| If you've never played bowls before but really fancy giving it a go, then you might like to have a read of an article on the BBC Sport website which describes the game and how it works. We have also linked below to two bowls videos from YouTube that may be worth a look. The first clip, from Newport Harbour Bowling Club in California (USA), runs through the basics of bowls such as the bias, the green, rinks and bowls. This video lasts just over 3.5 minutes.
The second video, lasting 9.5 minutes, features Bowls Australia's National Coach Cameron Curtis talking to Australia TV station Navsports, about the physical and social benefits of playing bowls. Clearly the second video is geared up to an Australian audience, but the principles & messages that Cameron Curtis puts across still apply to an English audience too. If watching these videos has inspired you to take up bowls, then please get in touch with us at Nottingham IBC and ask about beginners sessions.
Nottingham Indoor Bowls Centre was also featured in the Nottingham Evening Post in March 2009. The full article has been reproduced below. Phil Broughton, one of Nottingham's young star players, told JO ROBERTS it's not only a sociable hobby but a good form of exercise too NOTTINGHAM is the centre of the indoor bowls universe, since the English National Championships kicked off in Nottingham yesterday. Large numbers of players, including the country's best, have been joined by enthusiasts and spectators from all over the country at Nottingham Indoor Bowls Centre in Beechdale Road, Bilborough, and the excitement continues until a week tomorrow. Indoor bowls is an evolving sport that attracts a diverse crowd and age range, says 25-year-old talent Phil Broughton, who has played indoor and outdoor bowls for England. "It's certainly not just older people who play; Nottingham's got a thriving under 25s section containing a lot of talent," said Phil, a sales assistant from Long Eaton. "We've got an active junior section, as well as players in their twenties and thirties." Phil will be playing in the pairs category of the English Indoor Bowls National Championships on Tuesday. He said: "It should be a great atmosphere. My partner, Alistair Hansen, and I will be playing against some of the best players from across the country." It has taken years of practice, dedication and expense to project Phil into the top stream of the country's bowls players. "I was seven when I began playing, after my grandad's brother heard about a junior club that had started up at Erewash Indoor Bowls Club in Long Eaton. "I enjoyed it from the start, and made friends with other kids my age. Seven or eight of the others who started with me are still playing now, too." Phil was a natural, and progressed to playing in local and then county competitions in his teenage years, before being chosen for England's indoor team as a reserve in 2005, when he was 21. In the 2007/8 season, he played for England in the Junior International Series for under-25s. He competes regularly at Nottingham Indoor Bowls Centre, which has 600 members of various ages. "I have dedicated a lot of time and money to bowls," said Phil. "During the week I play three or four times, plus once or twice at weekends. It probably costs me about £15-20 a week to play, plus I spent £120 on my indoor bowls and £175 on my outdoor ones. You have to have specific bowls shoes, grey or white trousers, and different tops according to which team you're playing for." While Phil still finds time for a drink at the pub with mates who don't play bowls, he equally enjoys socialising with friends he's made via the sport. "It's a very social hobby and a great way to make friends," he said. "I have met a lot of people around the country, and I often enjoy a drink with other players after a game." But Phil is careful about his diet and health, as fitness is important to excel at indoor bowls. "To play a lot of games in a short period of time requires you to be fit physically and mentally. There is a lot of walking involved and it can get tiring." Yet indoor bowls is a gentle sport and therefore an ideal introduction to exercise for a beginner, with the social side as an added bonus. "It's a really enjoyable game; very skilful and competitive," said Phil. "It's a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere for newcomers." For more details on Nottingham Indoor Bowls Centre ring 0115 929 6865. | 
