Good News for our Young Bowlers
Hampton Bayside Bowls Club has been fortunate to have been granted $3000 in community sponsorship from Community Bank in Sandringham. Thank you Community Bank!
These funds will assist school-age youth between the ages of 10 to 18 who are enrolled in our school-based “new to bowls” coaching programs, by providing appropriate sized bowls.
Our existing supply of club bowls did not include smaller sized bowls, (0000 or 000 sizes) that are needed by primary level students. We also only had four sets to facilitate the program, which was well short of the ten to fourteen sets required.
In addition to the school programs, these bowls will be beneficial to young people who join our club and participate in our numerous social and pennant competitions as a way to develop their skills and become elite bowlers. They will be able to borrow these bowls under a loan arrangement with the club.
Lawn bowls are very expensive and are often out of reach for many families. The high cost should not be an impediment to taking up a sport with wide ranging health and sport benefits.
We expect that about 800 young people will benefit from this funding during the 2024 school year. This is expected to grow to 1,400 in following years.
The children who will benefit from this funding will be drawn from our SCHOOLS & YOUTH programs, which are recognised in the region, extend to both private and public schools, and are spread across all abilities.
Schools & Youth Programs
Our programs are diverse, inclusive and designed to encourage participation, socialisation and “team” skills development in a friendly, welcoming environment. Lawn bowls is a non-contact and very safe sport which developes cognitive ability, boosts mental agility and problem-solving skills, and is ideal for students who may not be interested in main stream sporting activity. It is a sport for life. Bowls is FUN!
Our programs are flexible and can be facilitated as part of School and Community sport, physical education (PE) classes, holiday programs, or after school coaching programs. We are currently developing a “fun competition” which will include both youth and parents.
Current coaching programs are in place at Brighton Grammar School and St Leonard’s College at both primary and secondary levels. At St Leonard’s we are also responsible for teaching and coaching Year 10 students during their PE classes.
In addition we facilitate and run the following School Sport, Victoria (SSV) programs:
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- SSV Beachside Lawn Bowls – mixed competition covering a range of year levels with six or more schools participating in each competition (Year 7 to seniors). Bookings are in place for 2024.
- SSV Southern Metro Region Lawn Bowls – mixed competition finals. Bookings are in place for 2024.
The impact of COVID on our youth programs was siginificant. Prior to COVID we provided coaching to approximately 900 primary and 600 secondary students, aged between 10 and 18, from numerous schools in the Bayside area. With some normality returning, post COVID, we are actively involved in redeveloping these programs and re-engaging with the schools and students in the area.
If you want to learn more about our Schools & Youth Programs, we would love to hear from you. Please email info@hamptonbaysideclub.com.au for more information or to book your place in 2024.