Young guns Cody and Jayden Sylvester form an imposing force on the greens when they team up with 92-year-old Michael Gastin for the Hoppers Club. 84104_03 Picture: MATHEW LYN
By LIAM TWOMEY
THE Hoppers Bowls Club is proving age is no barrier on the greens.
In a club boasting 235 members young guns Cody and Jayden Sylvester are teaming up with 92-year-old Michael “Mick” Gastin under the Hoppers’ colours.
Bowls Club president Daryl Marendaz said it was great to have such a diverse range of bowlers after doing a lot of work to promote the game in the community.
He was particularly impressed with Cody Sylvester who has taken all before her since she began playing lawn bowls and has even been selected in the Under 18 Victorian State team.
“She is a young kid who is coming along really well and started at the club when she was about 13,” Marendaz said.
“What we have tried to do is promote the game to kids and if they’re interested hopefully they will be the better for it in the game of lawn bowls.”
At the other end of the age scale, Gastin has impressed all at the club with his longevity in the game.
“I’ve only been a member there six years myself but as far as I know Mick has been a member for at least the last 10 years I would say.
“He is a great old fella. Very humble, 92 years of age. He plays pennant every Saturday, plays social bowls on the Wednesday and comes down for practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays so he’s pretty keen that’s for sure.
“There aren’t too many people who can compete in any sport at that age group on a consistent basis. He is very good as well.”
Marendaz said the club would encourage more young bowlers to participate as the popularity of the sport continues to grow.
“I think what happens with kids especially in school programs is it doesn’t matter what they play, they want to be good at it,” he said.
“You don’t get a huge amount of young numbers but the ones that you do get, they become good at it reasonably quickly because they want to be good at it. The numbers that do come in generally do well. It’s a game of hand-eye co-ordination and if you’ve got good hand-eye co-ordination then you’re halfway there.”
