Need some help...our high school bowling program, a varsity level sport, is run not by USBC sanction, since they will not force the kids to buy cards, is instead run by the state athletic association. Due to this format, the state athletic association feels it necessary to place match count rules in place to limit the kids' bowling participation during the high school season. This really limits where the kids can bowl and since the higher level kids bowl Junior Bowlers Tour during the year, they are asking these kids to decide between making scholarship monies for themselves or bowling for their schools. The limit only allows them 2 tournaments bowled during the 3 months of their high school season. This season time frame is approx. 1/3 of the JBT schedule.

So the question is: Does your state have this lunacy in place? If not, what do you suggest we try to do...Thinking a petition drive is in order...this is not fair on many levels IMHO.

What say you?

here in Illinois the kids in High School Bowling can't bowl ANYTHING outside of High School Competition. It's complete BS if you ask me. Choose to bowl High School with a chance to be seen by college coaches, or bowl scholarship tournies to earn your own money. (I could go on, but I am at work)

Here in Michigan the kids are allow 24 dates of bowling during the high school season. If I maintain the same schedule as last year, that allow the kids 2 tournaments outside of the high school schedule, so it ends up the same as your rule really.

It is really no different than the kids that play club baseball, basketball and soccer than can't participate with their club while the H.S. season is going on.

And we are talking the individual verses team sport angle as well...

i coached for several years in Indiana, it's not recognized by the state high school board and is usbc santioned. as far as the rules your refering too 2 years ago the kids were only allowed to bowl 6 coached practices per wk, that being said as long as the coach isnt working with a kid more than that per week no one said anything and they could bowl as many games as they wanted.

My recommendation is to find out what the goals of the students are.  I bowled collegiately and was also the coach (Was in my 30s.  I know, pathetic).

If the student has a goal of bowling collegiately, especially if they want to bowl on a prominent team, then ask the collegiate coach which competition would be preferred (JBT vs. High School).  We didn't have a preference, but we weren't a top school either.  And we were a men's team which is different. 

If the student doesn't want to bowl collegiately, then perhaps the JBT avenue would be better since he/she can make money for school. 

And last, if the student only wants to participate with his high school friends, then obviously bowl high school.

Just my opinion.  Bowling team events is great and all, but from what I have seen, the talent at a lot of the high school events isn't very high, especially compared to college.  I would like to see some higher level competition, such as JBT, if I had to pick students for a college team.

But since men's teams are club teams, as long as he is a member of the school, he has a chance to be on the team.  Then it comes down to individual performance through a tryout process to make the team.

I realize I was all over the place, just finished my coffee for the morning, so I apologize.  I just realize the chance of changing any rules at this time will be next to impossible.