Did you know that Leisureplex has several Junior Bowling Clubs in Dublin? You do now!
Our Blanchardstown, Stillorgan & Tallaght centres all have Junior clubs, meeting for two hours, every Saturday, from 10am to 12pm.
Our clubs are fully-inclusive, welcoming children of all ages to try out tenpin bowling – who knows, maybe your little one could be a natural! Perfect for kids who may not be keen on popular outdoor sports such as Soccer, GAA or Rugby, our junior bowling clubs promote a fun, active sporting environment, with kids encouraged to simply have some fun for the first few weeks, before hopefully beginning to learn the basics of bowling with our experienced junior coaches.
The unique selling point for Tenpin Bowling is that it is not overly-taxing to take part, but despite what you might think from a sport that doesn’t involve any sprinting or long-distance running, it is actually a really good form of exercise for kids. Some of the physical benefits of bowling include:
- Bowling burns anywhere from 175-300 calories an hour – which is the equivalent of 25 minutes of skipping with a skipping rope!
- Bowling is a full-body workout! When you repeatedly swing and release the ball, the weight of the ball tones your shoulders, arms, chest, and legs. Even just gripping the ball itself strengthens the muscles in your hands
- It might not seem like you’re travelling far while bowling, but the steps add up! In a three-game series, which is the standard amount of games played in a league match, a bowler will walk up to 3000 steps – the equivalent of walking approximately 2km!
- Bowling just two times a week lowers your risk of heart attacks, stroke and diabetes
Aside from the physical benefits, there are also huge mental health benefits to be gained from being involved in bowling.
- Bowling is considered an extremely social sport, with the nature of the sport lending itself to plenty of chat and interaction with others while you play. The social relationships forged while bowling increases a person’s likelihood to stay involved in the sport late into their life and can help decrease mental stress
- The healthy competition a person gets from engaging in both league and tournament play can help to give kids a sense of achievement, which is a great stress reliever and positive aid to gaining pride and self-esteem
So getting your kids involved in tenpin bowling is a hugely beneficial choice both for their physical and mental well-being, and what’s more it can also be very cost-effective for parents. Currently fees for our clubs are paid on a weekly basis, with the cost for the two-hour club session on Saturday mornings coming in at less than €8 per child per week. This cost includes the two full hours of bowling, as well as coaching from our experienced coaches. And we even throw in their first week for FREE so the kids can try it out to see if they have fun and want to return for future weeks.
The aim at the beginning, as mentioned before, is simply to show the kids how fun tenpin bowling can be, both playing the game itself and socialising with other kids. There is no set time for kids to be moved into more competitive bowling or coaching – our coaches will help all kids as much or as little as they want and will never rush them into the serious side of the sport. But they will also encourage all kids to try to improve their game from week-to-week, and in this way the kids can really see progress quite quickly, hopefully leading to them sticking with the sport and who knows, maybe one day representing Ireland at international tournaments!
Unlike more populated sports such as Soccer or Rugby, the road to representing their country is not as clustered or unrealistic in tenpin bowling, with a smaller pool of competitors in our niche sport, and for a lot of kids as they grow older this is a huge selling point for bowling. I myself prioritised bowling over Soccer as I grew older, with the knowledge that with hard work I could realistically represent my country at international level in bowling where I couldn’t in Soccer, and thankfully the decision was a good one, having now represented Ireland at international level more than 10 times across both junior and senior level.
But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves! First things first, if you have a child who is not so keen on more popular sports such as Soccer or Rugby, why not get in touch with your nearest Leisureplex Junior Bowling Club? You never know, the next Irish sporting star may very well be your little boy or girl!
To arrange coming in for your trial week, or if you have any further questions, please get in touch with your local club centre directly – all contact details for Blanchardstown, Stillorgan & Tallaght are available on our website. They will be delighted to help you and welcome you into their junior clubs at any time of the year!
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