Jack Attack a hit at Dandenong
Bowls Australia’s national participation program Jack Attack has helped the Dandenong Bowls Club sign up new members The Dandenong Club in Victoria has just concluded its third season of Jack Attack, Bowls Australia’s National participation program which resembles the fast-paced Bowls Premier League.
The Jack Attack program allows you to bring the BPL format and style of play directly to clubland, where they can capitalise on it’s social, fast paced format to help boast participation, by appealing to people opposed to playing in longer formats like pennant, and providing a more structured competition than barefoot bowls.
With sixteen teams involved in season three at Dandenong, it meant there was a full green of participants each and every week, all of which were introduced to the sport of bowls for the first time.
The competition commenced in early February and ran through to the middle of March; 6 to 8 weeks is the suggested time-frame for Jack Attack to suit people with busy working lives.
The warm summer nights over the seven-week season was near perfect and the competition proved to be a huge hit, not just for the players but for the regulars that came to watch and dine in the clubs alfresco facilities by the green.
Dandenong advertised Jack Attack in the local community, firstly approaching members of the main social club then local businesses and sporting groups.
The winners this season were the Kings who donated their $1000 winner’s cheque, courtesy of The Dandenong Club, to the Upper Ferntree Gully Cricket Club.
The standard of play has increased immensely over the three completed seasons and players are now considering how they will increase their participation levels.
Already Dandenong have signed up six new bowling members who will start competing more frequently in social events and pennant competitions.
It has now prompted The Dandenong Club to extend its barefoot bowls season into April and May on Sunday afternoons and include live music on the greens to attract a new audience.
The club is excited by the prospect of gaining new members for their upcoming pennant season and have penciled in another instalment of Jack Attack in November 2017.
Bowls Australia have created a document to assist bowls clubs that wish to know more regarding Jack Attack.
The Information for Host Clubs booklet has been developed to provide clubs with all the relevant information they require to successfully run a Jack Attack program.
Details that are contained in the booklet are:
• What is Jack Attack?
• Why conduct a Jack Attack program?
• Who will coordinate the Jack Attack program?
• What will Bowls Australia do to assist?
• How Jack Attack works
• Promoting Jack Attack
• Retaining participants
• The cost of the program
• Where to now?
To download the Jack Attack booklet click here, or to find or areas Regional Bowls Manager to talk your club through the benefits and structure of Jack Attack click here.
Caption- Jack Attack helps attract new members to the Dandenong Bowls Club in Victoria
