INDOOR BOWLS - Paterson Trophy to be hosted by Northland

As your children grow older, what you do rubs off on your children and indoor bowling is a sport where adults, children, even people with a disability can all compete on an equal footing because it's a skill thing - it's not strength that makes you a winnerBob McKinleyBLURB1How the times have changed in Northland indoor bowls.
The last time the Paterson Trophy was hosted by Northland, Bob McKinley represented the North Harbour team at the Kaitaia tournament.
When the tournament returns to Northland this July, McKinley will have been living in Kaitaia for more than two years and he will be into the latter part of his first term as president of the Northland Indoor Bowls association.
When McKinley arrived in Kaitaia, he hit the ground running.
"I already knew people, when we moved into the district, that we'd played against at tournaments in other parts of the country," he said.
It didn't take him long to offer to help out in the administration of the centre and eventually that led him to the presidency of the Northland association.
"I've been president at clubs and at the North Harbour association and I enjoy the role on a volunteer basis, meeting people and working together and planning things and hopefully achieving them and making a bunch of people happy," he said.
Hosting the Paterson Trophy will certainly be one of the highlights of the season, with McKinley comparing it to a showcase like rugby's Ranfurly Shield.
"It's probably the biggest thing on our calendar this year and we will be encouraging people to come down and watch the players, who are of a very high calibre, playing the next level up," he said.
The top eight players from each of the six northern districts play off in the northern zone playoff, with the winners going through to the national final in September.
The Northland Centre also hosts the Sinclair Cup in September at Kensington Stadium this year, with more than 200 bowlers expected as teams from Auckland compete against their Northland counterparts.
But the high end tournaments are just part of the centre's programme for the season.
"The game of indoor bowls is as small or big as you want it to be," the new president believes.
McKinley started bowling to take some time out from his family - but it soon developed into something more than an escape.
"In the early 1980s, we had a young family and it was an opportunity for dad to get out for a night and have his own night-time activity.
"My neighbour played and the two men would go out and leave the ladies home with the kids and have a few hours to ourselves," he recalls.
But the family soon followed him into the sport.
"As your children grow older, what you do rubs off on your children and indoor bowling is a sport where adults, children, even people with a disability can all compete on an equal footing because it's a skill thing - it's not strength that makes you a winner."
McKinley names a President's 16 to play the shadow Northland team for the traditional season opener on March 29 at Badminton Hall in Whangarei.
Northern regional coach Craig Whiteside visits the area for three coaching sessions next week. He will be at Kauri Hall next Monday evening, at Moerewa Hall next Tuesday and at Dalmation Hall in Dargaville on Wednesday 11.