So, bowls doesn’t appeal to the youth of today! Apparently, according to the Olympic committee, it has just been announced that bowls will not be among the new sports chosen for the 2024 Paris Olympics, as it is a sport which is not popular with today’s youth.
Instead, we will be treated to breakdancing, which will be known as ‘breaking’, and sport climbing, to name just a couple of today’s trendy sports which will be included at Paris.
Well, I beg to differ. We at Norwest have two youngsters, Jack and Chloe, who play for us in the summer, while in the winter they join other youngsters at Purnell for weekly coaching sessions, run, with great enthusiasm, by Mel Bowen, Don Dark and Colin Togood. Over past years, I understand, that some of the children have gone on to successfully represent Somerset in National competitions.
Over the weekend, we accompanied our granddaughter to Taunton Deane for the season’s first meeting of the Somerset Under-25s indoor bowls season, and I’m glad to say I was really impressed with the number of young people there and standard of bowls played.
Do the kids enjoy playing? Of course they do, you just have to watch them to see that. So, come on ‘Olympic powers that be’, take a fresh look at what goes on at grassroots level and to the youth of today, who bowls doesn’t appeal to? Well, all I can say is, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
NH