My lawn bowls pairs partner and I got our butts handed to us in a recent tournament and I've been struggling to figure out what happened, and then it dawned on me. It was mid-1970 and your humble lawn bowling blog writer was on his way to yet another soccer practice. Back then soccer was my life. It was a typlical fall evening in Port Coquitlam, it was pouring rain and I was walking, soccer bag over the shoulder, hoodie over the head. I was dreading the practice as always, not just because it was pouring but because our practice field was gravel, frankly it was more like a parking lot with a goal post on it. Now, it was cool practicing under the lights - this was a new thing in our neighbourhood - but it was not so cool trying to play on that parking lot. The ball would take bounces you would never get in a 'real' game played on grass; it would stop dead in the puddles and steal sure fire goals from you. It would also inflict unbelievable pain to the knees, hands and elbows. Years on I came to realize that all those hours playing on a gravel field made me a better player. I could react better, my skills were sharper and most importantly, it did not matter what field we played on on Sunday, nothing could be worse that the gravel parking lot. I practice lawn bowling a lot. I'm a believer in "practice over games", it's the only way to hone a skill and get better and more confident. So what 'dawned' on me as I walked away from the pummeling we took on the weekend? Every practice session I have done was always on the best rink at our club. It was always a nice day outside. There was never any adversity. You see the club we played the tournament at was not one I was very familiar with, and frankly the rinks we played on were very....'wonky'. The narrow side was dead straight. And I mean DEAD straight. The wide side was crazy wide. I had never experienced this before and I was flummoxed, the entire game I spent cursing the rink and admonishing my effort. In the end it was a rout. However, on the walk home I came to realize that the team that beat us called this club their home, so they play all the time in these conditions. And that's when it dawned on me. I need to practice on gravel parking lots. Not literally, figuratively :) From this point on I will make it a point to source the worst rink at our club to practice on, I will choose to practice in the rain (for the record the weather was perfect on the weekend, but I've never bowled in adverse conditions), and I will seek out, rather than avoid, the wonky lines. The promise I made to myself....when I arrive at my next tournament I will do so with a bowls bag full of adverse playing experiences; hoodie and soccer bag optional.

When I was a kid, my younger sister would torment me, most often through the dark art of confidence and conviction. As an example, even though I was not the one that left a tablespoon of milk in the milk container in the fridge (we all know the truth Jennifer!) when mom would question who was too lazy to rinse out the container and put it in the trash my sister gleefully pointed directly at me and said 'it was HIM.' Here's the odd thing, because she said it with such conviction I actually began to think 'well, maybe it was me.' What does that have to do with lawn bowling? I was recently playing in a fours competition in the vice skip position, we had just completed delivering our bowls and the teams walked to the head end. Their skip was up first and delivered his bowl, it ended up about a mat length away from the jack; the bowl was on its side looking like it could fall-in, and had we been counting it likely would have been shot. As my skip was about to step on the mat to deliver his bowl their vice skip spoke aggressively. "30 seconds. Your skip cannot bowl for 30 seconds." This is ofcourse is a misinterpretation of the rule which states that after the FINAL BOWL of the end has come to rest the SKIP (and only the skip) may ask for 30 seconds to see if his bowl will 'fall-in' prior to determining who is shot. It was also no longer this teams head! But I digress. So what happened in this case? I was so taken aback that I stood back while the 30 seconds elapsed!! Why? Because the proclimation was said with such confidence I thought 'maybe he was right.' The funny part about this is that I am in the process of studying to become an umpire, I have the rule book and I have poured over all 117 pages of it and KNOW this rule. It's not the first time I've seen this. I was watching a game where a skip had driven the jack into the ditch. During its regular course of travel the jack entered the ditch hit the boundary peg and as a result came to rest outside the boundary peg. The argument the skip who drove the jack to the ditch was, the jack must be placed where it first touched down inside the boundary marker in the ditch and not placed at the two metre mark because the boundary peg caused the jack to divert its course. The discussion was animated and as they knew I was in the process of studying for my umpiring license they asked me for a 'ruling.' As the jack had come to rest outside the boundary marker, regardless of the contact the jack made on the boundary peg, the jack was out of bounds and the conditions of play required an out of bounds jack to be set on the 2 metre mark. Easy peasy. But in listening to the discussion one could have been convinced that maybe, just maybe, the jack SHOULD have been put back in the ditch where it first entered and in fact both skips were a hairs breath away from declaring the entire end dead (to the detriment of the non-offending skip who had bowls nearer the 2 meter mark) because they could not agree. I struggle with players who think they know the rules and then try to use their flawed interpretation to leverage an advantage. Now, I get it, the game can be competitive and there can be a lot riding on the outcome. I also acknowledge that reading the rule book is not a high priority for most players which is why there are umpires in the first place. But the integrity of the game should be paramount. If you don't know, ask (just don't ask my sister).

I saw something recently on the green that worried me. All lawn bowling journey's start with that first trip to the club, that first roll of the bowl is what usually hooks people, it certainly hooked me. But the reality is that like anything new lawn bowling takes time to figure how to play. And there is only one way to do that...and that is to play. It is only by playing that you make your mistakes, learn new techniques and adapt to game play. What new players really need during this time is support and encouragement. I remember my first real 'game'; I was a bundle of nerves. What do I do with the mat again? How do I centre the jack properly? What's the difference between forehand and backhand? What if I have to measure? THEN, I actually had to play the game. It was not an epic debut. Thankfully though I had great skips, who not only tolerated my wayward shots but applauded the things I did get right, that kept me coming back. I was recently watching a game which took place at the beginning of the season, that's primetime for new players to join clubs, and I was discouraged. Two new players were playing with two seasoned vets, one skip encouraging, the other let their body language tell a different story. I felt for that new player and wondered what he must have been feeling as shot after shot failed to meet the skips expectations. The energy of both players really spoke for itself. The desire to win seemed to get in the way of shepherding a new player through the travails of learning a new sport. To be clear, the skip in question never said anything negative. In fact he never said anything , but he didn't have to, the body language spoke loud and clear. This phenomenon is not only felt by the new bowler, I was recently playing in a tournament and saw first hand how the lead I was playing against let his body language drag his team down. They lost that game to my skip and I handedly. I am mindful of where I put my energy when I am on the green and have seen first hand the impact that can have on our fellow players and my own game. Stay positive, keep it fun, reap the rewards.

Is this even a thing in Canada? This picture depicts the evolution of the U18 lawn bowls programme in the UK (they also have a U25 initiative). To quote the Performance Director - Mo Monkton: " It is an exciting time for us as we roll out our Junior Pathway programme. We are committed to providing opportunities to junior players to realise their potential and progress their game, and these events will allow us as a Performance Team, to seek out even more talented junior players and start their journey on the Junior Pathway Programme. I am excited to see the talent out there at the regional events and help those selected progress through the pathway and achieve success on the international stage.” Admittedly, I am new to the lawn bowling community in Canada, but there's one thing that strikes me and that is the lack of young people playing the sport. In fact, I have no idea if Canada even has a U18 program. Ahhh...but they must, just take a look at this image - this is from Bowls Canada website - the national body for lawn bowling in Canada. This page suggests that the youth championships will be taking place - exciting - but the first disconcerting thing is found in this picture. Zoom in, do you see any youth players?And there's no live stream. No player profiles. Heck there's not even a pitcure of the winner. You can find the results, but only if you look hard and even then the page is incomplete. But the most striking thing to me, there were only five U21 girls and six U21 boys in the event. Surely we can do better. Imagine a lawn bowls scene that has a focus on developing young lawn bowlers. Where the provincial lawn bowling associations take the lead and local clubs are encouraged to provide free access to the greens. Where local youth tournaments take place which culminate in provincial and national opportunties leading to our kids showcasing their talents to the world on a live stream. Kids might actually want to play! Can you imagine the lift that would provide the sport? Last night I watched a 14 year old young man playing lead in a men's premier league fours match. He had long hair, wore 'Vans' running shoes on the green (no treads on those ;), had the baggy pant thing going on. And he was brilliant.

I was a broadcast executive for 34 years, mostly in radio, but I spent a few years running television stations as well. Quick sidebar, I had no interest in running a television station until the CEO of that division, Leslie Sole, called me up out of the blue and asked if I’d be interested in moving back to Vancouver to run the two stations the company had just purchased. At that time I was based in Winnipeg. How long do you think it took me to say yes to that gig? I had no idea how to run a television station but I learned early in my career to just say yes and then figure it out! I can hear your internal groans shouting…”but what does this have to do with LAWN BOWLING you moron?”   Right. Leslie was an eccentric, he was the type of guy that lived life to its fullest. He was a lovable character who was as authentic and genuine as they come. And then he had a serious heart attack. Luckily for all of us that knew him, he survived, by his own admission it was a close call.  It was a few months after that that I recall going to meet up with him in his office in Toronto. Now, you can imagine what kind of an office an eccentric might have, there was memorabilia all over the place, mismatched chairs and there in the upper right hand corner of his desk? Well that’s where he kept his cigars, and frankly had he taken out a flask of whiskey I would not have been surprised.  It was hard not to notice that not one thing in Leslie’s lifestyle had changed since his medical scare. Leslie, ever the story teller, went on to tell me that his doctors had ordered him away from booze, smoking and fatty foods.  “But Geoff, I LOVE all that stuff,” he said to me, “I’m a good example of why change is so hard.” That lesson really stuck with me. In fact, my former passion - radio -  is in trouble because of its inability to reinvent itself (it is not alone in this regard…I see you newspapers).  When change is embraced some cool things begin to happen. I’ve been keenly watching what’s happening with lawn bowling in Australia and it is no wonder that the sport is undergoing a bit of a renaissance there. Live streaming opened the sport to a flock of people that had never watched before, sparking an uptick in interest. That’s been swiftly followed by new competitions, a new youth development system (called the Jackaroos) and some radical new ideas like music on the greens and social bowling which have culminated in the sport suddenly becoming more relevant ( here’s an example ). And with that comes renewed energy and most importantly growth. As a casual observer, I don’t see any real change to our lawn bowling approach in Canada, maybe save for the guys behind https://www.canadianbowler.ca/  who launched a new live streamed competition last year in Calgary to great success (well done btw!). Change is hard, doubly so in a sport that has a history that dates back hundreds of years. But it is for that exact reason that it’s worth setting aside the old norms and encouraging conversations, or we can simply put another VHS tape into the VHS player and carry on

If your perception of lawn bowling is that it is a pretentious sport where an all-white dress code is required, read on. Not long ago, if you were on the green, you were wearing whites. It all looked very formal and frankly, very stiff.  But times they are a-changing. Most clubs now have relaxed the rules around dress and in most cases have done away with it all together.  It's the right decision. But more needs to happen. Lawn bowling participation in Canada has been declining for some time, certainly not helped by the dress codes of past, however it's safe to say that the sport still has some some road to travel. Young people are making up more and more of the numbers in places like Australia and the U.K. spurred on no doubt by crazy-ass ideas like the Bowls Premier League replete with powerplays, fast games and - hold your breath - music. Their Jackaroo program is tailor made to introduce young people to the sport. Dare I say it, they've made lawn bowling cool. And shockingly, the money and sponsorships followed.  Lawn bowling in Canada is light years behind, but by embracing new ideas like twighlight bowling, after school programs, innovative membership programs and dare I say it - music on the green - we can bring the cool too...bruh.

Yes. My perception of lawn bowling was that it was reserved for the 'older set'. Well, poppycock I say. I mean, that is incorrect bruh . It was a fateful March spring day when my wife Amber and I were on one of our first neighbourhood strolls (having juse moved to Victoria) that we happened upon the Victoria Bowls and Croquet Club, the regions oldest (established in 1909!). Greenskeeper at the time Chris, was leaving the club as we were walking by looking in. I had no interest in striking up a conversation (see first sentence above), but that did not stop Chris and Amber and before you knew it I was rolling lawn bowls. I am now addicted, so much so that I have created this website, not only that but I've invested in the some video production equipment that will allow me to live stream bowls played on the island for the world to see. But why? Well...let me give you 10 reasons you need to try it too: No barrier to entry. That's right, not a 'low' barrier to entry, NO barrier to entry. Big, small, short, tall, disabled, young, old...this might be the only game that is truly the great equalizer Affordable. You can try the game out for free at pretty much any club. And the club will have lawn bowls available for you to try. Lessons at any club might cost you $30 for 3 or 4 sessions. And if you love the game and want to join your club, the membership fee - which allows you access at anytime - will run you between $265-$400 FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR Sense of community. I can't quite put my finger on it exactly, but there is a sense of comeraderie at these clubs that is unique. It may be because of the vast backgrounds of the people here, but the welcome my wife and I got was with arms wide open. When you join the club, you join a family. The game is good for you. Not only is it good physically (and it is quite deceptively good at that bit), but maybe as importantly, it is good mentally. When you step on the green and you roll a few bowls and intermingle with other club members its hard not to come away from a game in a better frame of mind than when you started No special skills required. You do not need a specialized skillset. You don't need bulging muscles (thank God). You don't have to be a fit athlete (again, thank God). If you can swing your arm back and forth and you can under-hand a ball, you're in! Heck, even if you can't underhand a bowl you're still in...see below All access! Lawn bowling has adapted to suit bowlers that can't bend over easily, or bowlers that have trouble gripping a bowl, or bowlers that have mobility issues. From bowling arms to easy access to the greens, clubs will welcome you to try the game Easy to learn. Give the game 10 minutes and you'll be well on your way to rolling your bowl like a pro. Seriously, you roll a bowl toward a white ball, how much easier do you want? You can get good, quickly (if that's what you want) . Bobbi-Jean Charlton (likely our club's most decorated bowler) has won a national championship, a provincial championship and multiple club and regional events. She started lawn bowling just 9 years ago. She is 60'ish. Now, imagine how good you can get if you started this game in your teens; the Commonwealth Games anyone? It's strategic. The game will make your mind work. It's a little like curling and bocce but with more nuance and potential outcomes, the game keeps you sharp Just play. Because the game is gender, body type, strength and ability agnostic, anyone can play against or with anyone. Lawn bowling is the great equalizer It will hook you. OK, I know there were only supposed to be 10 reasons but I can't help myself. Let me finish with this, there is something mesmerizing about watching your bowl silently make its way down the green, bending gracefully on its path and ending nestled ever so closely to the jack. It is intoxicating. And WAY less frustrating than golf. I encourage you to look up your local lawn bowling club, there's at least 11 reasons to do so!

Are you ready to immerse yourself in the excitement of live streaming lawn bowling tournaments? At Lawn Bowls Island, we are dedicated to showcasing the beauty and skill of lawn bowling on Vancouver Island. Our website serves as a hub for everything related to this timeless sport, from live streams of tournaments to equipment reviews and coaching tips. Imagine being able to watch top players compete in real-time from the comfort of your own home. With our live streaming services, you can experience the thrill of the game as if you were right there on the green. Whether you're a seasoned bowler or just a fan of the sport, our streams are sure to keep you engaged and entertained. In addition to providing a platform for live streams, Lawn Bowls Island also offers services to clubs for hosting their own tournaments online. This not only increases exposure for the clubs but also serves as a valuable teaching tool for players looking to improve their game. By utilizing our services, clubs can reach a wider audience and elevate the status of lawn bowling in the community. Our goal is to create a professional and user-friendly website that is easy to navigate and maintain. All video content is hosted on our owner's YouTube channel, ensuring a seamless viewing experience for our audience. Whether you're looking to watch live tournaments, learn more about equipment, or brush up on your skills, Lawn Bowls Island has you covered. Join us in celebrating the artistry and competitiveness of lawn bowling on Vancouver Island. Stay tuned for upcoming tournaments, coaching resources, and more on our website. Experience the excitement of live streaming lawn bowling tournaments with Lawn Bowls Island – your go-to destination for all things lawn bowling.

Lawn bowling is a beloved sport that requires skill, precision, and the right equipment to achieve success on the green. To help you excel in this classic game, it's essential to have the best gear at your disposal. In this article, we will explore the must-have equipment for lawn bowling that can elevate your game to the next level. First and foremost, a quality set of lawn bowls is at the heart of the game. These weighted balls, also known as bowls, come in various sizes and weights to suit different playing styles. It's crucial to choose bowls that are the right size and fit comfortably in your hand for a consistent and accurate delivery. Next up is the bowling mat, also known as the jack. This small, white ball serves as the target for the game, and its placement can significantly impact the flow of play. A reliable, durable jack is essential for setting up a challenging and fair game for all players. To keep track of the score and measure the distance between balls, a measuring tape is a must-have accessory for any serious lawn bowler. Accurate measurements are key to resolving close calls and determining the winner of each end. In addition to these essential pieces of equipment, investing in a quality set of bowls polish is a wise decision. Keeping your bowls clean and shiny not only prolongs their lifespan but also ensures a smooth and consistent roll with each delivery. Lastly, don't forget about comfortable and supportive footwear. Lawn bowling involves a fair amount of walking and standing, so having shoes with good grip and cushioning can help prevent fatigue and improve your overall performance on the green. By equipping yourself with the best gear for lawn bowling, you can enhance your playing experience and increase your chances of success on the green. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, having the right equipment can make all the difference in your game. So, invest in quality gear, practice diligently, and enjoy the timeless sport of lawn bowling to the fullest.

Lawn bowling is a popular recreational activity that requires skill, strategy, and precision. Whether you're a beginner looking to improve your game or a seasoned player aiming to take your skills to the next level, expert coaching tips can make a significant difference in your performance on the greens. One of the best ways to enhance your lawn bowling skills is by seeking guidance from experienced coaches. These experts can offer valuable insights, personalized feedback, and tailored training programs to help you refine your technique and strategy. By incorporating their tips into your practice routine, you can see noticeable improvements in your gameplay. One key aspect that coaches often emphasize is the importance of posture and body mechanics in lawn bowling. Ensuring that you have a stable and balanced stance, a smooth delivery, and proper follow-through can greatly impact the accuracy and consistency of your shots. By making small adjustments based on your coach's feedback, you can develop a more effective and reliable bowling style. Another crucial element that coaches focus on is developing a strategic mindset on the greens. Understanding the nuances of the game, such as reading the green, anticipating the movement of the bowls, and adjusting your shots accordingly, can give you a competitive edge against your opponents. Coaches can provide insights into tactical decisions, shot selection, and game management strategies to help you make smarter and more effective moves during matches. Additionally, coaches can help you work on specific skills and techniques, such as draw shots, drives, and weighted shots, to expand your repertoire and adapt to different playing conditions. They can also help you enhance your mental toughness, focus, and concentration to handle pressure situations with confidence and composure. By incorporating expert coaching tips into your lawn bowling practice, you can elevate your game and reach your full potential as a player. Whether you're aiming to compete at a higher level, enjoy friendly matches with friends, or simply hone your skills for personal satisfaction, investing in coaching can help you achieve your goals and improve your overall performance on the greens.