Glasgow 2014's Lawn Bowls DoubleGold Medalist, Alex "Tattie Marshall", with help from Active Schools tours around East Lothian Primary Schools.
The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games have been and gone, but the legacy is only just beginning in East Lothian with one of Team Scotland’s biggest stars working with Active Schools and using his success to encourage more children to get involved in sport.
Alex “Tattie” Marshall won 2 Gold Medals at the Lawn Bowls over the summer and has spent 6 days over the last 3 weeks working with Active Schools and touring around many Primary Schools around the authority sharing his success with over 5,300 children plus Teachers and Support Staff!!
What became known as “Tatties’ Tour” saw Alex stage a Q&A with every school in a Press Conference format, where for 30 minutes the children could ask any questions they like to the Double Gold Medallist. Throughout the incredible 26 schools, Alex was asked some great questions including “How often do you practice Bowls to make you so consistent?” and “When and how did you start playing bowls?” with some inspiring answers from the champion!
This was Alex first time answering questions in Primary Schools, and he was certainly caught off guard with a number of alternative questions including “Do you have any tattoos or piercings?” and was even asked by a Primary 4 “What way will you be voting in the referendum?”…I doubt he had to answer any of these questions in any of the Press Conferences he has been in before!! Like the true professional he is, he didn’t answer the latter question, but did admit he has no tattoos are piercings at all!
To end every Q&A session, Alex was generous enough to bring out his 2 shining gold medals and pass them around the class, so every child who wanted to touch and feel the medals was allowed the chance to do so! Who knows, maybe getting their hands on a Glasgow 2014 Gold Medal could inspire them on to great success in their own lives!
Active Schools worked tirelessly along with Alex’s employer (Crystals ltd) to organise a timetable to allow every school who was interested in a visit from the sporting star and would love to thank Crystals ltd for they generosity in allowing him days out of work to come an promote sport, and more importantly Lawn Bowls, in his local area.
Team Scotland’s success and also Alex’s tour of these schools has prompted a massive new interest in the sport of Lawn Bowls. Active Schools are now working hard to promote as many Bowls Clubs and sessions as they can.
With the Indoor Bowls Season just about to get underway in the next week, Active Schools have linked with East Lothian Indoor Bowling Club to host beginner’s sessions for as many children as possible, to come and have a go!
For anyone interested in playing bowls in East Lothian, contact Active Schools Coordinator Adam Martin on 07976378469, email amartin@elcschool.org.uk, or speak to your own Active Schools Coordinator.
