If the high school has a bowling program, are there also coaches for the bowling team? Are there organized practice sessions for the team in which you can participate and receive some guidance? It surprises me there would be a bowling team at the high school with no coaching support at all.
We have a coach for the bowling team at school. The thing is, is that we haven't practiced over the summer because he said he would text everyone when he's available to practice with everyone. But he also focuses more on the people who play really good, mostly during the varsity games, but then again that would make sense so he could help them out during competition.
and herein lies the problem. Should the coach help out those who are further well off for the sake of competition and winning as well as prep them for their next stages (they are the next generation of bowlers)...
.. or concentrate on the new bowlers coming in, because they are also the next generation, are enthusiastic about the sport, and are actively seeking and wanting to be coached?
Both have advantages, but personally, I'd give a 40/60 split between the varsity players and the new people, with the bigger chunk going to the newer people. The varsity kids know more of the fundamentals and can pretty much figure out what they need to work on from eachother. But the new people; you don't want to drive them away from the sport due to lack of attention..
Here's an idea. As far as your club/team goes, get hold of your coach, and ask them to do this: If they can get the entire team together (Varsity and JV), get them together for a coaching session. For those on the Varsity team, this would be a great
MENTORING (read: peer to peer) session. In other words, the coach can't be in all places coaching you at once. This is where (s)he should depend on the kids on the Varsity team coming down to help out the JV side and get them some coaching or mentoring, especially in the fundamentals you need to get your averages and performance up.
Then when the coach is done with his Varsity side, he should be able to come in and take over from where the mentors left off, or even have them help the coach in the coaching. That way everyone wins: Varsity gets coached, JV gets coached, and the Varsity side helps in the coaching.
Outside of that, the killer right now is that this is the off season for you. With it being summer here, other things in life will take priority. But don't let that stop you from actively seeking any coaching. If your club's coach is USBC certified, then I would definitely go to an alley that may be hosting a summer youth league, perhaps even sign up for that league, but go with the intent that you're looking for a coach to help you in your development. That type of coaching should come with a USBC sponsored youth league, so if you are in one, you should take every advantage of that. From there, you'll get started on your journey.
Last thing: don't ever be afraid to ask questions! That's what the coaches are there for. If something you're learning doesn't look or feel right, ask about it, and and make sure it's right and what you need. The coaches should be looking out for your interests, not theirs.
Hope this helps, and keep posting if you have any other questions!
BL.
