IN his first year of competitive bowling, Turlinjah’s Damil Lafferty has been handed a sky blue NSW Combined High Schools (CHS) jersey.
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Lafferty, a year 11 Moruya High School student, was part of South Coast’s champion state team which won the title at Wagga Wagga in early August.
From a group of 80 bowlers he was selected to join the 15-person mixed team to compete at Port Macquarie City Bowling Club against the Royal NSW Bowling Association and Academy teams.
Lafferty said competing at a high level, one he had not played at before, was appealing.
“I’m pretty excited for another level of bowling and it means I get seen by selectors for national teams,” Lafferty said.
Lafferty had some minor success in his first competitive year as he and team mate Jay Breust from Narooma competed at the state pairs play-offs.
Lafferty began bowling two years ago when his family moved to the South Coast.
His parents operated a bowling club in WA where Lafferty “practised rolling” but did not play.
“I started playing with my pop at Moruya and I enjoyed the sport and liked the challenge of it,” he said.
Lafferty plays socially at Moruya on Wednesdays and competes in tournaments most weekends.
He is also a first-year member of the South East Regional Academy of Sport and spends up to two hours a week at Moruya working through drills and tactics which fine-tune his concentration and problem solving skills.
Lafferty believes bowlers need to be constantly thinking of the moves ahead and that they should expect their opponent to make a shot.
“You have to think ahead and consistency is a big thing as it creates more options,” he said.
“There is plenty of strategy and you need concentration and patience.”
Lafferty’s goal is to bowl for Australia and he recognises the dedication he needs to succeed.
For now, he relishes competing against the top Australian juniors.
“In this area it’s quiet for bowlers my age but it’s more competitive up north,” he said.
“Wollongong is my favourite place and there are Australian champions there.”
Lafferty was thankful for the help of mentors Ray Emerson of Moruya, and Commonwealth Games bowler Jamie Reynolds.