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International ambitions of youth bowling club

Bea Swallow
BBC News, Gloucestershire
Stroud Sharks YBC A group of 13 young bowlers alongside their coach. They are posing for a group photo in a bowling alley and smiling at the camera. They are all wearing matching blue shirts which depict a shark jumping out of waves. Stroud Sharks YBC
Young players say the club has boosted their confidence and enhanced their skills

A youth tenpin bowling team says it wants to develop the next generation of international competitors in a bid to promote the sport.

Stroud Sharks Youth Bowling Club (YBC), which trains and competes at Stroud Bowl in Gloucestershire, is made up of players of all abilities aged from five to 22.

The team gather every Friday evening for an hour of practice and coaching followed by three competitive games in the league.

Eloise Bartram, 18, said: "I don't think people realise how difficult it is. It's not just physically demanding, it's a huge mental game as well."

Tim Clarke Fin Clarke wearing a black and green bowling shirt and holding a small bronze coloured trophy. Tim Clarke
10-year-old Fin Clarke won the handicap title in the recent Stroud House Championships, competing against all ages

Club manager Simon Bartram said drawing in younger players can be "challenging".

"There's a lot of centres in the UK now where youth bowling clubs have dwindled away or stopped," he said.

"There just isn't enough interest, or alleys don't want to encourage them to bowl, which just feels a bit backwards. It's where it all starts, isn't it?

"You've got to have something from the ground up that helps build the team for five or 10 years' time."

Stroud Sharks YBC A young boy wearing Union Jack patterned trousers and a navy blue bowling shirt. He is standing in a bowling alley and has just thrown a ball, which is rolling towards the ten pins at the end of the shiny wooden lane. Above the lanes are large electronic screens which display stacked blue bowling balls. The pins are illuminated by pink and blue LED lights.Stroud Sharks YBC
The team gather every Friday evening to practice their craft

Ms Bartram, his daughter, has been member of Stroud Sharks YBC since it was formed in 2013.

"When I was younger, my friends thought it was funny," she said.

"It was quite common to have bowling parties just for fun, so it definitely wasn't like 'you're a sporty person'. But as I've grown up I realised this is a sport.

"I can honestly say from the heart that I love it, and it's nice to do something different. It really feels like you belong to a team."

Stroud Sharks YBC Mylo wearing the branded blue and white bowling shirt with a shark on it at the Stroud Bowl. He is bowling a purple ball down the lane towards 10 pins. Stroud Sharks YBC
Mylo came fourth in the Stroud Bowl House Championships on 18 May

Mylo, 12, began bowling for Stroud Sharks seven years ago and is now scoring at a semi-professional level, with a high score of 216 and an average of 140.

"My life has been bowling. I've been obsessed with it since I was a little kid," he said.

"I want to be a professional bowler who's going to be on TV one day, but I'm still working on my nickname."

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