The Outdoor season is almost upon us.
Is your Club holding Taster Days, Bring A Friend Days and Bowls for Free Sessions to try and gain new members? All Clubs should be aware that there will be countywide publicity for the drive to encourage people into our sport. Please ensure that your club has notified David Parr (Chair Bowls Cornwall/Cornwall Bowls Alliance Working Group) of the activities being held. As a result of the taster days etc. held in 2011 Indoor and Outdoor clubs gained many new members. Many clubs are holding their taster days on the 21st and 22nd April 2012 with countywide advertising under the “Get Active Cornwall” banner which is part of the Cornwall Sports Partnership. The BDA are advertising the Bring a Friend Week (commencing 28th April). Clubs can however decide on different days but it is important thatDavid Parr is notified.
Have Mat will travel – this is a BDA initiative with a shortmat and has been successful in other areas of the country. Unfortunately their mats are in use at an Olympic venue but the Cornwall Sports Partnership’s mat will be used instead. This is coming to Truro for the week of 7th to 11th August 2012. Volunteers from local bowls clubs are required to help run the event – getting people to “have a go” and to give them details of their local bowling clubs. If you are interested please notify David Parr.
New coaches
John Maunder (Mylor Bridge) has successfully completed his training and is now a Club Coach. Gill Burn (Penryn/Veryan IBC), Tony Mitchell-Harris (Goonbarrow), Ray Hocking (Bickford Smith) and Jim Yeatman (St. Austell) have attained Foundation level qualification and are working towards their Club Coach certificates. My thanks to Bodmin IBC for the use of their facilities for the coach training.
In addition there is one gentleman who is working towards Senior Coach Level.
Veryan IBC
As a result of the efforts made by Brian and Anne Greaves and their helpers from Veryan, the children from the local Primary School attended regular sessions at the Club – on some occasions 25 youngsters were on the green. After only a few weeks 6 took part in the EBYDS county heat held at Veryan on the 29th January (although many more would have liked to have been involved but numbers were limited). These 6 youngsters should be very proud of themselves (as should the coaches/helpers involved in their training). It is hoped that the teachers and governors will also try our sport. It is intended that in September 2012 a new group of children will take part in this initiative.
Thank you to all those coaches and helpers who gave up their time to help. You did a “proper job”. These events are only possible because of the dedication of the club members who willingly gave their time to help run the sessions with the coaches. Thanks too to Callington Bowling Club for the loan of their small bowls.
EBYDS
Well done to all the youngsters who took part in the Cornwall heat at Veryan and also to the adults who came to give their support – in particular Mark Read of Stenalees who gave an inspirational talk to the youngsters. The eventual winners were :
Seniors : Harry Anning and Zack Goddard
Juniors : Josh Gilbert and Danielle Scandrett
The Regional heat will be held in Plymouth on Sunday 15th April 2012 and our best wishes go with our 4 young bowlers.
Wadebridge Bowling Club has invited pupils from St. Breock Junior School to sessions at their club on Thursdays – 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st May 2012. Help from local coaches may well be needed for this venture.
Other initiatives to encourage younger people to try our sport are underway. More information in due course.
First Aid training for coaches
The last course was held in 2009 and so retraining is necessary. A course has been arranged at St. Austell Bowling Club on 1st November 2012 commencing at 2pm. This has been arranged via the Cornwall Sports Partnership and costs £25 per person. All Senior Coaches require a first aid certificate but it is open to all coaches. There is however a limit on numbers so please book your places early viaCountyCoach (Brian Sweet).
Many of our coaches work extremely hard at their own clubs but they keep their endeavours fairly quiet. It is important that we share our successes and ideas.
Lostwithiel Bowling Club
A measuring and marking workshop for bowlers will be held on Monday 30th April 2012 commencing at 2pm. Cost £2. A qualified umpire will be present. Bowlers from any club are invited to attend but booking is essential because numbers will need to be limited. Food will also be available during the afternoon.
A skills afternoon is being held at Camborne Bowling Club on Sunday 6th May (from2 p.m.) when the County Coaching Team will be present.
The future of bowls coaching
If you have internet access then the Bowls Development Alliance and English Bowls Coaching Scheme websites are a must. I have however received no information direct from EBCS about their plans for our future although there is some reference on their website to proposed changes to training of coaches. There has however been no dialogue between the BDA and EBCS. All coaches are invited to register with the BDA. A few coaches attended a meeting with the BDA in Plymouth in December when it was made clear that the EBCS levels will be recognised by them as an accreditation but in order to obtain a coaching qualification with the BDA coaches may need to undertake additional training. All coaches must make their own decisions about joining the BDA. There is no doubt that at some future date this will be the way we will all need to go.
At the CBCA AGM in 2010 it was agreed that coaches’ emails could be provided to the EBCS and Cornwall Sports Partnership. The BDA would also like to have such information so that they too can communicate direct. It is proposed to provide the BDA (and update the CSP) with this information. IF YOU DO NOT WISH your details to be provided please let Brian Sweet know by the 2nd April 2012. If you do not contact him the information will be supplied.
IF YOUR CLUB has not yet done so – please encourage it to register with the Get Active Cornwall website. This is a platform to advertise your club and bowls.
County Coach position
Bowls Cornwall will be advertising this position. You are aware from the previous newsletter that I will not be standing for re-election. Please give consideration to taking on this role. It is rewarding and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as yourCountyCoach. I will give my wholehearted support to whoever takes over. We need to have a County Coach to liaise with all within our sport.
For your diary :
The AGMof the CBCA will be held at Bodmin IBC on Sunday 30th September 2012 at 10 a.m.
And finally, Rene was nominated to be a member of the Olympic Torch Relay. She was selected and will “run” on the 19th May somewhere in Cornwall.
If you have any comments about any part of this newsletter or have information to be included in the next one please contact : (Brian Sweet ) on 01208 872791 or by post – 2 Castle View, Lostwithiel PL22 0EJ. or e-mail – bsweet019@btinternet.com
Please note : we need to have details about all coaches including e-mail address to enable communications to be fast, effective and reduce expense. If you have not provided your e-mail address or have changed address, telephone no. or email address please advise us.