Academy Update – There is a planned get together on 13 July at Pelton Fell (10am) details HERE

“We are pleased to announce the creation of a Bowls Durham Academy. This new venture aims to compliment and support the great work that is already being done by clubs across the county. Our aim is to attract more young players to our sport and to provide a pathway to future success. We do recognise the great work some clubs are doing across the county and we will not dictate what happens at coaching sessions across the county but we are keen to identify those juniors who are showing promise and aim to provide three “School of Excellence” days throughout the season, with the aim to take players to the next level of their progression.”
David Bolt

The academy will look to Utilise coaches across the County and create a universal working environment within clubs to provide all junior bowlers with a similar experience at grassroots level.
Those who attend the School of Excellence days will be those considered for the White Rose and Amy Rose national events to ensure there is an incentive for those participating and to ensure

Bowls Durham have a structure in place to promote success at national level.

Opportunities to test themselves against proven county players and learn from there experiences
Tackle the three keys areas – Skills Test – Shot Selection – Game Management

We will look to create a County Coaching Group which will share best practice and to encourage new ideas to promote the great work that is currently happening in clubs.

We aim to run the first School of Excellence session in early May with a date to be confirmed as soon as possible.

As a County we are very passionate to encourage youth into the sport but the key to keeping a higher percentage playing is a pathway to playing at the highest level.

Over recent years younger players have been given opportunities through the County Team structure which were never available in years gone by. As a County we have seen the benefits of this with Josh Halcrow and Jordan Harston reaching International honours and our current crop of younger players gaining experience at National Finals with the Amy Rose team qualifying in 2023.

What we do need to do is ensure that our juniors are supported at these events and have the best possible chance of success; the new Academy will be the first step towards doing this.
Build on the current crop of talent within the county that has already seen Layton Sykes become the youngest to feature in the county B team, Sophie Wood already cemented in the women’s county team and of course our Amy Rose squad that featured at the National Championships down Leamington Spa.

Together lets aim for the stars but most of all enjoy playing the sport we all love..

test update