Newcomers had a warm and sunny welcome into the world of lawn bowling last Saturday as the Maple Ridge Lawn Bowling Club held the first of its open-house events this season.
The playing area was filled with veterans of the sport as well as first-time bowlers who all came out to roll a few bowls and share a few laughs.
Helping lead the event was the club’s head coach Ray Wakeman, who has spent the past four years coaching in Maple Ridge.
But Wakeman’s experience in the sport goes back much further than that, explaining that it was his wife who first exposed him to lawn bowling more than 15 years ago.
“When I got married, she was already a lawn bowler and she brought me out and showed me how to play it,” said Wakeman.
“My first impression was that it was going to be easy because I’ve played lots of sports, but I soon found out it’s very competitive and not as easy as you think it is.”
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In the past few years, Wakeman has helped many people discover their love for lawn bowling at the club’s open houses.
“It’s quite often said to me, especially from people that have retired, ‘thank god I found this because it gives me something to do’. They come out to roll some balls and it’s a great social club where you can meet new friends,” said Wakeman.
However, he emphasized that lawn bowling isn’t just for seniors and is an equal-opportunity sport for people of all ages and genders.
“I don’t like to sell it as just something people do when they’re retired because it’s a young person’s game too,” he said.
He explained that the club has a diverse membership ranging from people in their early 30s all the way into their 90s.
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The next open house event at the Maple Ridge Lawn Bowling Club will be on Saturday, April 20, from 1 to 4 p.m.