Lawn Bowling

We arrived at the lawn bowling location in a downpour of rain. After worrying that we would not get to bowl, the rain cleared and we were finally able to start our game! The first time I bowled the ball, I expected it to be like bocce ball. I quickly learned that these balls are weighted so that they automatically curve a certain way when you throw them. Once I understood that, I learned that I needed to hold the ball with the colored dot facing inward and aim about two feet to the right of the white ball. This time, my ball curved the way that it was suppose to but I threw it too hard and it went into the gutter. With the closely cut lawns, the balls roll really quickly so you do not need to throw it very hard. After a couple more tries, my accuracy and form improved tremendously. However, despite my best efforts, my team was the only team to end up with zero points at the end of the day. In lawn bowling, only the team with their ball closest to the white target ball, gets points. Then, for each subsequent ball they have closer than the opponent’s closest ball, they are awarded a point. For example, if a team has bowled two balls closer to the white ball than their opponent’s nearest, they are awarded two points. Although we never managed to bowl the closest to the white balls, we got closer and closer as the afternoon went on. I definitely want to go back and try again! What a fun day!

Netball

Finally, my first hands on experience at an authentic Australian team sport! Some of the girls that I’m living with at St. John’s College encouraged me to come out and play netball with them this Friday afternoon. I was hesitant because I had never seen a game of netball living in the United States. However, I am always up for a new sporting challenge! I hoped that with my experience playing basketball, I wouldn’t make a complete fool out of myself.

Just like my observations comparing cricket to baseball, I discovered that playing basketball did not translate as seamlessly as I had hoped into playing netball. In netball, the court is divided into three different sections and each of the seven players on each team are assigned positions that limit their movement on the court. Unlike basketball, only assigned “shooting players” can score. Instead of dribbling the ball, players can only take one step while holding the ball and must pass or shoot within three seconds. Although I am a good shooter in basketball, netball hoops are smaller and have no backboard. This makes it much harder to score! Accuracy is very important and the shooting players are exceptionally talented and spend a lot of time practicing. With the help of my Australian friends, I caught on quickly and had a really great time learning a new sport. Netball is really fast paced and high intensity which also makes it a great workout!

Cricket is like baseball?

Living at a residential college like St. John’s makes it easy to be exposed to a whole variety of Australian sports. One of the most popular sports during the Spring season is cricket. This Wednesday, the St. John’s team had a big game against St. Paul’s (one of our rival colleges). As an American who is clueless about cricket, everyone kept telling me that I would catch onto the game quickly because “it is just like baseball”. 

When we arrived at the field, I immediately realized that this was not true. Although both sports are played with a bat and a ball, my prior knowledge of baseball did not help me understand the rules of this foreign sport. As I sat and watched, I learned that in cricket there are only two batters that are playing at one time. Unlike baseball, the batters remain in the game until they are struck out and then they do not reenter the game. Then, another one of their teammates takes their place until ten of the eleven batters are dismissed. Once this happens, the other team gets a chance to bat while the dismissed team gets their turn to bowl (pitch) and field. Instead of scoring a run by running around the bases to home plate, the batters score by running back and forth to touch the crease without being dismissed. Although I feel like I understand the basic rules of cricket, there is still so much I have to learn! Despite the fact that it is very different from baseball, it is similar in the sense that it brings people together to cheer for their team and enjoy a great sport. 

Surf's Up!!

This weekend, I headed up to Jervis Bay for the ultimate and iconic Australian sport experience. We left Sydney from Central Station in the afternoon and drove four hours to a campsite right by the beach. After a night spent listening to the sound of the ocean and gearing up for the day ahead, we woke up bright and early to drive to our surfing lesson. When we arrived, we met our surf instructor and we were outfitted in our “rash guard” surfing shirts. The water was so warm that no one needed to wear a full wet suit. 

Then, we grabbed our nine foot long surfboards (made of a foam material that makes it easier for beginners to balance) and headed to the sand. We started the lesson by gathering in a circle around the instructor to learn all about ocean safety when dealing with potential rip tides, currents, big surf, and dangerous marine animals. After the short safety talk, we learned how to position ourselves on the board and paddle forward to catch a wave. It was time to hit the water! The whole group began to practice catching small waves and riding them in like you would on a boogie board.  

After we mastered the simple task of catching a wave, we regrouped on the sand to learn the next step of surfing- standing up. We were taught the correct way to “pop-up” quickly into a standing position after we caught the wave. Now, it was back to the water to try again. The first few times I tried to stand up, my board took a nose dive, flipping me into the water headfirst. After a couple more failed attempts I finally successfully stood up on the board and rode the wave in. It was such a liberating feeling! After the first successful ride, it became much easier and I was able to regularly stand up and ride the waves. I have such an appreciation and understanding of why surfing is such a popular sport in Australia. It is such an exhilarating experience and is a great way to spend some time in the sun doing something fun! I definitely hope to have another surfing experience during my time here.