Today the youngsters stole the show as seventy juniors took the greens at Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa in our Junior Talent ID Day. The juniors arrived from all corners of the nation and twenty-eight counties were represented.

The day provided all juniors with the opportunity to showcase their skills on the green and both players and parents praised this. The juniors played two singles matches and a triples match over the course of the day as Stuart Thomas, Junior Men’s Manager, and Nicola Bowe, Junior Women’s Manager, were really impressed with the standard on display.

“Today was a brilliant initiative to identify new talent coming through in bowls and we have seen the best out there today,” said Stuart.

“The communication skills of the juniors really shined during the triples matches. From a Junior International perspective, we really have to nurture the talent of these juniors as some will become the next to play at future internationals.”

The juniors also had three influential workshops that were aimed to help assist the personal development of the juniors. Team England’s Jamie-Lea Winch discussed her journey to Birmingham 2022 with the aspiring stars of the future, answering questions about nutrition, persistence and her most memorable moments in her career to date. A Sports Psychology expert from Loughborough University, Róisín Kelly, also spoke about the benefits of utilizing a Sports Psychologist in the game, giving the future stars some top tips on how to succeed.  The trio of workshops was rounded off by a Social Media and Online Safety seminar which was led by Bowls England’s Daniel Ellicott and Katy Shilladay. The team discussed what it means to have an online presence and how social media can be an effective tool to promote our sport.

Thank you to everyone who attended today’s events, parents and guardians, and the Bowls England Team that supported the event’s organisation.