i applaud the idea of trying to get this sport back to where it was. i think there are a lot of factors. technology & easier patterns help make people think they know how to bowl. i have been around people who shoot 590-640 and complain to the manager / lane man, asking what they did differently. then they shoot 750 next week, and do you think they went up to those same people and said "thank you for the great shot tonight"? heck no!! when they dont score, its the center, but when they do, they rolled the ball great and over came the pattern. that bothers the living crap out of me.
i think another factor is the change in the environment with people who have kids that play sports. today, it seems like sports are done year round. my daughter plays travel softball and we have practices in the offseason, along with camps, and pitching practice. kids are choosing other sports, and are busy year round, and do not have time to committ to 30-33 weeks of bowling.
i dont know what the answer is to save this sport, but i do hope it can be saved and start to grow again.