Author Topic: Honor score etiquette (Read 4805 times)

Gizmo823 · « **on:** February 17, 2014, 11:58:31 AM »

Wrote a new article about this that should be up soon, but I was at a high school meet last week, and two kids on the same team both had the front 9, neither has ever shot a 300. The place was packed, mostly with parents, but when the first one got up and threw the 10th shot, the place exploded like he won the lottery. It was literally like being at Buffalo Wild Wings when Anderson Silva got knocked out, or at a bball game when somebody hits a half court shot to win a game, and yes, that was just for number TEN. He managed to get number 11, to the same response, and the 12th one was just short of a disaster, he managed to get an 8 count for 298.

The next kid got up there after watching and hearing it all, and promptly tugged his first shot an arrow left, but juiced it enough that he hit the pocket, still leaving a very flat 10. They weren't on my daughters team, but I know them both pretty well, was pretty disappointed for them, but I was kinda pissed at all the parents. There's already enough pressure, I mean they're kids first of all, never shot 300 before, this wasn't practice, wasn't league, wasn't even a weekend tournament, this was a high school league meet with local rival schools full of their buddies, with reporters from the paper, a local news crew, and with the pressure as high as it could possibly get, all the parents decide to heap on as much as possible before they'd even accomplished anything yet? Yeah, 279 in a league meet is huge, but of course we all know what they were going nuts about.

The kids may or may not have gotten it done anyway, but I still feel like the parents ruined a couple 300s for them. Seems to be the norm for parents at any high school sporting event, but I wish they realized they weren't helping, and almost actively worked to prevent the 300s. Shame.

Spider Ball Bowler · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:27:30 PM »

As a high school bowling coach, I don't think there is anything wrong with people cheering. I think to say that the parents going wild over a kid getting there or getting close is the reason why the kid(s) didn't finish it off, is a cop out.

Now, if a parent walked up to him after his 10th or 11th or whatever and was like hey if you throw a strike you're going to shoot 300, or someone announced over the intercom that there were possible 300 games on lane whatever, yea that would be pretty bad.

We had the same thing happen at our crossover jamboree on Friday. A kid threw the back 7 and the front 10. The place was going nuts. He was running back to his team after each strike and getting super high fives from his teammates.

Then again, what's the big deal? Honor scores don't mean anything anyway right?

itsallaboutme · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:35:54 PM »

Gizmo,

You have some wacked perspectives on some things, but this takes the cake.

Gizmo823 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:43:52 PM »

It's not a cop out . . but you're applying a perspective from an experienced adult to a kid . . I'm surprised they were able to let the ball go.

So after normal clapping and cheering to all the sudden having the whole house behind the pair going wild isn't as bad or worse than saying "300?" Like the kids didn't know what was going on? They all might as well have been chanting it.

Back 7, front 10 . . a bunch of strikes in a row has nowhere near the same weight as a 300 on the line, or else he'd have been able to get 2 more measely strikes . . but I digress.

Lol I don't know if you're trolling me or not, but cheering on a kid doing well is different from screaming and roaring about something that hasn't even happened yet . . just cheer normally until there's something to scream and roar about.

Quote from: Spider Ball Bowler on February 17, 2014, 12:27:30 PM

As a high school bowling coach, I don't think there is anything wrong with people cheering. I think to say that the parents going wild over a kid getting there or getting close is the reason why the kid(s) didn't finish it off, is a cop out.

Now, if a parent walked up to him after his 10th or 11th or whatever and was like hey if you throw a strike you're going to shoot 300, or someone announced over the intercom that there were possible 300 games on lane whatever, yea that would be pretty bad.

We had the same thing happen at our crossover jamboree on Friday. A kid threw the back 7 and the front 10. The place was going nuts. He was running back to his team after each strike and getting super high fives from his teammates.

Then again, what's the big deal? Honor scores don't mean anything anyway right?

Pinbuster · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:44:24 PM »

When I bowl next to someone who has the front 9, I'll stop till they get done or lose the chance.

As far as the cheering, that is way it used to be. Most of the house would stop when you got up in the 10th and would cheer/groan after each shot. It was part of the pressure of shooting one.

I don't have a problem with the cheering.

Lately the only time I've heard that type of cheer was when a guy finished off back to back 300's to start a league.

MrNickRo · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:45:23 PM »

I think that's just the environment of high school bowling. The girls side of college bowling had singing and chants at all times. It was horrible, but it's just part of the game.

I don't think the cheering 'ruined' their chances.

Gizmo823 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:50:18 PM »

Both kids afterwards said all the noise and attention got them so nervous they could barely stand up . . I don't know how it's a whacked perspective, it's basic psychology. Maybe they still should have been expected to keep cool and finish it off, but all I'm saying is that they got put under more pressure than they could handle, and they said as much.

Quote from: itsallaboutme on February 17, 2014, 12:35:54 PM

Gizmo,

You have some wacked perspectives on some things, but this takes the cake.

Spider Ball Bowler · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:56:30 PM »

Quote from: Gizmo823 on February 17, 2014, 12:43:52 PM

It's not a cop out . . but you're applying a perspective from an experienced adult to a kid . . I'm surprised they were able to let the ball go.

So after normal clapping and cheering to all the sudden having the whole house behind the pair going wild isn't as bad or worse than saying "300?" Like the kids didn't know what was going on? They all might as well have been chanting it.

Back 7, front 10 . . a bunch of strikes in a row has nowhere near the same weight as a 300 on the line, or else he'd have been able to get 2 more measely strikes . . but I digress.

Lol I don't know if you're trolling me or not, but cheering on a kid doing well is different from screaming and roaring about something that hasn't even happened yet . . just cheer normally until there's something to scream and roar about.

Quote from: Spider Ball Bowler on February 17, 2014, 12:27:30 PM
As a high school bowling coach, I don't think there is anything wrong with people cheering. I think to say that the parents going wild over a kid getting there or getting close is the reason why the kid(s) didn't finish it off, is a cop out.

Now, if a parent walked up to him after his 10th or 11th or whatever and was like hey if you throw a strike you're going to shoot 300, or someone announced over the intercom that there were possible 300 games on lane whatever, yea that would be pretty bad.

We had the same thing happen at our crossover jamboree on Friday. A kid threw the back 7 and the front 10. The place was going nuts. He was running back to his team after each strike and getting super high fives from his teammates.

Then again, what's the big deal? Honor scores don't mean anything anyway right?

Everyone feels that pressure when they're going to bowl a 300 game. It doesn't matter if people are cheering, or completely quiet, or whatever. I shot a 300 when I was 15. The whole house stopped and was watching and cheering after each strike in the 10th. If I wouldn't have gotten it, I wouldn't have blamed it on the people rooting for me to do it. I would have blamed myself for not being able to handle the audience lol.

Mine was bowled with a urethane ball in 1997. Accuracy counts, and is hard to do with wobbly legs haha

Spider Ball Bowler · « **Reply #8 on:** February 17, 2014, 12:59:01 PM »

Quote from: Gizmo823 on February 17, 2014, 12:50:18 PM

Both kids afterwards said all the noise and attention got them so nervous they could barely stand up . . I don't know how it's a whacked perspective, it's basic psychology. Maybe they still should have been expected to keep cool and finish it off, but all I'm saying is that they got put under more pressure than they could handle, and they said as much.

Quote from: itsallaboutme on February 17, 2014, 12:35:54 PM
Gizmo,

You have some wacked perspectives on some things, but this takes the cake.

And that right there is why HONOR SCORES MATTER! Some people can handle the pressure and some can't. These high school kids are throwing these juiced up balls on soft as can be conditions, so shouldn't they be able to finish? No, because there is more of just the soft conditions and juiced up balls that come into play when going for an honor score...

itsallaboutme · « **Reply #9 on:** February 17, 2014, 01:12:13 PM »

They had the front nine in the environment they were in. Everyone shouldn't sit on their hands and act like they are in church because they are kids. The group watching would have had the same reaction regardless of who it was up in the tenth frame. Somebody shooting 300 is still exciting to a lot of people, especially non bowlers.

Gizmo823 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2014, 01:18:44 PM »

Eh, screw it. Seem to remember a lot of support for Rash and Angelo with Bottlegate, and for Machuga with his little qualifying situation last year. Or the rack coming down on that guy's 12th ball. But saying the parents did more harm than good is a completely inaccurate statement. Yes people should be expected to perform under pressure, but if you're supporting someone, generally you try to help them out.

So what would the response have been if I'd have gotten on here and said, "Man, saw a couple kids in a high school meet choke hard on 300's last week. The crowd was going wild and their knees got to knocking and totally blew it."

I've got a pretty good guess.

Gizmo823 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 17, 2014, 01:19:50 PM »

And everytime I've had that attitude about something before, I've been crucified for it. What gives?

Quote from: itsallaboutme on February 17, 2014, 01:12:13 PM

They had the front nine in the environment they were in. Everyone shouldn't sit on their hands and act like they are in church because they are kids. The group watching would have had the same reaction regardless of who it was up in the tenth frame. Somebody shooting 300 is still exciting to a lot of people, especially non bowlers.

Gizmo823 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 17, 2014, 01:31:08 PM »

I'm not the cop out type, I'm not the excuse type, and I'm not the everybody gets a trophy type. I'm not saying they shouldn't have been expected to handle the pressure or learn from it. My point is that I find it rather bizzare that the parents and the crowd would intentionally increase pressure at a critical moment . . it's not even about the situation, it's the thought process that bugs me. Maybe that's what my deal is, I'm so far past the situation into theoretics and rabbit trails that nobody knows what the hell I'm talking about . .

trash heap · « **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2014, 01:44:45 PM »

Any sport has pressure. These kids have to handle it. They need to know it is not the end of world. This is a valuable learning lesson. Some atheletes get it, but most do not. Blaming this on the crowd is wrong and any kid that would blame there poor performance on the crowd is looking for excuses. I understand there are some exceptions; heckling and making noise trying to distract a kid while they are throwing is uncalled for.

Of course there is a lot of people screaming and yelling when basketball player is trying to make a free throw. This is the mental preparation side of any sport.

My daughter was getting heckled by the oposing team's parents when she was serving in a Junior High School Volleyball tournament. She is trying to focus and throw the ball, and hit it over. As she is trying doing this, parents are yelling "Miss!, Miss!, Miss!". The gymn was small and these peole where very close to her.

The better players of any sport get it and learn to remove the crowd from the situation. Some even learn to feed of the negative energy thrown at them.

In OP case, the crowd was behind the kid. They wanted to see him succeed. Nothing done wrong.

itsallaboutme · « **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2014, 01:51:46 PM »

What you can't understand is these are people that don't bowl, have probably never seen a 300 and they were excited. That can't be controlled. They weren't watching the chess club. Given the circumstances I don't see how you possibly expect people to react differently. It would be more disappointing if they weren't excited.

Yes, the kids had pressure. No different than the quarterback on Friday night with the stands full. If there was no one in the bowling center and they both shot 300 in front of only their teammates would it be as exciting?

There is a HUGE difference between cheering for someone and heckling a kid in Jr. High. Any adult that heckles a 12 year old girl should be punched in the ear.

Author Topic: Honor score etiquette (Read 4805 times)

Gizmo823

Honor score etiquette

Spider Ball Bowler

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itsallaboutme

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Gizmo823

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Pinbuster

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MrNickRo

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Gizmo823

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Spider Ball Bowler

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Spider Ball Bowler

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itsallaboutme

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Gizmo823

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Gizmo823

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Gizmo823

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trash heap

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itsallaboutme

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