In all sports there are players that excel at what they do and are not only gifted but have that special something that make them winners. I am lucky to have lived through an era where I have watched the likes of Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry (snooker), Tiger Woods (golf), Phil Taylor (darts), Roger Federer (tennis) and Michael Schumacher (F1) to name a select few. All are prolific winners in their sport and will have provided many a young competitor something to aspire too over the years. Personally I have great admiration for not only their will to win but also the sheer determination to keep coming back for more.
The importance of having a target to aim for and also learning from players who have played at the highest level is crucial to the development of your own game but so much can also be taken from those players who may not be world beaters but give you the basics of how you will start to model your future. There are 6 people who I believe have shaped my own career in bowls and each and every one of them still to this day play a part in every game I play. At 10 year old I was given one piece of advice from a gentleman named Ted Hall who said that if I was ever in trouble in a game of singles I should get the mat right up the green and play to the 6ft mark from the ditch. “you will be amazed how many players hate playing near the ditch” was the advice he gave and I have applied this so many times over the years. Without a doubt it has turned many a game in my favour and I would love to shake his hand today and thank him for this little jewel of knowledge.
At club level I first played for Barley Mow BC where I was taken under the wing of Brian Collings and he was very much instrumental in the way I play the game today. He was a multiple club Champion and his attitude on the green was how I feel any sport should be played. He was as competitive as they come but this did not come at the expense of the way he treated others whether it be the opposition or his own players. He understood that nobody stands on the mat and tries to play a bad bowl. If you don’t play it the first time you would always be encouraged to get it with your next bowl or on the next end. There was never any pressure but he had the respect of his players that they knew he still wanted the best from you. This I believe is so important as it is hard enough to beat your opposition without putting added pressure on your own players. He also gave his opposition total respect whilst having a laugh and showing complete sportsmanship. The same man did not suffer fools however and was never afraid to give his opinion or put someone in their place if it was justified.
At County level I was lucky enough to play lead in the C Team for my skip Les Revell. As a young player I was really happy and proud to be considered for Durham County and that hasn’t changed to this day. It was quite daunting at the time as this is a step up from club level but from day one Les made me feel very welcome and although he was now at the twilight of his career he understood that I was beginning mine and he gave me nothing but encouragement and support.
To this day I still see him and am very thankful for what might seem a simple thing but one that made me very much at ease in what could have been an intimidating situation and could in some cases destroy the confidence of any young player.
At around 16 I was becoming a little frustrated with the game and was thinking about giving up but received a phone call from Jim Lambert who had heard about my thoughts and asked me to go and have a chat with himself and Gary Smith. Jim was a former international and Gary a current England player and this was to become a defining point in my future in the game. They both convinced me to move to Sunderland Indoor Club where I would be playing amongst a large group of very good players whom I would learn from and constantly be pushed to play at a high level. How true this was and to top it off I also got the opportunity to play in national competitions with both Gary and Jim.
These two players are in my opinion two of the greatest to pick up a bowl and I have learned so much from both of them. What Jim doesn’t know about the sport is not worth knowing and just watching how he would construct heads or identify attacking shots during games was fascinating and I have adapted this into my own game over the years.
Gary on the other hand could draw onto a pin head and is the most consistent draw bowler I have seen playing the game. He can demoralise the opposition by playing killer bowls from what would sometimes appear to be desperate situations and in most cases a lesser player would probably be playing the hit and hope firing shot.
Both are still very much a part of the game and are always there for advice whenever I feel I am struggling with an aspect of my game. It is one thing I have never been frightened to do as I am not one who thinks I have mastered the game and after 28 years I still learn from every game I play.
The final piece of the jigsaw for me comes from the man who introduced me to the sport and has been my biggest supporter ever since. Every bit of success I have had is as much for my dad as it is for myself and making him proud is what spurs me on every time I compete. He gave me a framed picture with the words “Don’t look down on someone on the way up as you will meet them again on the way down”.
Yet another great piece of advice and is the reason I treat every one I play with equal respect and always will. I am forever thankful to both my mam and dad for their endless backing and taking me to my games in the early days and my dad still loves to come to my games when he can.
My advice for any new players would be to always take advantage of knowledge and watch and learn all of the time from those who have been there and got the t-shirt. Pedigree is invaluable and I’m sure if you were to speak to any top player they would all have someone or a group of people who have been influential during their career.