Bowling Athlete Lucy Collins
Location: Kentish Town, London
Coach: John Birsinger
Coach, John: “I thought a disappointing performance in the national games would knock Lucy. Instead I’ve seen a steely determination to improve.”
Lucy is 24 years old. She has been bowling four years. When Lucy first came to John Birsinger’s bowling group she had no experience of the game at all. Two years later she captained the Greater London bowling squad at the SOGB national games in Glasgow.
Before they went to Glasgow Lucy’s bowling group had always trained and played with the side ramps to stop the ball rolling into the ‘gutter’. This was he says only because it’s a common practice in London bowling alleys. Only six months before the Games they discovered the competition would be played with no ramps. That gave the team just a few months to turn around their whole training and technique.
Lucy was appointed captain of her team because of her strong leadership skills and her talent for encouraging and motivating others. She was extremely proud to be made captain of her team. Because of her position coach John thought a disappointing performance in Glasgow would knock her confidence badly. Instead he’s seen a steely determination to improve. In the two years since then she’s upped her game average from under 70 points to consistently well over a hundred. That’s out of a total possible of 200.
Lucy is very committed to her sport. She trains with the bowling group three times a week. Each 90-minute session consists of two full games. As the world games gets closer they will do some 4-hour sessions. This requires consistent concentration and Lucy is very good at keeping the team together and focussed.
In Lucy’s own training, John says she has shown concentration, control and self-discipline. She took the initiative to start regular bike riding and swims every day. She has determinedly and successfully worked at losing weight.
Lucy takes time to learn. She needs to think about things and has to find her own way to do them. But John has seen her make tremendous progress, especially since she knew she was selected for the world games. She is more confident and has become very mature in her approach to her sport. She feels great pride in representing Britain at a world event and is taking the responsibility seriously. Lucy has worked hard at improving her technique. She has developed an impressive talent for picking up the remaining pins with her second ball.
In competition too Lucy has become calmer. She prepares herself mentally for each game. Before, if she was behind she would become edgy, now she just tells herself what she needs to do. And she does it.
As well as the excitement of competing in Shanghai, a big thing for Lucy is that she will have for the first time her own ball and shoes.
John says bowling has given Lucy’s self-esteem a huge boost. She has faced a number of difficult pressures in her life with living independently, trying college and looking after her mum who is in ill-health. Now he says she takes a lot of it in her stride.
Lucy also teaches a fitness class once a week for older people.
TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ATHLETES OR COACHES, PLEASE CONTACT THE SOGB NATIONAL OFFICE.
TELEPHONE: 020 7696 5569 OR EMAIL TO: pr@sogb.org.uk