Sturt Bowling Club had never seen anything quite like it — a unique Development Day to launch the pre-season.
Beginning with warm-up exercises led by a local health and fitness expert, followed by small-group specialist bowls sessions, the day introduced an innovative new approach to learning and development at the club.
As Club Coach Izzy Trenorden, the architect of the event, explains below, the idea was first conceived about six months ago before being progressively developed into Saturday’s program, 12 September 2026.
The lively warm-up session conducted by EFM Unley Health Club is covered in more detail in an accompanying story, to come.
Then, over the next 90 minutes or so, seven of the club’s experienced bowlers each facilitated a session for small groups of around 10 players, focusing on a particular principle of bowls.
The facilitators were Izzy himself, Chair of Selectors Graham Wood, and leading bowlers Alex Smith, Jack Trenorden, Richard Weeks, Jonathan Webster and Shane Ettridge.
Their topics ranged from developing a repeatable delivery and interpreting the head, to game strategy, understanding selection and using the mat effectively to play different shots.
A strong emphasis throughout the day was on learning that players could take back into their own games.
Each bowler was given a sheet and pencil and asked to record “One thing to implement into your game” from each session.
Overall, Development Day was an exciting example of how the considerable knowledge and experience within the club can be shared — and how a foundation can be laid for ongoing learning and improvement across the playing group.
Izzy’s background report
“I originally ran the idea of a Development Day past Rocket in April. We put some words on a page but didn’t get much further than penciling in a date and a title.
“As the day got closer, I organised the presenters one by one to facilitate a bowls ‘principle’ with a group of around 10 players.
“Each presenter, however, had full creative control over how they delivered their session.
“We spoke about the need for each session to be workshop-style, ensuring players could practically apply what they learned and incorporate it into their own games going forward.
“Full credit to all the presenters, especially Kirri Clark, Director of EFM Unley Health Club, who set the tone from the start. Brilliant!”