Promotion Of The Sport

Further promotion techniques have been deployed by the governing bodies of the sport of bowls to create a positive and modern image.

The Commonwealth Games in 2014 gave the sport of bowls within Scotland an unprecedented media coverage, there are still challenges being faced in relation to the image of the sport. Many clubs, groups and individuals have put measures in place to address this ongoing situation, but it will be a long term mission to implement new strategies in an appropriate manner. This will include facing the challenge of tackling key reservations that those who do not yet play have with the sport of bowls. This relates to the image of an old man’s sport.

The main talking point in relation to bowls was when Alex Marshall MBE beat England in the semi-final of the pairs discipline in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Incited by opposition supporters during the last end of the game did not prove to distract the Scottish team member, who was one shot down in the last end. He then to Scottish delight, played two wonder bowls with his last two bowls to win the game.

He done a “get it up ye” celebration which sent social media crazy. This created a buzz about the sport, which could be used in a positive way. Alex is renowned as the Lionel Messi of bowls, he is one of the biggest names if not the biggest in the sport so this social media trend could be used to promote the sport further to the younger generation.

The amount of media coverage of bowls has had a dramatic increase over the years, however many media outlets still portray the game in such a way that makes it difficult to move the game forward. Increased digital advertising and communication through social media outlets and websites are now allowing the governing bodies to link more efficiently. This allows those all related to bowls and those not related who may have an opinion on the sport to provide their feedback which can be taken into consideration when making attempts to promote the sport of bowls.

Media coverage is an aspect of the sport which is being given great consideration, so that positive movements can be made. At the moment, there are three world ranking events with the Scottish International Open being live on the BBC, the World Championships also being live on the BBC and the International Open which is live on sky sports. At the same time, all matches are available through the world bowls tour YouTube channel, with live streaming of all matches being available for anyone to watch for free.

I feel using YouTube as a social media outlet has proved more beneficial than originally realised, with high volumes of viewers tuning in to the live streaming to watch games that may not be getting live coverage during the event. It also enables on the go technology options to allow users to watch wherever they may be through their mobile device. Implementing the digital technology is allowing them to promote the sport to a wider audience, which will prove beneficial in the long run.

Stay tuned for my next blog, which will discuss the future developments of the sport.

High Performance Environment

In any sport, each player will look for an accessible pathway that allows them to develop their ability to perform successfully in a high a performance environment as possible.

In lawn bowls there are several high performance environments a player can be in, due to the different pathways that are accessible.

The elite programme is put in place by international selectors in nearly every country in the world to develop a high performance regime to provide ongoing support to the top players of the game while having strategies in place to search for future stars of the game. This is no easy task, with expert consideration given to the finding and developing of talented players while integrating this into a player and competition pathway. The overall aim of this is achieve the result of finding the best high performance players possible. This will be used to make decisions about the training formats provided to play to ensure successful performance outcomes. Each individual will have to work hard and put in the hours of practice, to be able to consistently perform at a level deemed appropriate by selectors.

For myself personally, I would be part of the Bowls Scotland strategy for outdoor bowling and the Scottish Indoor Bowling Association strategy for indoor bowling. Each organisation has different strategies to suit their own requirements.

I have been successful in my inclusion for Scotland for indoor bowling, by being marked on performance over a period of time in a high performance environment and delivering positive results against respected players on a consistent basis. So I have a first-hand understanding of how difficult it can be with the level of talent available for selection in our country. However, I am still working hard to be included for Scotland for outdoor bowling by performing in a similar environment as much as possible.

In addition to this, there is a pathway through the Professional Bowls Association, where players will play in qualification school to qualify for world ranked events on the television hosted by the World Bowls Tour. Any person can pay the subscription fee and play in these qualifiers, however, it is clearly apparent like any sport they will need to be able to compete at a high performance level if they except to be successful. By successfully qualifying for events, each player will then compete in the tournament and build up ranking points over a set period of time like any sport. The more points they build, the greater the chance they have of breaking into the top 16 of the world rankings, which means they no longer need to play in qualifiers for events. Successful results at this level, will open pathways in other avenues for players.

In addition to this, players are watched on an ongoing basis to then be selected for their country in World Bowls Championships, Commonwealth Games and Six Nations Events. These are the biggest honours of international selection available to players in the sport, with Scotland having great success in all events over the years and having one of the highest standings in the world at the present moment. This is due to the range of talent available in the country at the moment.

I personally, have more work to do to try and qualify for world ranking events which I realise will help establish my position in the game. This being said, I will continue to develop my game in a positive manner and be grateful for the experiences I have already have. I will continue to maintain my hunger in the sport, which will hopefully result in my exposure to some more opportunities in the future.

Stay tuned for my next blog, where I will discuss the evolution of the image and branding of the sport.