St Benedict’s College learners try their hand at lawn bowls
St Benedict’s College learners have a fun and challenging activity of bowls at the Bedfordview Country Club as part of the Bowls Development Project.
As part of the Bowls Development Project, the St Benedict’s College learners gave it a go on the greens at the Bedfordview Country Club.
The boys had fun and banter on the lawn bowls on October 22.
Coach Doug Smit explained that this was a ‘niche period’ whereby you’re outside your normal academic curriculum, then you can take part in other activities, such as bowls. He said the school has one period of these every two weeks.
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“It was quite interesting to see that there was a good response because in the first term, when this niche session was held, we had 24 boys sign up. So that was great. So every term they alternate.
“The guys here today will participate for one term, and they have to move on to another activity, and we will take on a new bunch of boys,” Smit said.
So after three terms, 60 boys would have been exposed to a particular niche activity. The coach said they were planning to have an interhouse bowls tournament soon.
He commended the Bedfordview Country Club for being very committed to the development of young bowlers.
“Gone are the days when bowls was an old man’s sport. This is one avenue of getting some youth involved in the game of bowls. That’s what we’ve done, and we’ve selected a batch of boys at St Benedict’s and for them to have fun.”
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Smit said that although the junior school also has a niche period, bowls is specifically aimed at the high school niche period.
He said that somewhere down the line, they are hoping to get some bowlers more involved in the game by taking part in school bowls, which is now starting to develop.
He shared that it is established in the Pretoria area, with a number of schools participating.
“There are lots of junior players who play for different schools, all over the Johannesburg area, and we are looking to then filter some of our boys into that community and get them to play in district or provincial bowls. They are enjoying it and it’s quite challenging for them,” Smit concluded.
