This week Bill Carne journeyed up to Whitland to chat to Katie Thomas, already a Welsh international and champion bowler at 16 years of age, and sure to climb to the top if she can maintain her current rate of progress . . .

IFever anyone was destined to play bowls, both indoors and outdoors, it has to be Katie Thomas because her parents and two older sisters have all been heavily involved in the games – and at 16 years of age Katie has already earned a reputation within both codes.

She set out as a lead in the summer sport in a rink at Whitland Bowls Club and now performs a similar role indoors at Heatherton as they play against sides from all over South Wales, is a champion player in her own right who has already represented her country in both versions.

Katie’s parents, Andrea and Glyndwr, have been playing a long time for Whitland and Pembrokeshire, utilising that wealth of experience to good effect as they both play as skips in league matches and are coaches who help bring on younger or inexperienced players.

Older sisters Hannah Hunt (now in Port Talbot and a previous Welsh under 18 and 25 levels) and Rebecca James have also been involved.

The family sporting connection is further continued because cousins Dan and Scott Newton are excellent rugby players with London Irish and Whitland respectively, auntie Ceri maintains an active watch on Katie’s progress and late uncle Roy would be thrilled to see his niece doing so well.

Andrea doesn’t play indoors but Glyndwr enjoys the winter game and started off Katie at Heatherton when he suggested a roll-up there and she took to the game almost straight away.

But by then she had been playing outdoors for some time after getting on the green as early as seven years old, but only after matches were finished and she was allowed to toddle on to the green and use her carpet bowls set to good effect, to the amusement of opposing players unused to seeing a nipper so engrossed!

It paid off, however, because Katie played as lead in her first league match before she was ten years old in a rink skipped by mum, who was able to give lots of advice, as did dad when they practised together.

Katie has been really involved ever since in the local league as they take on the likes of Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, Fishguard and Saundersfoot, who they beat by just two points to win the 2015 championship after beating the Seaside town twice during the matches they played.

But there was no doubt that the highlight of the season was Kate’s winning of the Welsh under 25s title.

“I had entered a couple of times before,” Katie told us, “but didn’t get past the preliminary rounds - so it was nice when I played my early games at Beaufort and did well to win them.

"I kept going really well to reach the semi-final, where I beat Emma Gittings from Berrieux by 21-15 on a rink near Lampeter to set up a final against Melissa Eskins, originally scheduled for Haverfordwest but we were unable to play on the day and it was postponed for a later date at Carmarthen.

"It took place on an afternoon when all the other rinks were taken up by a league match but my parents and Rebecca were there to cheer me on as I again won by 21-15.

"Now I'll have my trophy presented at Welsh Bowls’ AGM at the Park Hotel in Cardiff and it’s a nice thought that I've already qualified for the British Isles Championships which will take place in Bridgend next season.

Katie has also represented the Welsh under 25 team for the past three seasons now, as one of the youngest members in the squad.

"In 2013 I sat on the subs' bench but in the next season I was chosen and we played well - so I was disappointed to miss out on selection again in 2015 but things worked out well and I had a late call into the championships in Glasgow and I was part of a winning rink as Wales did well to come second!"

Turning to the indoor game at Heatherton, Katie has worked really hard under Glyndwr's watchful eye, and gradually mastered the slightly different technique so that she became an integral part of a squad which plays as far afield as Earlswood, Cardiff, Swansea and Llanelli - usually on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

As Katie gained in confidence and technique so she picked up her first silverware in the under 18 Welsh Triples at Llanelli, joining Ben Cloake and Cameron White in the winning team - and played for Wales in the annual matches against Scotland and England, winning a bronze medal at Abbey View in Scotland, with Ryan Mathias and Ryan Boot joining her in a series of mixed pairs.

Katie usually trains at Heatherton on Wednesday evenings with her father and they enjoy playing, despite the fact that they argue a fair bit because they are both so strong-willed!

In the outdoor season Katie sometimes trains with former Welsh ladies' president Cerys Hewlings and her partner John Roberts, both from Saundersfoot Bowling Club.

"John is very accurate and great at passing on simple tips that actually work, whilst Carys is inspirational with her approach to the game as she leads by example, and when I'm playing for the county I'm lucky to have advice from Ann Lewis, who has done it all in Welsh Ladies' Bowls.”

As usual with most young sports players, there have been disappointments en route; none more for Katie than coming runner-up in the Welsh under 25s singles but having the consolation that it would lead to selection for the World Championships at that level.

“I was really buoyed up by the thought and started training hard – but then we received a phone call to say the selectors had thought long and hard but considered I was a little too young!

“It was a body blow but after feeling sorry for myself for a couple of days it just made me even more determined and I feel I have a little more steel about my approach to matches, which is no bad thing!”

Ask Katie about future aspirations and it might need a little thought but when pushed she might say that the Commonwealth Games is an obvious target in the future – and who knows after that because bowls is an integral part of sport right through to Olympic Level.

And there’s one thing for sure – if dedication, determination and total commitment, allied to a canny bowling brain and tactical awareness, are anything to go by then we are going to hear a great deal more about the modest and pleasant young lady called Katie Thomas for a number of years to come in the world of bowls!