12 Year Old Jack Smith

With slightly older Club member Ross Martin

Jack is now the proud owner of his own set of bowls and he, and probably at least one of his parents, is looking forward to regular weekend play during the winter.

Photo shows 12 year old Jack Smith chatting with a slightly older Raumati Bowling Club member, Ross Martin.

Sport for All Ages

Even though some of this country’s most successful bowlers are in their late teens and early twenties, there still remains a perception that the sport is only for the elderly.

True it is a sport that can be played by men and women of advanced ages- that’s one of the main attractions of it, but it is also a sport that can be played by youngsters.

There’s been no better example of bowls being a sport for all ages than at the Community Bowls season at the Raumati Bowling Club. Interested people from a variety of ages enjoyed the six- week programme, but one player in particular stood out. 12 year old Jack Scott arrived with his parents, John and Kelly, and younger sister Edie with an eagerness that belied the fact he hadn’t played before and had only seen a brief glimpse of the sport on television.

“Once he saw the Community Bowls programme advertised, he was determined to give it a go” says Kelly.

Jack was immediately a hit during the Monday night sessions and happily mixed, learned and gave the odd instruction to people a few years his senior.

A pupil at Raumati South School, Jack plays a few other sports too, but enjoys bowls because he finds it mentally challenging. “It’s all about the angles” he explains as he moves his arm in an imaginary line towards the far off white jack. “It’s certainly more difficult than it looks but I thoroughly enjoy it.”