PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF LAWN BOWLING

I copied the following article from the Ontario Lawn Bowls Association (OLBA) Newsletter  No. 4



Convincing Evidence to Highly Rate the Sport of Lawn Bowls



While the sport of lawn bowls does not involve body contact or constant running back and forth, it does require STAMINA. A bowler will stand for most of the day, and may play in above-average heat and humid conditions, or in rain and cold weather conditions as well.



Consider:
*An average tournament usually consists of 3 games.
*An average game usually consists of 14 ends (14 x 3 = 42 ends)
*An end usually consists of 3 bowls each (42 x 3 = 126)
*Delivering a bowl usually consists of 2 knee bends: 1 for picking up the bowl, the other for delivering the bowl (126 x 2 = 252 knee-bends, minimum).
In addition, there is stretching incorporated in the delivery of a bowl.
Then ask how many people would knowingly do 252 knee-bends in a day. The answer would, no doubt, be … very few.

Consider:
1 A tournament day can run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and occasionally much
later, with a short meal break.
2 A tournament can run from 1 day to 6 days.
3 A bowl weighs about 3.5 pounds (126 x 3 = 441 pounds minimum).
Then ask how many people would knowingly lift a 3.5 lb. weight regularly over the course of 7 or more hours. Again ... very few!




Consider:
An average green is 125 feet or more long. Multiply the number of ends by the length of the green, double it (at least) for idle walking back and forth, inspecting the head, going for a drink of water, etc. and the bowler will probably have walked 2 to 4 miles.



THEN, ASK HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD KNOWINGLY, OVER THE COURSE OF 7 STRAIGHT HOURS, WALK 2 TO 4 MILES, DO 250 OR MORE KNEE-BENDS, AND LIFT A 3.5 LB. WEIGHT (441 OR MORE TOTAL LBS.) ON A REGULAR BASIS




THE ANSWER ... ALMOST EVERY BOWLER

LAWN BOWLS AND HOW ITS PLAYED

Yes
Maybe
Easy

WHY LAWN BOWL

An article on Sports Clubs, got me thinking about what makes our club unique. Such as: is it the friendly atmosphere, competitive level of play, family atmosphere, quality of coaches, price reduction for juniors, etc? It didn’t take long to answer these questions, for in the Burlington Lawn Bowling Club, the answer is ALL OF THE ABOVE.
FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE:
A new Burlington bowler said it best. Nic van Weesel picked up his first bowl in South Africa. On moving to Canada, he joined our Club. The following is in his own words: “Could not have chosen a better club to start my bowling again. Members have welcomed me with open arms and made my first year in Canada one to remember. Thanks to all and looking forward to being around for years to come.”
COMPETITIVE LEVEL OF PLAY:
We have more than our share of Canadian Bowls Champions. Among them Trevor Whyte: In 2009 Trevor represented Canada in Hong Kong and Mainland China in February; won the Bronze in the U25 Canadian Championship in Saskatoon in August; and in October he was playing in the US Open in Arizona. In 2010 Trevor along with Greg Wilson, once again joined the Canadian contingent in the Orient.
FAMILY ATMOSPHERE
There are husband and wives, fathers and sons, grandparents and grandchildren, sisters and brothers, all enjoying our greens. In some cases, competing as a team, and in others competing against each other or joining the cheering section.
QUALITY OF COACHES
We feel our coaching staff is one of the best, headed by accredited bowls coach, Bob Pring and his wife Pat. In 2009, 130 new to bowls prospects attended one or more of our training clinics. Our efforts were rewarded as we were honoured with the Drake Pride Award for having the largest net membership gain in all of Canada with North Vancouver, B.C. and Stanly Park, Calgary coming second and third respectively..
PRICE REDUCTION FOR JUNIORS
Yes, we sure do! Junior bowlers from 7 to 20 years old play for a token fee of $30. A regular adult membership of $160 covers the season, (May until Thanksgiving). For this, you get to bowl almost every day and sometimes twice a day if you feel like it.

When I asked people what they were looking for in a leisure time activity most replied that they were looking for a sport that all the family could take part in. One where there was also time to socialize and meet new friends. Look no further. Its name is “Lawn Bowls” and in Burlington, you will find us at
2275 New Street (between Central Prk and Drury Lane)
For more information call 905-333-5622 or 905-634-9289 or come to our club any Wednesday evening at 7:15. We will be waiting.