Lawn Bowling

Before ever stepping on the lawn bowling green for our field trip, I had a good sense of what to expect from the game having previously played bocce ball and after seeing the game played on television. I had been introduced to bocce ball by my grandmother a few years ago and I immediately recognized its parallels to lawn bowling. The object of the game is exactly the same: to get your bowl closer to the jack than any of the opponent’s bowls. The only difference was the added weight to one side of the bowl and the grass playing surface.

I did however get a much different feel at this venue than at the facility where I played bocce. As I heard in lecture this week, lawn bowling clubs are losing money so they are starting to appeal to a younger crowd with the music they play and the more relaxed attitude towards the game. This was in stark contrast to my experience playing bocce, where I brought down the average age of a player by about 50 years and all of the players seemed to take the game very seriously.

While I really enjoyed my experience lawn bowling, the game definitely took some time to adjust to. My first few bowls were not very pretty, but as I became more accustomed to the break of the ball I began to throw much better. I am not sure I would play the game again, but I definitely gained a greater appreciation for the skill it takes to play the game professionally.

My First Rugby Match

After watching rugby matches on television for the past month, my roommates and I finally decided to go see a game live. We went to watch the NSW Waratahs take on the Central Cheetahs at Sydney Football Stadium last Saturday night. The stadium was beautiful and was within walking distance from our apartment. We were shocked that we were able to sit in the front row for only fifteen dollars. For that price, I would be sitting in the top row at a baseball or football game back in the states.

The game has a totally different feel in person than it does on television. You can hear the hits and really come to appreciate the training that it must take to play this game. The players need to have the strength of an American football player but the conditioning of a soccer player. When I saw some of the players up close, I was in awe at how fit they were. I do not think I would ever cut it as a rugby player.

Now having watched both rugby Union and League matches, I think I prefer the rugby Union style of play better. There is more continuous action and less stoppages. When researching the game online I thought one man said it best, "Union is a game for barbarians played by gentlemen, while League is a game for gentlemen played by barbarians."

Even though the Waratahs lost the match, it is an experience I will never forget. My roommates and I had so much fun we hope to make Waratah's games a Saturday tradition.

The Nippers

When I was told our first field trip would consist of going to a beach to watch the Nippers, I really had no idea what to expect. I was shocked that lifeguard training began at such a young age. It really gave me a newfound respect and admiration for the level of preparedness these young men and women have when they do become lifeguards. I feel a lot more secure on the beach knowing that these individuals are there in case I am in need of help.

Another feature that I found absolutely fascinating about the Nippers competition was the sense of community between the kids, parents and coaches. I was blown away that the parents and coaches of these young children were so passionate about the game. And while there was a heavy dose of passion in the parents and coaches cheers, most of the kids seemed like they were having an equal amount of fun playing and competing with their friends and neighbors.

Watching the Nippers really helped me to appreciate the sense of community that permeates the Maroubra Beach club. It gave me a better understanding of why people would choose to volunteer at the club and how an all-volunteer organization can thrive in this setting.

I drew parallels to my days playing club ice-hockey back home in the states. Like the Maroubra Beach Club, my hockey club was run by a board made up of all volunteers, of which my father was a member. They would sacrifice their time and effort and expected nothing in return, but now I have come to understand why they did it. The passion which I saw in the parents and coaches at Maroubra Beach is the same passion which made all the time and effort individuals like my father exerted worthwhile. This field trip has definitely opened my eyes to the incredible amount of skill and dedication it takes to become a lifeguard.

Learning the Game of Cricket

As an American student, I had only a faint idea of the game of cricket. I had never seen a match live and had no understanding of the rules. However, after living here for a month and being caught up in the hysteria of the World Cup, I decided to sit down and watch while trying to decipher this unfamiliar game.

In the beginning, I really had no concept of what I was watching but slowly the game began to make sense. There are 50 overs each consisting of six bowls. The fielding team attempts to hit the wickets while the batting team tries to defend the wickets by hitting the ball and scoring runs. I was captivated by cricket’s parallels to American baseball. Both games involve pitching, batting and fielding but the field and positions are very different. The circular field seems much harder to defend and much more advantageous to the batting team than in baseball (This is probably why teams can score more than 300 runs in a game).

(Google Images)

Another thing that I found interesting was the length of time it takes to play a cricket match. In American professional sports, we do not have anything that is comparable in terms of the length of time a game takes to complete. Professional football, ice hockey and basketball all play hour games, and a baseball game lasts around three hours. This is in stark contrast to cricket matches which seem to be all day affairs.

One last comparison I drew between American professional sports and cricket was the loyal following of the fans. Just like in baseball and basketball, cricket teams have very passionate fans. They follow the teams every move and cheer loudly when their team is triumphant.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the cricket World Cup and plan to follow Australia’s progress in the tournament. While I probably won’t be joining the local cricket club at school anytime soon, I am glad that I was exposed to the entertaining and highly-skilled game.