that the way new bowlers are introduced to the green is integral to whether their interest in our sport will be retained. Make sure your recruiting efforts are well considered and organised. Also make sure you recruit the right personalities to assist in delivering them. 

It's true that in many cases first impressions last. We, the coaches, are often the ones providing that first impression. Make sure you do it with a welcoming smile and a spring in your stride, after all if a new pupil see’s that you enjoy what you’re doing then they are more likely to approach it the same way.

Enjoy your coaching!

Michael Wilks

Chairperson, NCAG

Advanced Coach Alumni

One of the things I like most about my very special position with Bowls Australia is getting to know the future star coaches of our game.

Running the Advanced Coaching Course allows me to work closely with some of the very best coaches. I see them at their most vulnerable as they stumble through homework assignments, which is such an honour.  

The absolute best part of this process happens after they have completed their qualification (though not all of them get through) and they keep me informed of their progress. I love the way they get to flex their coaching muscles trying new approaches that may not necessarily come naturally to them. It is in the discussions after this happens that the best learning often occurs. It is an entirely different thing to learn something in a course to then applying”that to a real life situation. It can be scary but it can also be amazing.

Thank you to all of the advanced coach alumni that continue to share their stories with me, I really appreciate your company and love the work you are doing to take the sport forward.

It’s Child’s Play

Every club’s goal is to have a junior program and juniors progressing through the ranks, but do our Clubs and coaches know the keys to working with children?

My name is Matt Ottobre, I’m the Education and Training Manager at Bowls Victoria. My background prior to starting at BV was teaching (Primary). I spent 6 years as a classroom teacher and 14 years as the PE teacher. Working with children can be so rewarding and is the one thing I miss most since leaving teaching.

The purpose of this article is to inform our club coaches on the keys to working with children. If Bowling Clubs can provide a positive experience for children, there’s more chance the children will come back and even take up the sport.

From my experience I believe there are 6 keys to working with children:

Energy - Come to the session with energy and enthusiasm; children pick up on this immediately!. If you’re passionate and full of energy children will respond, just check out Dale Sidebottom on youtube to find a great example of energy.

Active - Kids need to be active as soon as they walk onto the green. Kids will tune out if you talk to them for too long. Like all good coaching sessions, there needs to be plenty of opportunities for activity. Small-sided games work really well, the days of having 10 kids lining up with one bowl are gone.

Fun - Fun is a really important key, when kids or adults are having fun there’s more chance you will get a positive reaction. The key to adding fun to your session is to first think of the purpose and then turn it into a game. A great example of this is a game I recently created based on the board game ‘Hungry Hippo’. All you need is four groups, a mat on each corner and a number of jacks in the middle. After everyone has had their turn, if your bowl is within a mat of the jack, you keep it. 

Competition - Like adults, kids are competitive beasts. As soon as I added competition into my PE lessons the excitement factor doubled. The easiest way to incorporate more competition into your coaching is to have the kids compete against each other to a number. I use the format ‘first to four’ a lot in my coaching where the kids are trying to get to the number four before their opponent.

Safe - Kids have to feel safe in their environment. I recently completed the online course “Child Safeguarding in Sport Induction” located on the Sport Integrity Australia website. The course provides the foundation knowledge and education required to understand and implement the Child Safeguarding Policy.

Success - We can’t expect kids or new bowlers to be landing within a mat distance of the jack. We as coaches need to adapt our sessions so children are feeling like they are succeeding. I use training mats and aiming dots a lot with new bowlers and children. Knowing where to aim and landing on a target (mat distance in circumference) is a lot more achievable than a bare jack. The real benefit of making your sessions achievable is it’s really easy to extend the activity and challenge the bowler.

Now that you have the keys to working with children, it’s time to start planning your sessions.

A bet for charity

I saw recently that the AFL ordered a player to make a sizeable donation to charity for his misdemeanour. I really like this idea. Do you have a favourite charity? Let me tell me about mine and the reason I selected it.

Firstly, I wanted to support a charity where my contribution of either cash or time or expertise was going to make a difference. I know the Smith Family do great work, but my contribution is not going to really mean anything to them.

It's a given that pretty much every charity does great work and that they are all cash strapped. So I selected a charity that looks after young people who may have gone astray and need help to get back on track. We all likely to have strayed off the track from time to time in our youth as we rebelled or tried new things or came under the influence of our peers and pushed away our family values, it happens. But some young people do not have the means or the wherewithal to come back. Sometimes drugs get in the way, but it may also just be anxiety or coping skills.

I see it every day on the green manifested in adults. If we can help young people get back on track we can solve a lot of problems before they become too large to tackle.

My late father-in-law believed that everyone was worthy of a second shot at life and in his last few days set up a foundation in his name. Thirty years on it does amazing work turning around the lives of young people in NSW, giving them an opportunity in a residential farm setting to break free from drugs, get the appropriate counselling and providing them with life skills they may have forgotten about or perhaps had never received.

The Sir David Martin Foundation sits well with my coaching ethic as well. So these days, if Im making a bet or daring someone it's all about a donation to the charity as the prize. I have also included them in my will, which I encourage you to do too. Just as my father-in-law did, you can make a difference to the lives of others, after you have passed away.

New Advanced Coach course

If you are keen to learn the skills required of an advanced coach and want to take your coaching to the next level outside your club then this course may be for you. The next course is booked out but we have another planned for later in 2022. The course is 100% online and you will be learning about human systems, personal strengths coaching, sports psychology, working within evidence based paradigms, team building and stakeholder relations. Places strictly limited as individual focus is required. For more information send me an email at mbeaumont@bowls.com.au

I'm happy to send you feedback from recent participants and even the opportunity to speak with them if that will help. Please remember though that this course is designed to give you the tools to operate outside of the club, higher up the line if you want to think of it that way. This is not designed to make you a better club coach.

The cost is $1250 or if you gain endorsement from your State Association, the cost is $750.

One size doesn't fit all

Coaching practices have changed dramatically over the years. The outdated “one size fits all approach” has well had it’s day, with sports generally adopting an inclusive & athlete-centred approach. As coaches, we have the responsibility to ensure all players have the opportunity to participate & enjoy our sport. This may mean for some coaches, there is a need to adapt & modify coaching practices. 

A player centric (athlete-centred) coach, requires selflessness & unconditional dedication to help players reach their goals. It’s crucial to communicate with your players to jointly identify their goals or any factors that could affect their ability to play.

ASK - Ask the players you are coaching what they want to achieve in the sport & jointly identify targets. Ask if they have any concerns or injuries/conditions that may cause delivering a bowl to be uncomfortable. 

LISTEN - Always be prepared to listen and give your players time to express their concerns if any. New players especially may be a little nervous in their initial coaching sessions, so make try to make them feel as comfortable as possible.

WATCH - Identify if your players have any sign of discomfort or perhaps issues with balance. They may not tell you, but it may be obvious from facial expression or lack of movement control.   

Be prepared to adapt the delivery technique & explore with your players what works for them. The basic understanding to deliver the bowl on a good line with smooth release & on the running surface of the bowl is of course crucial. It is how you get to that point that can be explored.                            

A practical example of this is: 
For a player with a back or hip injury, it may be painful to lean forward for a prolonged time or to step forward on a delivery. Have the player take a more upright but relaxed stance on the mat prior to delivery & ask if they are comfortable. Make the motion of the delivery smooth & fluid to the point of release. Options such as starting with the leading foot well out in front with a small step (semi-fixed), or if that is still uncomfortable a fixed stance can be explored. If the player has acute pain, consider the use of a bowling arm or aid.  

To wrap-up my thoughts, adopting a flexible style of coaching gives players a more enjoyable & targeted experience which will enhance their coaching sessions. As the coach, you will also have the satisfaction of knowing you have explored with your players, every avenue to give them the best possible introduction to the sport.

Happy coaching!

Sharyn Renshaw

Creating a cohesive team 

This month we are going to explore what makes a champion team and why a ‘champion team can beat a team of champions’.

While selectors select individuals to play together, it is the actions of these individuals that make or break a team. The adage ‘the whole is more than the sum of its parts’, highlights the importance of looking at the bigger picture and remembering the common goal of the team. In a team no-one is more important that anyone else.

Everyone has a role, everyone’s  position is important, and every bowl played has a purpose. We have all seen teams where negativity and doubt has contributed to team disharmony and team performance. On the flip side, we have all seen teams that seem to be in synch and everyone works together in a positive way. These teams are a joy to watch. 

There are four steps that teams need to go through before they can successfully work as a well-oiled machine.

These steps are known as; forming, storming, norming and performing. 

Step 1 - Forming 

The forming stage begins once selections have been made and the individuals have been notified of their playing position within the team. The selectors have formed a team of individuals, who they feel will work well together. It is now up to the players and the coaches to turn the group of individuals into a team.

Step 2 - Storming

After the forming stage, the storming stage begins. This is when everyone has a say in their role within the team as well as deciding on the collective goals of the team. Each team member should be encourage to have input into the discussions as this will help the skip as the team leader, get to better know each player.

This is the stage where the strengths and weaknesses of players are acknowledged, and shared goals can be set. 

Step 3 - Norming

The next stage, the norming stage, is when individuals get to work together to establish a set of standards and patterns, or ‘norms’ that are recognised and accepted by all team members. These norms are unique to each team and provide all players with a sense of belonging.  

This is the time to establish a game plan.so that Each player knows what their role is and what is expected not only in the position they play, i.e. skip, lead, but also as a supportive and positive team mate. 

It is at this stage that team culture is developed.

Step 4 - Performing

The team has now reached the performing stage. The team has to now put into practice what has been learnt while working through the various stages. A group of individuals, who may not have known have played together before, have now become a ‘team ‘ that have the information and the skills to play in a collaborative and cohesive manner,  while working towards a common goal. 

TEAM – Together, Everyone, Achieves, More

Coaching Seminar

In line with the Australian Open, BA conducted a coaching seminar June 19-20 on the Gold Coast. We had a terrific lineup of presenters with some of our most decorated coaches presenting an array of topics all designed to add to the sum knowledge around coaching. 

Ben Twist discussed the importance of a PSR (you should all know what that is by now), and due to Covid we unfortunately missed out on the fabulous Nick Hind on Operant Conditioning.

Jacqui Hineman talked about the 5 steps to develop your game plan as a coach. We had Dennis OToole asking 'can a poor bowler be a good coach?' 

Britt Jago (the man they call Wombat) discussed making coaching work in clubland.

We also had the very clever Mark Gillett talking about putting numbers on improvement and benchmarking performance.

Finally, there was Danny Simmons on Galvanising a group and the very busy Gary Laskey on Making Zoom work for you as a coach.

A big thank you to our presenters and to the more than 60 coaches who attended.

Juniors

When I first mentioned working with juniors at my club, i was met with a range of objections and hurdles. Everything from 'but we don't have any juniors', 'a lot of these blokes come here to bowl to get away from their kids so I don't think it's a good idea to bring kids here', 'we don't have any kids events' and 'we don't have any bowls small enough'. You have probably heard them all before too.

Here is the way I think of juniors playing bowls at any club. I will declare straight up that I am 100% biased because I followed my two kids into the sport.

There are plenty of young men and women who do not have the advantage of a broad loving family network who would be so much better off if given the opportunity to participate in our sport and meet great older people. We have one of the few sports where parents and children can both come along together and learn at the same time while continuing to improve.

We have one of the rare sports which is played shoulder to shoulder. I know it doesn't sound too significant on the surface of it, but think about young people and eye contact for a short minute and you will realise they are most comfortable not making eye contact. That’s why so many significant conversations are had in cars and on car trips. Our sport lends itself to significant conversations. 

We have an awesome sport, we should be sharing it.

Eye Contact

I was lucky enough to catch some of the play in the Australian Open at the Gold Coast. Wow, what an event, from a purely coaching perspective it was worth the effort. The coaching forum was really interesting too, and one of the things that came to mind while I was watching the play, was the role that eye contact has in our game.

It is no surprise that women are better at this than men, but that may be just because they understand the importance of it, Im not sure, but this was clearly on display during the event. I watched two rinks of men's pairs and none of the four teams made significant eye contact with their playing partners, incredible really.

So why is it important? Think about the last conversation you had with someone who failed to look you in the eye. I’m willing to bet it felt frustrating. It’s one thing to high five or low five when you are changing ends, but nothing beats making eye contact, smiling and being encouraging to your partner.

So much about coaching is communicating. It's about asking the right questions, listening, interpreting and providing suitable feedback. I realise that no-one wants to be stared at, but part of good listening is making eye contact. Don't be afraid of it, practice it, and watch the results.

Goal setting

As a coach, you will be actively involved in goal setting. Both for your players and for your own purposes. In your work with players you will probably be more involved as a facilitator guiding them through the goal setting process.

But what about your own goals? Do you get someone to help you with your goal setting strategy or do you muddle through it by yourself? Or worse still just ignore it.

I have been doing this for a while now and Im happy to share my work flow with you.

I use the AI method, and you have heard me mention Appreciative Inquiry before, and there is plenty of information available online about it and certainly plenty of books (you knew I was going to mention books didn't you). Going through the AI process naturally leads to goal setting in a thorough and I believe completely holistic way. Then I share my goals with my mentor/coach and get busy.

How do you set your goals as a coach?

Online Update

As you know we have been working on bringing our coach education program online. It feels like we have been at it for years. We are finally pretty close.

We are now just about to start training our new presenters.

For the Club Coach course, you will be required to complete the online modules then attend a half day on-green session with our trained presenters. In most states there will still be an option for you to do a classroom style two day course.

A request for print

I received a request form a coach to be sent this newsletter in print form. This is 2022 and I wont be mailing out the newsletter in printed form. That may sound tough, but in case you don't know by now, I'm an environmentalist and I am serious about reducing my footprint on the planet.

Of course I think you should be serious about that too.

Keeping records

When I first started coaching I was pretty good at keeping records of who I coached and what we discovered during the session. Then as I spent more time coaching and spent more time with more bowlers, my record keeping waned. I relied more on my memory and the memory of those I was working with.

To be truthful I was being lazy and cocky.

Then that came unstuck, I was coaching at a club and three people I was working with all stopped coming to training. I had a crisis of confidence and went into my shell.

One by one they came back, it turned out their absence had nothing to do with me at all. I had just failed to follow up with them as they were all busy leading their own lives and the timing of their disappearance was just coincidental.

My little crisis of confidence had nothing to do with me at all. Ha! Imagine that.

However, because I had not taken great notes, I looked like a fool when they rejoined the training sessions. If I had taken even  scratchy half-decent notes I would have been able to say 'here is where we left off…'

Selection

Does your club have a written selection policy? Is it up on a wall where players can read it and understand it?

The Bowls Australia selection module is a great tool to get you started down that road. If you have been playing our game for a while, you will be well aware just how difficult the pennant season can be at clubs. Our sport is not short of participants with a very clouded view of their own ability. 

A well written Selection policy almost always involves a coach at a club, because when a player is dropped, they are (or should be) given a reason and directed to the appropriate resources to fix that problem, most often their club coach. 

If your club doesn't have a written selection policy, please consider starting the process.

Training drills

If you have ever trained with or been trained by Bryce Stewart you will be familiar with his folder of drills. It is a seriously thick folder and he treats it like gold, and well he should.

Training drills are the tools of trade for all good bowls coaches and just like our favourite tools we each have our favourite drill.

Drills can be divided into three types.

There are competitive drills which are done in company, pushing you to outdo your opponent.

There are binary drills which are a yes or no result style. Drawing to the ditch and past the tee is a good example of a binary drill.

Finally, there are scoring drills which produce a number at the end of the training session, the basic 40 bowl test is a great example of a scoring drill.

The same basic skill drill can be used as either a competitive, binary or a scoring drill. This is not always true of course because some drills naturally lend themselves to one type or another. In a binary drill, a player may place ten 5c pieces in their pocket at the start of the session, and with each positive outcome will take one 5c and put it into the other pocket.

There may or may not be a fine for not achieving the result.

Binary Drill

Draw to the ditch (bowl must pass the T but not go into the sand)

Don't cross the line (Bowl must finish in a designated area, without crossing the line)

Driving drill, set up targets, each bowl must be removed from the ditch.

On shot or gate drill (Bowl must travel through the gate but not past a designated area)

Blind bag drill (bowl must draw around the bowls bag to a concealed jack)

Scoring Drills

Basic 40 bowl test (and variations)

Competitive Drills

4 Jack singles (with 4 jacks on the green, each player must play one bowl to each jack, closest scores. Winner bowls first and nominates the order, longest to shortest or reverse)

4321 Up to four players with 4 bowls each, draw to a jack. Each end they have one less bowl. Score as a normal game. 8 ends in total.

Attack or defend pairs. 4 players in pairs. Each with 4 bowls playing 2x2x2x2. Teams get a point if they get two or more shots in an end. Teams play two ends leasing up then the other team has two ends. Winner has the most points after a given number of ends.