Club in Focus: Pennant Hills Bowling Club rolling for the future
Pennant Hills Bowling Club in northern Sydney is truly showing that bowls is a sport for all, having developed a strong junior program that epitomises inclusivity and accessibility.
The idea of a Junior Academy at Pennant Hills came about due to the Club’s strong connection with the local community with several schools engaging with the Club throughout the year to run their school programs.
With approximately 90 high school aged students using the greens per week, this created a pathway for young players to experience bowls and engage with the Club.
Off the back of this success, Club member Ian Moyes started running two junior tournaments per year during the school holidays, attracting around 30 young bowlers from across Sydney and as far as the Central Coast, Wollongong and the Blue Mountains.
This has now evolved into a Junior Academy, with Pennant Hills acting as a youth hub that has eight participants, as well as six registered high school bowlers as junior members of the Club.
Moyes said the Junior Academy was open to any 12 to 20-year-old bowlers and met once per week throughout the school year for practice, games and visiting coach sessions.
“Our Academy has the objective of developing a cohort of young bowlers who participate regularly, enjoy the game and hopefully become fully fledged club members,” Moyes said.
“Our philosophy is about participation and converting people from school sport bowls to choosing to become a regular bowler.”
The program, which is entirely run and funded by volunteers, has delivered considerable benefits to the Club and has helped introduce the younger generation to the sport of bowls.
“The presence of young bowlers on our greens provides dynamism, youth and an environment which is appreciated and enjoyed by both bowling and non-bowling members of our club,” Moyes said.
“The future goals are to build the Academy with greater numbers, so that the club has a cohort of younger players to play and develop, as well as enjoy each other’s company.”
