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INTERVIEW WITH EIBA CHAIRPERSON - JOSH POUNDS |
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At 30-years-old, Josh may not be the obvious
choice for the helm of the National Governing Body for indoor bowls
in England, but he has already made great waves during his tenure,
with plenty more lined up. "We are at a real turning point now where we have to start making decisions for the good and the future of our sport, not just for what we want right now," he said. "For years we have put barriers in the way for people to play bowls; what people have to wear, how they have to play, long and undynamic formats and an unsubstantiated focus on what it means to be a 'good club member'. Every single member is a good club member, whether they are a social member or play 200 times a year, so this has to stop." Josh describes the precarious situation that bowls finds itself in as a result of the Pandemic as a "cliff-edge," having sped up the decline of the sport by about ten years. But it is not all doom and gloom. EIBA Director of Development Mike Lambert has been meeting with clubs around the country to discuss recruitment and retention and there have been some amazing success and good-news stories. Josh said: "The key thing to remember however, is that these things cannot be left to just the NGB's or clubs and volunteers alone, we as individual bowlers need to take some responsibility and ownership and play our part in this process. "If every bowler introduced one friend, one family member, one colleague or neighbour to the sport, we double our numbers overnight - it really could be that simple. If everyone put some effort in to promote bowls, it would make a massive difference. I would love to see bowlers start that conversation because that is something we can all benefit from." Having bowled for over 20 years and with a background in communications and marketing, Josh is perfectly poised to bring about the changes that he believes in. Prior to taking over as Chairperson, he was Director of Communications on the EIBA Board for three years and played a key role in delivering the International Series held at Falcon IBC in 2018. Josh said: "We wanted to use that as a showcase of what we can do in the sport and we had so much positive feedback which gave us great ideas for the future. "We worked with Falcon IBC and during the sessions when there was no play, we got the local primary schoolchildren on the green which went down really well. That was a particularly proud moment as it showed the vast array of our sport, from the elite level of the international series to ten-year-olds picking up a bowl for the first time and loving it." What made him apply for the role of Chairperson? "I was asked if I would be willing to take on the role of Chairperson and after a lot of thought, decided that I could make a difference," Josh recalled. "I appreciate that I portray an image that bowls has not portrayed before and it is one we need - if I can be that person at just 30 who can be seen to be at the top and making a difference, hopefully that might cascade down and inspire other people of my age, and any age, to get involved. "I have sat back in this sport for quite a long time and seen things happening all around me, with the sport not reacting and not changing. "I thought if I could do something small to help that then I have a responsibility to put my skillset to use to benefit the sport that I love." For Josh, the image of the sport needs a crucial overhaul. He said: "We need to look at our sport from the inside out- what do we need to do to make bowls more attractive and easily-accessible? We need to consider more dynamic and faster formats of play - the days of long four-hour plus games being the norm are coming to an end and existing players need to be on board with this. "We need to adapt to our current climate as, unfortunately, bowls was not the only sport to be affected by COVID an sports all across the country are down in numbers and are looking to recruit. Therefore, it is imperative that bowls stands out from the crowd and we do all that we can to make our sport the sport that people choose over the rest." With that in mind the EIBA's emphasis on recruitment and retention has never been more important. Josh said: "There are lots of people in the sport at the top end age-wise who are having to stop playing because they are no longer physically able to do so, but we are not picking other people up to replace those that we have lost. "The EIBA need to act to ensure that these trends are turned around before it's too late. Good communication and PR are key to this, and I am keen to be at the forefront of some of the big decisions that we are making for the future of bowls. "We are in the process of re-witing our vision and our focus and I will be ensuring it is more than simply a document on the website. We need to make sure we are achieving what we are saying we will and that we set ourself ambitious goals for the future." Josh is also on a mission to make people aware of what the EIBA does on a day-to-day basis, year-round. "It is so important for people to know that the EIBA is not just a vehicle for national competitions and international bowls because I think some people think this is our entire remit and this simply isn't true," he said. > We oversee the sport of indoor, flat green bowls in England and we can provide support and guidance to clubs and counties as and when they need it.  > We have trained safeguarding officers and safeguarding working groups, which is becoming more prevalent in bowls at the moment, not just for children but for vulnerable adults, too. > Our development manager works tirelessly with clubs that are struggling. This involves working with their local councils and local bodies to work out what support is available and how the EIBA can help facilitate that. We are also constantly looking to introduce new facilities and identifying areas of need. > We run national competitions across both the summer and winter seasons. We will be undertaking a complete National Competitions Review in the coming year to ensure our offer is fit for purpose and for the future. We want to ensure our offer caters for existing bowlers as well as being attractive to new competitors who wish to play competitive bowls. > We oversee an extensive International programme. With new faces joining our management teams this season we are keen to continue to develop and grow our player pathways to discover and hone our next group of Team England stars. > With the addition of John Rednall to our Board of Directors this season, we are adding vital emphasis and focus on our youth offer as well as growing our network of contacts within schools and local communities. > We are in constant talks with companies about sponsorship and commercial opportunities. Currently we are putting a huge focus on communications and the image of our sport. > We are in talks at present regarding future coverage and exposure of indoor bowls in terms of live streaming and TV opportunities. > Our team at HQ have worked tirelessly over the last few months to design, develop and create our new online competitions portal and entry system. With more than 40 national competitions, each with a bespoke set of parameters, areas and zones, this is no easy task and one I am sure they will never receive enough thanks for. Josh wants people to see the EIBA as an organisation that is there on every level, for individual bowlers, for clubs and counties and ultimately for the good of the sport around the whole country. He said: "We are totally approachable and willing to take on board new ideas and initiatives. We do not want to be an in the background organisation that floats by, we want to be at the forefront of what is happening in bowls. "We will never be able to please everybody all of the time, but we try hard every day to be adaptable and forward thinking - we may not get every decision we make right, but we make every decision with the best of intentions and with bowls at the heart." What motivates Josh? "I love that bowls is accessible, it is such an easy sport to fall in love with and until people have a go and find that out for themselves, the image won't change," he said. "Take at my clubs for example, Swale IBC and the Appleyard, bowls is a sport where you can have CWG gold medallists and other world an national champions playing alongside someone that picked up a bowl for the first time a week ago - I don't think there's many sports where that is possible. "You see men and women, young and old on a level playing field, people of any ethnicity can pick up a bowl and just enjoy it - this is something we are not shouting about. "I know I have already had the best years of my life from playing bowls and I want to make sure now that the sport is here for the next 50 years and beyond for people to love just like I have." Sian Honnor Previous Article Lorraine Kuhler |
September 2023
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