Bowling Centres Love Sporting Schools

By Emily Rennes
August 13, 2021

Bowling centres around the country are enjoying the excited sounds of children celebrating strikes – often as part of a federally funded Sporting Schools program.

With thanks to Sport Australia’s Sporting Schools, Tenpin Bowling Australia (TBA) is able to join 37 other national sport organisations to support the participation in sport by primary school students. The programs are fully funded meaning students pay nothing to enjoy a minimum four sessions of a sport their school chooses. For many smart teachers and lucky students, that sport is Tenpin Bowling.

With the Sporting Schools funding, schools have a range of options to ensure each student ‘has a ball’ learning to bowl. Usually a mix of in-school and in-centre experiences together with either hired or purchased portable lanes plus a coach or teacher-trained Lane Ranger to deliver the sessions.

Coach, Lane Ranger and national Program Manager Emily Rennes teaches technique Leeville Primary

Leeville Primary hired portable lanes from Ballina Bowl – so students could learn in their playground before trying the ‘real’ thing!

Sporting Schools funding meant students enjoyed learning to bowl firstly in their familiar school environment

Coach Cameron Walsh of Ballina Bowl enjoys seeing students bowling at his centre, especially Sporting Schools

Waiting your turn, understanding scores and encouraging each other are all part of learning how to bowl

Happy Sporting Schools students show us how much they’ve enjoyed learning to bowl, with thanks to Ballina Bowl and TBA

Bowling really is a sport for every one, these Leeville Primary students ‘had a ball’ learning to bowl at Ballina Bowl

Ballina Bowl on New South Wales’ mid-north-coast loves having schools come to visit and is one of the most popular centres with schools in the region.

“Students often don’t have many sports to choose from, so when schools choose Tenpin – we really want to show them a good time” TBA’s Program & Development Manager Emily Rennes remarks.

Leeville Primary took their whole school to Ballina Bowl in Term 2 and absolutely loved it. Students were keen to use their Bowl Patrol basics of “rock-on” fingers and “Spiderman release” on the real lanes after a few sessions using portable lanes in their playground.

Centre Manager and Coach Cameron Walsh took the students through the safety and bowling basics, then with some fun tunes in the background, let the good times roll. Here’s what some of the students had to say:

It’s not too late for schools to use their Term 3 funding on Tenpin Bowling – email [email protected]. Or to jump on board for Term 4 programs, pass this story on to your school Principal and ask them to select ‘Tenpin Bowling’ for the best end to the school year of 2021.

https://www.sportaus.gov.au/schools/schools/funding – Term 4 funding opens 16th and closes 27th August.

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