By Mikayla van Loon
Mooroolbark Bowls Club has started the 2022 season with a few changes to its structure but it seems to be going in their favour, with an overwhelmingly positive feeling around the club.
Having brought in a new coach in Brendan Woods, Mooroolbark has been working towards making the bowls club an inclusive and welcoming space for all its members.
In recent weeks, Mr Woods said Thursday night trainings have seen up to 85 people on the greens and the optional Monday nights can see anywhere up to 50 people practising.
“It’s probably a lot different than something they would have seen in the past, with full structured practice and everybody involved,” he said.
“So it doesn’t matter if you’re in our first or even in our seventh side, everybody’s the same. We include everybody. We really want to make sure we’re one of the most inclusive bowling clubs in the area and make sure we’ve got a good, strong club culture.”
Joining Mooroolbark Bowls Club with experience coaching cricket and football in Warburton, Mr Woods said he “couldn’t be more grateful of the way the members have embraced” what he has brought to the club.
“They did have a coach last year and he has done a fantastic job with the club as well. I just wanted to come in and really help with that inclusiveness.
“We’re doing that, they’re all embracing it. All of our lower division sides are down here, these guys all turn up to practice. So it’s not just the number one or number two side that we’re worrying about, it’s everyone.”
Part of the changes Mr Woods has brought in is having a leadership group with a range of players, past coaches and new and old members to help guide the decisions for the club.
“I don’t want all the decisions to be mine and I want buy in from these guys as well. The more input you’ve got, the more different ideas you have, the more likely you are to get one right.”
Mooroolbark this season has dropped from division one into division two but having played two practice games at home against division one sides, Mr Woods said he is hopeful the ones will do well this year.
“We won on a weekend away (against Mitcham). It was a tight game but we still got over the line. They bowled well and were a pretty good opposition.
“We dropped a couple of games in our lower grades so we were probably a little bit disappointed. We want all of our grades to be successful.”
Mr Woods said, however, some of the sixth and seventh sides are playing against other clubs’ ones “so that’s a bit of a challenge for them” but they are committed and are a strong playing group.
“We had one grade on [last] weekend who bowled with one short, they had three against four and they won and that was a fantastic effort. They lost overall because there was another rink that only had three as well but I don’t want the club to think that it’s just all about winning,” he said.
“For me, it’s more about just building a good, strong club culture and inclusive culture. I think success will come but I don’t want it to all be driven towards success.
“We want to try and win as many games as we can but it’s more about just building that good strong club focus.”
