Renfrew youth prepare for provincial bowling finals
Posted Mar 21, 2022 10:00:00 PM.
A group of young bowlers are rolling into Southern Ontario in May to compete in the provincial finals — and coach Ken Dick is confident some of his play on the eight-member squad will move on to nationals.
Dick was all smiles as he glanced around the lanes at Renfrew’s Opeongo Bowldrome and watched the young competitors practicing hard for a shot to go to the national finals. Unlike previous years when the club would send one or two members, this year has been a boom year in terms of qualifiers and winners.
“I am not sure why we have a larger than usual number of kids heading off to the provincials, but whatever it is, I’ll take it,” he said. “Perhaps one of the reasons is the increase in bowlers who have been coming out due to COVID.
“People are anxious to get out and do anything and they were tired of not being able to do anything fun in a team atmosphere and for many kids, bowling provided that.”
He said another reason may be the simple fact that a lot of the members have been part of the youth league for more than a year and they have gained the experience of competing against each other and against other youth leagues. He pointed to Ambrose Wattie from the Cobden area of how far the team has progressed this year.
“All the kids who are going to the provincials had to qualify through the house round and then they have to succeed through Zone X (Eastern Ontario) and then to the provincials in May,” he said.
One of the senior boys, Ambrose Wattie, was part of the Ottawa Valley Men’s team and won first place at the Ontario 2022 Youth Challenge.
“In fact, Ambrose has been on a roll and he has had one of the highest averages I have seen in all my years involved with the sport. He has been averaging 234 per game and the other kids see that and they want to be successful because they see him not just winning and working hard, but he is having fun along the way.”
Dick also explained the provincial finals allow the family members of the competitors to accompany the team members. One of the overall goals of the bowling association, he added, is to promote inclusiveness and team building.
“These kids understand some of the best young bowlers will be there and they are just as anxious as our squad in terms of wanting to come back home as the best in the province,” he said. “I and all the coaches do our best to keep them grounded and sometimes having the family with them is a great thing. They can celebrate together when they win, and the family is there to help the young players deal with defeat in case they don’t finish on top.”
Dick invites any young player to come out to the bowling alley and try a few games with the kids.
“We are always encouraging any youth to come and play a few games and talk with other kids while they are here,” he said. “Sometimes talking to other kids involved with the sport is all they need to want to sign up. It is good for them to learn about team sports and celebrate the victories and take away a lesson when they lose. Most importantly, they come out and have fun.”
The provincial finals take place in Brantford and Collingwood on May 1.
