Coaching

Helping our members enjoy the game

Book a session with a club coach

OUR COACHING PROGRAMS are designed to help bowlers of all levels enjoy the game by developing skills, strategy, and good sportsmanship throughout their playing years. Our friendly, supportive coaching team is available to help players gain confidence with workshops and practice drills as they progress. Players who understand what they’re doing and why are more engaged in the game.

Coaches work often with first-year bowlers, starting with the basics: how to deliver a bowl, safety on the greens, and effective communication, along with the fundamentals of gameplay, scoring, rules, and etiquette. Learning a little game strategy along the way will make each game more interesting and fun.

Our coaching workshops change from year to year. Here’s a selection of the workshops we’ve offered in previous years:

DELIVERY AND WEIGHT CONTROL WORKSHOP: This session is popular among new bowlers and is geared towards improving the skills they need to bowl close to the jack.

VICE AND SKIP WORKSHOPS: These workshops are designed for bowlers who have played for three years or more and are about to be promoted to the vice or skip position or are already playing these positions. After a brief explanation of each positions’ roles and responsibilities, we go out on the green to practise a variety of shots such as trail, wick, and heavy draw shots. We’ll also polish your measuring skills.

TOURNAMENT NEWBIE WORKSHOP: If you’ve never bowled in a tournament and would like a bit of a challenge, this workshop will introduce you to Ontario Lawn Bowling Association (OLBA) tournaments. You’ll learn the basics: how to prepare, how to register and how a tournament is organized.

The rules of lawn bowling

Do you need to settle a disagreement on the greens? Want to up your lawn bowls strategy by knowing all the rules and regulations? The official rules at the national level are based on Laws of the Sport of Bowls, published by World Bowls.

The Ontario Lawn Bowling Association, in turn, has its own Conditions of Play (available at olba.ca) based on the national rules. And each club may have its own variations for specific tournaments.

How to become a Club Coach

To coach other players effectively takes more than people skills and a helpful attitude—although those are both essential. Our club coaches are trained in coaching techniques and strategies, sports ethics, and proven bowls technique.

A very good first step to becoming a club coach is volunteering as a coaching assistant. You’ll help coaches work with new bowlers and set up for workshops to run smoothly. It’s a fun way to learn and meet new people as you develop basic coaching know-how.

When you’re ready, take the Coaching Clinic offered by the OLBA. Our coaches are National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) sports-specific trained through the Ontario Lawn Bowling Association (OLBA).

For more info, email coaching@cosburnbowls.ca.