The Sessions

Program Overview

IN THIS SECTION:

  • Introduction to Sessions
  • Session Plans
  • Setting up for a Session
  • Session 1
  • Session 2
  • Session 3
  • Session 4
  • Session 5
  • Session 6
  • Session 7
  • Session 8

These pages provide an overview of the program including the session format, basic rules and tips for Lane Rangers to deliver a successful program. Access to the full lesson plan, including full videos are provided after approval of your Lane Ranger qualification – provided you’ve registered and completed Lane Ranger training.

INTRODUCTION TO SESSIONS
These sessions are designed to be delivered in a tenpin bowling centre but we can easily adapt it to a school or other spacious environment. Using portable ‘lanes’ carpets or any smooth surface ideally with a wall for the pins to crash in to, ‘balls’ anything that rolls from a tennis ball to a fit ball and ‘pins’ witches hats, empty drink bottles or wall target markings.

SESSION PLAN
All eight sessions are progressive, building on the skills taught in the previous session. Each session has a lesson plan that provides guidelines, key elements and coaching instructions to help facilitate each session.

Centres will have hard copies of all 8 session plans, but once approved Lane Rangers will have access to electronic copies through the Lane Ranger Portal.

Each session will have a consistent structure that will typically have the following,

  1. Intro and Theme
  2. Warm Up with Stretches
  3. New Skill technique
  4. Practice Time
  5. Games (up to two 5-Frame games)
  6. Review and Presentations

The sessions are more than just physical movement, remember to consider some of the other physical literacy elements, setting goals, encouraging others, waiting for our turn, working out how many more pins we need to reach a score, etc.

SETTING UP FOR A SESSION

Below you will find some points to help with setting up for a session

  • Check in with centre staff on your arrival
  • Spend time prior to the session setting up
  • Environment should be clean, tidy and easily recognisable
  • Turn music down and ensure good lighting
  • Scoring (names in system on correct lane)
  • System set to ‘practice’ mode
  • Have Session Plan and Activity Cards on hand
  • Wristbands & Activity ready

It is recommended that you login to the Lane Ranger Portal and watch Session videos prior to delivering the Session.

Session 1

THEME: READY, SET, GO!
The first session of the program is busy, for some participants it might be the first time they’ve ever been inside a tenpin bowling centre. There’s a lot to learn and it’s important to keep everyone safe. Explain basic safety about heavy balls, taking turns, slippery lanes and the ball return.

If you’re not in a centre, or you have some spare time, you might like to share some history and basics of tenpin bowling:

In our Lane Ranger portal there’s a video outline to accompany each session. It explains what is required by the Lane Ranger to ensure a great experience for participants. For the purpose of this course we’ve summarised these videos, access to the full length video and additional resources is granted after completion of the course and Lane Ranger approval.

Session 2

THEME: FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS
This session reinforces the three skills learnt in session 1 (Rock On fingers, Spiderman Release and Balanced Stance)  and introduces the off lane activities. There was a lot to learn in the first session, be sensitive to your group of participants understand that they’ll all learn in different ways.

Give good demonstrations, use the pictures on the cards and allow time to practice – with and without the ball.

OFF LANE ACTIVITY – BEAN BAG TARGET

Session 3

THEME: THE INSIDE TRUTH (BALLS, PINS & LANES)
This session we introduce the one step delivery and the theme is ‘The Inside Truth’. Participants get a closer look at the equipment like bowling pins, shoes and the inside of a bowling ball.

Learning to bowl is more than just the movement, by understanding our equipment, vocabulary and game-skills we become better bowlers!

Are your participants struggling? There’s more to celebrate than knocking all the pins down. Be sure to encourage every attempt; at correct technique, coordinating arms and legs, trying on the non-preferred side (e.g. left), encouraging other participants or being helpful and cooperative. A bit of praise can go a long way! “Well done”, “great attempt!”, “good try”, “that’s the way”, ensure all participants are receiving positive feedback.

OFF LANE ACTIVITY – KNEEL AND ROLL

Session 4

THEME: BEHIND THE SCENES
This session participants get the opportunity to have a tour of behind the lanes, checking out how the lanes, pin desk & back end really works. If your centre doesn’t allow this, or you’re not running the programs in a centre, there’s plenty of videos online.

The skill for the session is aiming for a strike by introducing some basic targeting.

Not all centres permit ‘behind the scenes’ tours of the pin setters, when it’s not possible, perhaps show the participants a video instead. Most centres will have a broken ball or pin you should be able to share with your participants, allow them to hold these items to understand the weight and shapes.

During the tour remember safety first:

  • Seek permission from the centre and have a staff member (e.g. the technician) and/or assistant accompany you
  • No participant should be out of the view of the Lane Ranger at any time – stay together
  • Absolutely ‘hands behind your back’ at all times behind the scenes, don’t touch anything, these machines can be dangerous.

OFF LANE ACTIVITY – ONE LEG BALANCE

Session 5

THEME: MAKING SPARES 1 (RIGHT HAND SIDE)
The theme for session 5 is spares on the right hand side. It is also the first opportunity for participants to learn the Four Step Approach depending on the progress of the group. Teach the group the Four Step without using the ball, teach the legs, then the arm movements before putting them both together.

Try to encourage all participants to give this tricky move a go and practice it before returning to their preferred style of delivery for game time.

OFF LANE ACTIVITY – TUNNEL ROLL
Maybe your participants can try the Tunnel Roll with the Four Step Approach? Don’t forget Rock On fingers and Spiderman Release while you’re at it! Practicing this way helps build the connection from brain to limb, this is how we learn and develop our skills to improve. Any attempt is a good attempt.

Session 6

THEME: MAKING SPARES 2 (LEFT HAND SIDE)
This session is making a spare on the left hand side of the tenpin triangle. Practicing this might look more like bowling a gutter ball – that’s okay, at least it’s heading in the right (left?) direction!

OFF LANE ACTIVITY – BEAN BAG TARGET
Try making the Off Lane Activity more challenging this session by increasing the difficulty for participants as required (Refer to Session 2 for Bean Bag Target Video and activity card).

Session 7

THEME: CHALLENGE YOURSELF
This is the ‘challenge’ session where participants try and beat their personal best. We revisit all the skills learnt in the program so far to create a total bowling package. What’s it like to set yourself a goal? How does it feel when you achieve it? What happens when we don’t? There’s plenty of thought in this session.

OFF LANE ACTIVITY – KNEEL AND ROLL
Try making the Off Lane Activity more challenging this session by increasing the difficulty for participants as required (Refer to Session 3 for Kneel and Roll video and activity card).

Session 8

THEME: BEAT YOUR GUEST
It’s the final session, participants should be encouraged to ‘bring a buddy’ or challenge one of the other participants in your group.

There’s one last opportunity to become a Bowl Patrol or Bowl Abilities graduate!

The best way to test what someone has learnt is by the process of teaching someone else. Be sure participants are given the opportunity to talk about the things they need to remember when they bowl (e.g. how to hold the ball, release techniques, targeting particular pins, strikes and spares, etc).

OFF LANE ACTIVITY
Let the participants choose their favourite activity or they can make up a new one to try (refer to Sessions 2 – 5 for activity videos and activity cards).

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUR PARTICIPANTS?
During this session you can let all participants know about any future programs, of course there’s no pressure to register but many will want to work through achieving all the band colours.

Chat to centre managers/coaches about offering additional coaching, leagues, practice or other bowling pathway opportunities.

What have I learnt? The most important part of each of the eight sessions of curriculum. The key themes and skills to feel confident on the lanes:

– Rock On fingers in the ball holes
– Spiderman Release arm action extending your wrist towards the pins
– A balanced stance, one step or four step delivery approach
– How to score, strike and spare
– Bowling with two hands

You’ll have access to the full videos and downloadable session plans in the Lane Ranger portal once your access is approved.

NEXT: Quiz