Lure of home Games is a driving force for Kieran

Having made his Team England debut at just 18 years of age on the Gold Coast, Australia in 2018. The Kettering Lodge Bowls Club player is looking forward to going back to training having been unable to do so since lockdown was initiated,

“Lockdown has really affected us and our sport, Rollings said.

“We have been unable to train or go to any lawn bowls facilities because they are basically run as businesses and they had to shut.

“They’ve only just been starting up this last week when the PM said businesses could start going back.

“So, practice and competition wise we haven’t done anything for the last two or three months and this outdoor season has been completely cancelled.”

With all National Competitions, International Series and the World Championships postponed until next year, Rollings has been staying prepared for when he returns to competitive action with regular talks with coaches and managers as well as the national governing body over the last couple of months.

He added: “When we get back on the green, training can then be more purposeful practice and more team building and bonding as we’ve done a lot of zoom calls with the international team around the psychology of the sport.”

However, despite these setbacks Rollings admits that the bowls community has come together during these tough times,

He said: “We are supporting each other and supporting new ideas and more communication within the sport to get things back up and running and do more to promote the sport as well which is good.

“Especially with trying to promote a younger generation, rather than the stigma of it being an olds person’s game, we are trying to push for a new generation sport.”

Taking on advice has been a major part of Rollings development during lockdown, especially as part of an athlete on the Sir John Hanson scholarship – a programme devised to help young Team England athletes in their development towards Birmingham 2022.

This has led to Rollings sharing mentoring workshops with Commonwealth Games England president Denise Lewis, which has given him extra motivation leading up to 2022.

Rollings said: “Knowing that we can go to her for support is fantastic, as well as hearing her experiences from the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games over her career and then sharing my experiences from the Gold Coast.

“It improves the way I can prepare going into 2022 as well as improving my mentality going forward.”

The lure of a home games looms large in Rollings’ mind, with both the extra pressure but drive to succeed a major factor going forward,

“Just thinking of 2022 and competing in front of family and friends and not just that but a home English crowd of people,” he added.

“Knowing they will be supporting will be emotionally hard when we step out in front of the home crowds, but once we are there and in the zone and we can hear the support I think the pressure is going to be 10 per cent more but the motivation is going to be 100 per cent more.”

To follow the fortunes of Team England athletes in the lead up to Birmingham 2022 head to the Team England website www.teamengland.org