St. James to host lawn bowling championship

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This article was published 25/06/2018 (2749 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Young lawn bowlers from across the country will be gathering in St. James this summer to vie for the national title.

The Canadian Youth Championships will run from Aug. 14 to 18 at the St. James Lawn Bowling Club, located at 100 Ferry Rd.

For those who aren’t familiar with the sport, Clarice Fitzpatrick likens it to curling on grass.

“You have a centre but instead of the button in curling, you have a little white ball called the jack that’s rolled down the green,” said Fitzpatrick, who is co-chairing the event with Betty Van Walleghem.

“The white ball can move so you play to it where it is, so which adds another interesting part to it.”

At the end of each round, the team closest to the jack scores a point — or multiple points, depending on how many bowls are better than the opposition.

At the Canadian Youth Championship, both male and female players can compete in one of two categories: Under 18 or Under 25. They play singles in the morning followed by pairs in the afternoon.

In the Under 25 singles category, the top male and female competitors will advance to the next World Bowls Youth Championship to represent Canada.

The public is encouraged to check out the Canadian Youth Championship games, which will start around 9 a.m. and continue to the late afternoon or early evening.

“There’s no admission cost and anybody’s welcome to come in and have a peek. With us hosting, we’re hoping that it generates a bit of interest if the kids come out and see it,” Fitzpatrick said.

“Over the years, it tends to attract more people that are a little higher in age, but other provinces have gotten younger people involved. We keep trying, but you almost need a group of them to come so that they stay interested. We’re really hoping that we’ll gain some young members from this.”

For 20-year-old Rob Law, lawn bowling has allowed him opportunities to compete across Canada and even as far as Australia.

“This will be my 11th season. I started when I was young and it was a fun pastime in the summer. My grandma took me out and it was a great way to do a recreational activity with her,” said Law, a St. Vital resident.

“Then I went to Montreal for my first juniors when I was about 12 years old. I made friends there that I still hang out with now at national championships. Now I have a bunch of friends across Canada.”

Based on his positive experience, Law encourages other youth to give lawn bowling a try.

“Once you bring a group of friends out, it’s a great time. It can be relaxing, fun, competitive, whatever you want it to be,” he said.

“At this point, I’ve been to every province that has a lawn bowling association, so that’s everywhere except for Newfoundland. It’s a great way to see Canada — and the world.”

Anyone who would like more information or to volunteer for the Canadian Youth Championships can contact Clarice Fitzpatrick at 204-775-1675 or Betty Van Walleghem at 204-254-8610 or bvanwall@mts.net.

Information is also posted on the Bowls Canada website at www.bowlscanada.com