Get in the Kew – ambitious program targets kids
Something seems to be working down at MCC Kew Sports Club, who have been ambitiously talent-spotting students from Camberwell Boys Grammar to be the club’s future champions.
During February and March the club will bring bowls to some 2,400 students from a variety of local schools.
That makes it around 4,500 students who have accessed the greens during the past year.
This year the plan is to connect with a further eight schools, including Xavier College, St Kevin’s, Trinity College, Camberwell Girls Grammar, Carey Junior and Senior, Preshill Senior School, Deepdene Primary and Genazzona Girls College.
The plan is to expose as many new students to the sport, providing them with the opportunity to learn the game and have some fun, while potentially considering bowls as their next sport.
The program has been designed is such a way that it’s now become a regular part of the school curriculum and this will provide increased avenues to promote the sport like never before.
The one-hour sessions enable MCC Kew club coach Richard Gale (ex-Commonwealth Games Coach) and triple world champion player Safuan Said, who plays for the club, to identify potential talent and then invite those students to the after-school training sessions five days a week.
The other beauty is that students who may have never been exposed to the sport, especially those who have come from diverse nationalities, get a chance to play.
The club is then offering the students the chance to come down for squad practice each day after school from 4pm which is free.
Presently Richard has 15 students who are coming down regularly, which includes four students who are now playing pennant each week.
One of the new pennant playing students is a classically trained musician now extending his talents to the greens.
Each student is provided the opportunity to join the club as an MCC Kew Sports Club junior academy member which is free and provides them with access to the club to train, practice, access to bowls, coaching, club shirt and pennant.
MCC Kew Sports Club President Chris Fraser says the academy concept provides the students a fantastic opportunity to come into the sport and represent the club.
“We are delighted that four of the kids are now becoming an integral part of the club. Our hope is that these kids will not only continue to represent our club, but the state and even Australia into the future.”
The future is that there will be an after schools competition, increased numbers of students training after school, more pennant players for the club, students competing and selected in the Victorian Under 18 Squads and possibly playing for our great nation.
But also the students will expose their parents, relatives and friends to the sport of bowls, and what’s not to like about that!
