Become a coach
Coach education
Coaches are vital to the sustainability of bowls. Coaches are often the first person a new player meets and therefore should possess the necessary personality, skills and approach to ensure the player is welcomed and learns the beauty of bowls. Becoming an accredited coach ensures you have the most up to date information on coaching including techniques the successful Australian team are using and how you can use technology to assist your players.
Each level of accreditation is supported by a coaching manual with all the information you need to coach you players in your environment. Attending the course provides you with the opportunity to meet other coaches who can share ideas and provide an insight as to what they are doing to improve their players.
You can enter the coach accreditation pathway at either the Introductory Coach or Club Coach level. Read on to determine which level suits your preferred coaching environment. The pathway is outlined in the diagram below.
The courses are conducted by personnel approved by your state/territory and Bowls Australia. They are skilled coaches who are dedicated to providing you with a quality education experience.
To attend a course, contact your club’s coaching committee, your zone/district/region coaching committee or state/territory association to find out when the next course is scheduled.
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Introductory Coach
Ideally suited to coaches working with schools, social bowlers and those introducing new bowlers to the game. This accreditation is perfect for the coach who is assigned a group of bowlers celebrating an event (e.g. Christmas party). The course takes coaches through the safety aspects of organising a group on the green and a plethora of activities designed to engage new participants instantly!
Competency statements
• Identify the roles and responsibilities of an introductory coach
• Assess and manage the risks of coaching at an Introductory level
• Utilise a range of communication techniques
• Plan and safely conduct a training session, ensuring fun and maximum participation through games and activities
• Adapt activities to meet player abilities
Club Coach
Ideally suited to coaches regularly working at club level, either coaching a team or individual coaching. Coaches who are coaching a pennant team will benefit from obtaining this accreditation as the course covers the constants and variables of a delivery, managing the safely aspects of bowls and harnessing various communication methods.
Competency statements
• Demonstrate the legal and ethical responsibilities of a club coach
• Identify the roles and information needs of a club coach
• Review the coaching session
• Demonstrate appropriate risk management audit
• Apply risk management principles
• Work cooperatively with parents, officials and sports administrators
• Conduct a coaching session to teach skills and tactics
• Identify appropriate delivery options to place bowl smoothly on running surface
• Identify appropriate drills for shot development
• Apply technique analysis to provide appropriate feedback
• Identify the correlation between line and weight and the impact of environmental conditions
• Implement inclusive activities for the coaching of bowls
• Identify physical growth and development considerations
• Outline social development considerations
• Identify the specific responsibilities of lead, second, third and skip
• Apply the basic rules for sport of Lawn Bowls
• Identify issues regarding drugs in sport
• Identify common bowls terminology for club level competition
• Assist athletes with basic nutritional strategies for sports performance
• Demonstrate effective communication strategies
Selection Module
The Selection Module is designed for club coaches, selectors and others who are keen to ensure their club has best practice selection standards. Coaches should attend this workshop to learn more about the benchmarking players which can assist with selection. Selectors and committee members should attend this workshop to learn how to create a selection policy and a healthy philosophy for their club.
Competency statements
• Explain the role of a selection panel and their relationship with coaches, players and committee members
• Develop a selection policy and criteria and explain their purpose
• Explain the process of creating performance standards
• Explain the legal and ethical considerations, appeals and repercussions of selection
• Collect and manage the use of data to help selectors
Competititon Module
The Competition Module focuses on the aspects of competitive bowls. Coaches should attend this workshop to gain further information on how to best prepare players for competition, where to find the laws of the sport and conditions of play and understand how to educate players to focus on what they can control. The workshop contains practical on green elements where participants can discover what their own shot timeline is and how best to collect statistics.
Competency statements
• Describe the things a player can influence
• Explain the role of a skip
• Demonstrate effective communication between skip and team members
• Analyse the head and provide appropriate feedback to your players
• Record accurate scores during a game
Advanced Coach
The Advanced Coach accreditation is ideally suited to coaches who believe they will provide valuable coaching experience to their state/territory association at a premier league club, a development squad, a zone/group/district and state level. This may include coaches who are currently coaching at a zone/group/district level coaches, state junior coaches, state assistant coaches, premier level pennant clubs and development squad coaches.
Competency statements
1. Display and maintain the professional behaviours and standards expected of an Advanced Coach.
2. Demonstrate positive and inclusive coaching philosophy
3. Identify personal strengths and limitations to develop your own coaching style
4. Demonstrate self evaluation skills and techniques for improving coaching performance
5. Manage a coaching program by creating a support network for stakeholders and players
6. Develop and implement a season, weekly and session plans for a team or an individual
7. Manage the safety requirements of coaching
8. Demonstrate a range of coaching methods and communication techniques
9. Design and execute training drills and activities appropriate the level of players being coached
10. Determine the complexity and organisation of a skill
11. Identify how a skill may be simplified
12. Demonstrate understanding of learning styles
13. Develop activities to improve a player's physical abilities
14. Demonstrate an understanding of anatomy and be able to effectively communicate with health care professionals
15. Identify biomechanical principles that can be utilised to improve the player
16. Apply technique analysis using biomechanical principles and various technologies to instruct the player
17. Take into account growth and development considerations when coaching a range of players
18. Assist players to use correct nutritional strategies to enhance bowls performance.
19. Use basic psychological training skills to assist players prepare for bowls performance
20. Provide basic information to players regarding anti-doping issues
21. Demonstrate a clear understanding of the mechanisms needed to develop a successful team
22. Develop skills necessary to be able to coach different personality styles


















