• Geoff Behrent writes:
It has been my privilege to play the game of bowls with and against players of great skill, no or very little skill at all, and of varying physical ability and disability.
It’s when playing with or against those with so-called disabilities that makes this game stand out from so many others. Wheelchair-bound players come immediately to mind. These guys are amazing even though, as one of these guys once said to me, “I don’t have a leg to stand on!” They get teased about “sitting down on the job” etc, but they always take it in good spirits and usually have some great retort to come back at you with! Come to think of it, I don’t think there are many sports (except for basketball maybe?) that are as wheelchair-friendly as bowls. A great many amputees also play the game and do so very skilfully. The game also makes provision for players who find it difficult to deliver their bowls and allow certain “assisting devices” to be used.
Also read: COLUMN: Bowls is a very easy game to play
There are mute and hard-of-hearing/ deaf players out there and believe it or not, I once even played against a bowler who could not speak. He used his smartphone to write messages on and he communicated through that medium (he could hear perfectly well. It was a kind of surreal experience though). There is a lot of sign language used in bowls anyway to communicate with players 30+ metres away so the hearing impaired are not affected all that much. However, the game of bowls allows two-way radio communication to take place during a game to make the lives of the hard-of-hearing bowlers even easier.
Also read: SA’s #1 gives back to bowls
Many bowlers out there were either born blind or went blind later in life. There is another section of sight-impaired bowlers who are partially sighted. Both these groups can play the game on an equal footing with sighted players and are frequently even better players! This is a fact! On a personal level I have played with and against totally blind bowlers and, without question, I am totally in awe of them. They are just so inspirational and usually such great fun to be around. The game of bowls makes wonderful provisions for blind bowlers and it’s terrific to be a part of them enjoying the game so much.
As for the huge number of able-bodied people who are physically able to play the game but for some reason or other do not want to find out what this terrific game is all about? What is stopping you from giving this game a try? Or at least coming to the club with a bowler friend and seeing for yourself what this game is all about? Bowls is all-encompassing, and by this I mean you can start playing no matter what age you are, what your lack of skill level may be, whether you have disabilities or not, and the distance you have to travel (there is usually a bowling club fairly close to where you live). So come on! You’ll be so glad you did!
See you at a bowling club soon!
