I would like to point out that treatment like this isn't universal.

In the Tennessee state championships, which were held in Smyrna, the Daily News Journal out of Murfreesboro dedicated two writers and a photographer daily to the event, and when Smyrna High School won the tournament, the picture and story ran on the front page of the paper -- not just the sports section. But it ran there, too.

In the weeks leading up to it, Smyrna won its substate round in Smyrna (made the front page of sports), and won the District a month before in Columbia (made sports front then, too).

A large part of why this happened is that the DNJ makes local high school sports coverage a priority. And any newspaper smaller than the largest metro dailies that want to survive another 20 years in this business WILL start doing it if they haven't already.

A smaller part of why it happened is one member of the DNJ editorial staff (and that would be me)is a league bowler, familiar with the terminology and offered advice to the sports staff on how to cover it. The more comfortable the staff of a paper is, the more likely they are to get out there and write.

But the DNJ also had competition from our larger cousin in Nashville, The Tennessean, who also had a writer and photographer dedicated to coverage.

So if you're looking for an "insider" tip on how to get this stuff in your local paper, here's how you do it:

1) Get a face-to-face meeting with the paper's sports editor, and the editor, too, if you can swing it.

2) Be nice. VERY nice. Going in there with a "Why don't you cover this?" attitude isn't going to cut it.

3) Point out the local angles of coverage.

4) Get the staff of the bowling center to work with the paper -- access to prime viewing spots, permission for the photographer to get downlane in practice to get action shots, WHATEVER.

5) Volunteer to provide someone patient to work with the writer on bowling terminology, so he doesn't feel like Donny Dumb*** when he's writing the article. If a writer thinks he's going to embarrass himself, he'll communicate that to his editor and they'll bury the story far inside the section.

6) And by all means, get the mamas and daddies to hold off on calling the paper the day after a story runs to complain that their specific kid wasn't featured.

Jess

JDT

These kids looking for recognition wonder what the problem is and all they have to do is look at you.  GIVE these kids some respect for what they do.  If you've got kids that want to participate in any organized sport support them.  If it keeps them off the streets, out of trouble and off drugs, help them.  Instead they get the opposite message from people like this.

 "I will match my teaching/coaching background against
yours any day. MS + 32 in Physical Education,30
years of teaching in a high school of 3,000 + students,
18 years of coaching experience, 12 years as an athletic
director. In that time I never heard of one college
bowling coach ask about a student. THERE IS NO INTEREST.
If there were, better athletes would push your students
into the background. You either have a license to teach
in your state or you don't."

No interest???

Prairie View A & M University-W NCAA I
   
Alicia Pete
P.O. Box 97, Room 31, Franklin Health Center Bldg.
Prairie View , TX 77446
alicia_pete@pvamu.edu
Sam Houston State University-M
   
Adam Marsh
2750 Lake Road Apt 6
Huntsville , TX 77340
littlecrunch2000@yahoo.com
Texas A & M University-M
   
Eric Manthei
Bowling Club
Sikirat Kazeem, 4250 TAMU
College Station , TX 77843
eric_manthei@yahoo.com
Texas State University-MW
   
Matt Phillips
3608 William Scarbrough
Schertz , TX 78154
matthewphillips34@hotmail.com
Texas Tech University-M
   
Sam Cuevas
3103 NCR 1640
Lubbock , TX 79416
samuel.cuevas@ttu.edu
University of Houston-MW
   
Bill Schwehr
274 University Center, Room 46B
Houston , TX 77204-3029
wwschwehr@central.uh.edu
University of North Texas - MW
   
Jennifer Smith
2912 Brighton Circle
Denton , TX 76210
peanutbuttr7@aol.com
University of Texas-Austin-M
   
Catie Boroff
600 W. 26th Street Apt. A302
Austin , TX 78705
csboroff@mail.utexas.edu
West Texas A & M University-MW
   
Max Seymour
WTAMU Box 60265
Canyon , TX 79016
mseymour@mail.wtamu.edu

Emporia State University-MW
   
Jo Kord
Campus Box 4062
Emporia , KS 66801
kordjola@emporia.edu
Newman University - M & W
   
Billy Murphy
3100 McCormick Avenue
Wichita , KS 67213
murphyb@newmanu.edu
University of Kansas-MW
   
Jim Waite
1301 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence , KS 66044
jwaite@ku.edu
785-864-3545
Wichita State University-MW
   
Gordon Vadakin
Box 56, 1845 Fairmount
Wichita , KS 67260-0056
gordon.vadakin@wichita.edu

Illinois State University-MW
   
Pat O'Connell
"Bowling & Billiards, Campus Box 2640"
Normal , IL 61790-2640
pkoconn@ilstu.edu
McKendree College-MW-NAIA
   
Gary White
701 College Road
Lebanon , IL 62254
gwhite@mckendree.edu
Northern Illinois University-MW
   
Gary Barnstable
1075 Ridge Drive #8
Dekalb , IL 60115
hshousetimes2@yahoo.com
Robert Morris College-W-NAIA
   
Dale Lehman
2315 Lydia Avenue
Zion , IL 60099
golferman36@hotmail.com
Rock Valley College (M)
   
Chuck Falconer
7377 Mill Road
Rockford , IL 61108
chuck.falconer@hs.utc.com
Rock Valley College (W)
   
Mike Hoglund
5331 Circle Ct.
Rockford , IL 61108
mehogl@cesco.com
Rock Valley College-MW
   
Chuck Falconer
7377 Mill Road
Rockford , IL 61108
chuck.falconer@hs.utc.com
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (W)
   
Shelly Morrison
205 Hodgens Mill
O'Fallon , IL 62269
morrisonsl@charter.net
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville-M
   
Bryan Winterbottom
24 Mt. Vernon
Fairview Heights , IL 62208
bwinter@siue.edu
Southern Illinois-Carbondale - M
   
Mike Rivers
700 S. Lewis Lane Apt. 1403
Carbondale , IL 62901
mrvenue@siu.edu
University of Illinois-Urbana-MW
   
Brian Stephens
207 E. John Street Apt. 201
Champaign , IL 61820
bstephns@uiuc.edu
Western Illinois University-MW
   
Randy Widger
23117 North Cherokee Road
Cuba , IL 61427
rg-widger@wiu.edu

Define better athlete?  Football players are not born knowing everything otherwise why would they need you?  What makes them an athlete?  What makes a figure skater or gymnast?  or a high school bowler?  The best bowlers are taught to be the best bowlers just as the best football players are taught to be the best football players.  They may not be able to bench 300 or stand out in the outfield and wait for something to come their way 3 or 4 times a game. You give me someone that wants to be a good bowler and I'll help them get to be the best their abilities allow, not tell them there is no interest.  These kids want to be part of something.  The something they want to be part of is good.  I would support kids if they wanted to play power pickup sticks if it meant keeping them out of trouble.


I'm not in 10th grade anymore and not intimidated by school teachers.  Some of the best advice I heard while in school was to push your teachers and demand the best.  They are there to teach you!  It's only your future they are dealing with.  Sit in the front row. Ask questions.  Learn, think and demand to be taught. I seem to remember having a math teacher that was a baseball coach or vise versa.  His idea of algebra was learning to figure out his tax return.  Just because someone has a license to teach does not mean they are a very good teacher.  It just means they have a license.

Smash49



--------------------
Smash49
robert@bowlersslidesock.com
Put Your Best Slide Foot Forward!!! www.bowlersslidesock.com
www.slsmdesigns.com/irvinghighbowling - www.strikingcatbowling.com

Agreed there is a lack of people wanting to coach high school bowling in the schools.  At least here is the fact that no one understands it.  I know at least one football/soccer coach that took it on and will be the first to admit he knows nothing of the sport.  Many teachers that are the volunteer sponsors only do it for the kids.  They know nothing of the sport.  You might as well handed them the cricket team.  Bowling people are necessary to get the schools to open their eyes and realize this is a good thing for the kids.   Some school districts are affraid of bowling, it may be the old reputation the sport has of being cigarette smoke dungeons and dirty.  I would like nothing more than to see high school bowling being taught by high school coaches.  At first it will be rough but that is what the volunteers, boosters, other involved parties will be there for.  How much flack does the swim team or the diving team get???  Football has the advantage of Football coaches being ex football players.  Bowling's disadvantage is Football coaches that are ex football players trying to be bowling coaches. I would like nothing more than to be able to help a school district and coaches of whatever sport become adjusted to bowling. The whole point of this thread is that kids want to do an activity and are looked down upon or not recognized for doing it.  The simple thing to do is recognize them for a job well done and let bowling grow within the schools.  Embrace bowling as a sport that almost anyone can play and may obtain higher skill levels as they learn.  What harm would it do???  It's not my job.  I own 2 successful companies and represent a third.  I like volunteering my time to help kids.  I do not need to be paid for what I do for the high school.  Who else will help these kids???   No interest just doesn't cut it.  There is interest but maybe schools for whatever reason have a problem but the kids they teach want to do it.

Smash49
--------------------
Smash49
robert@bowlersslidesock.com
Put Your Best Slide Foot Forward!!! www.bowlersslidesock.com
www.slsmdesigns.com/irvinghighbowling - www.strikingcatbowling.com