Everyone at SDS were delighted to learn that Head Bowling Coach Bob Dick has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to Disability Sport.
Bob is an advanced coach with over 30 years’ experience and has represented the country as a player on numerous occasions. He has coached and team managed both mainstream and para bowls over the course of his career collecting numerous accolades along the way.
SDS Chief Executive Officer Gavin Macleod said:
“Everyone at SDS would like to congratulate Bob on the awarding of an MBE for services to disability sport in the New Year’s Honours List. Bob has been the driving force behind the Para Bowls programme in Scotland for so many years and his experience, skill and vast knowledge has been instrumental to the success enjoyed at a UK, International and Commonwealth level. He is thoroughly respected by players, coaches, officials and volunteers across the sport and this award is well deserved recognition for his hard work and dedication to Para Bowls over so many years”.
In his own words, this is Bob’s story:
“I am absolutely over the moon to be recognised in this way, and, of course, it is unexpected, as all along, I have just wanted to make a difference, whether it is a bowler wishing to improve so that he/she can participate in bowling as a social activity, or whether it is these elite athletes, who can improve to take their place on the World stage.
However, it all started off many years ago when I qualified as a Club Coach, quickly graduated through the ranks to one of the Coaching Supervisors, before resigning from that post due to other commitments and taking my place on the Scottish Bowls Coaching Committee, serving my second term as Chairman, before it was taken over by Bowls Scotland circa 2011. All that experience helped me to gain the ability to be able to coach bowlers to the highest level in all aspects of the game.
The only job I ever applied for was to become the Commonwealth Games Team Manager for Men’s bowling at Manchester 2002. I was fortunate to get that job, and it proved to be the most significant factor in my bowling coaching career. Richard Brickley MBE CBE asked if I would coach the Disability Triple and I really thought that this would have been automatic, although that did not seem to be case. The rest is history, as they say, because the bowlers won two Gold Medals, one of which went to the PD Triple of Ivan Prior, David Heddle and John Robertson. Since that time, my role with SDS increased, but what I would say that any of the staff I have worked with, within SDS have always listened, and they have given me almost a free hand in improving Scotland as a Nation, whether it was on the green, or the increasing importance of statistical analysis, or team selection or on team management/coaching. I am eternally grateful for that support by SDS, but it certainly did pay off. At the IBD World Championships in Manly near Sydney in 2007, Scotland finished as the third best Country, yet it was a poor third. We needed to improve in South Africa in 2011 and we did by winning three Gold Medals and three Bronze Medals. When it came to New Zealand in 2015, Scotland showed how much we had progressed as a Nation by winning five Gold Medals and two Silver Medals For me, that was a superb performance, but that could not have been achieved without the support of SDS. The year previous to New Zealand was the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. We narrowly missed out on a medal in the PD Triples but did win a Silver in the VI Mixed Pairs.
I also have to thank all the Coaches we have trained throughout the years to assist the cause, but I always give special mention to Ron McArthur, my right hand expert with respect to VI bowling.
The elite bowlers from Disability Sport were taken over by Bowls Scotland in 2019. They have a massive task, and I can only hope that they can maintain, if not surpass, our achievements within SDS. It will not be easy, so I hope they will appreciate all that has been set up for them by SDS.
Finally, I have received many honours over the years, too numerous to mention or, in fact, remember These have come from East Fife indoor Bowling Club as Manager of successful Under 35’s teams and for running their Junior Section for 25 years. I have received awards from East Fife Sport’s Council, Disability Sport Fife, SDS over the years including the Glasgow Trophy in 2019, and I would have to look through the archives to list many of the others. There are others with tangible mementoes and these include the Scottish Sports Council, (For Services to Sport 1991), sportscotland Coaching Award 2011 (Disability Coach of the Year) and sportscotland 2017 Lifetime Achievement in Coaching.”
Many congratulations Bob on your thoroughly well deserved award.
05.01.2021