Coaching

What are your goals for 2022?

By Jacqui Hineman

Some enjoy the connectedness that being part of a club provides, while others enjoy the challenges that comes with working your way up the ranks. There aren’t many sports, apart from bowls, that provide opportunities for entry level players to play against elite players. This is what makes bowls unique. Anyone, no matter age, or gender, can work towards achieving their ambitions. As 2022 begins, now is the time to look ahead and decide what you want to accomplish in this year. Below I have included some questions to help you work towards identifying and achieving your goals for 2022.

1. Why do you play bowls?

Do you play bowls because you enjoy interacting with others while keeping fit, or do you enjoy the competitiveness that bowls provides i.e., club championships, pennant, etc? There is no right or wrong answer. We all enjoy the sport for different reasons, therefore, everyone’s goals for the year will be different. There is no ‘one size fits all’.

2. What do you want to achieve in 2022 and who will help you?

While everyone has different goals and objectives, the process involved in achieving these is the same. We have all heard the saying ‘if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail’. By reflecting on your past performance and realistically assessing your current performance, you are giving yourself the best opportunity to be the best you can, and thereby influencing your future performance. To help in your planning process you can utilise the SMARTER goals suggestions to identify your goals and, together with your coach, develop a plan to help you head in the right direction. Once your plan has been set and documented, both you and your coach can review, evaluate, and adapt the plan as required. See SMARTER goals suggestions below: 1. Specific: Identify end result and make it clear. 2. Measurable: Does data show improvement, tangible proof and keep score? 3. Action/Achievable: What do I need to do? The effort required. 4. Realistic: Within my capabilities and within my control. 5. Timed: The time-frame, with mini-goals or sub-goals leading to goals.

UPCOMING COURSES

• Surat BC Club Coach - 12/03/2022 & 13/03/2022 • Surat BC Skills & Bowling Arm - 14/03/2022

6. Evaluate: Monitor and review - your personal best. 7. Record: Keep written data - keep a diary or logbook.

3. Where will you do your training?

This seems like an easy question, but in the current climate players need to be adaptable when it comes to training, and their training environment. While on-green training is necessary, it is not the only place that training occurs. Bowls requires a combination of skills, which includes both physical and mental. Therefore, it makes sense that your training program consists of a combination of physical, technical, and mental skills. When setting your goals and preparing your training program, make sure you don’t only include time for ‘open skills’ (i.e., mini games) and ‘closed skills’ (repetitive practice of one shot). Also set allocated times for physical fitness and mental awareness. This now means that your training has moved from the club to other areas. This could be your local gym or park, or a quiet room at home where you can spend a few minutes each day engaging in some mindfulness exercises or going for a walk. This all contributes to reducing stress and increasing player performance. Spending time with the family preparing healthy meals is also a good way of winding down after training and will also benefit overall health and well-being. Remember, your club’s coaches are able to work with both individuals and teams and are more than happy to help you improve your performance by setting up drills or developing and delivering training sessions to meet your needs. Don’t forget to utilise their skills in 2022.

ECKA’S TIP

Mental - Staying with your shot timeline, remembering to switch off between games/bowls, staying positive, focused on the process of delivering a bowl shot by shot, game by game and not being overwhelmed.