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Author Topic: I went to the USBC website and saw this....  (Read 26813 times)

xrayjay

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I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« on: October 25, 2016, 04:09:37 PM »
I was looking for a list of coaches in my area, just being curious to who they are.

Then I found this....

http://bowl.com/TheCore/Info/


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morpheus

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #61 on: October 27, 2016, 12:01:57 PM »
Bowling may never be as big it was...but sure ought to be bigger than it is! If the USBC isn't part of the solution to grow bowling then why are they a membership organization?
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Mbosco

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #62 on: October 27, 2016, 12:05:02 PM »
Because league bowlers still exist?
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trash heap

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #63 on: October 27, 2016, 12:15:35 PM »
Two points about this.

Quote
I have been on the Local Board for our association and didn't see a reason/need for me to be there as it was little more than a once-a-month-bitch-fest of old-timers complaining about the National governing body.

I have seen this with those on the local association board too. Sticking with the concept "Well we have been doing it this way for years, and we are not going to change!"

When you have people like that in charge, it is very difficult to get anything done.

Quote
So I decided to take a different path. I actually recruit new league bowlers myself. I take the time and effort to organize groups of teams for the local, State and National tournaments.

If bowling is to succeed and grow, WE as individuals are the ones who have to make it happen.

Last sentence needs adjusted.

We "need to work together" to make it happen.

Working as individuals is one of the reasons local associations are in disarray. Everyone wants to do it their way. Pride and Egos must be put aside and work needs done. Unfortunately this generation of parents and people, just don't want to get involved in anything.

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milorafferty

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #64 on: October 27, 2016, 12:19:39 PM »
Quote from: trash heap on October 27, 2016, 12:15:35 PM
Two points about this.

Quote
I have been on the Local Board for our association and didn't see a reason/need for me to be there as it was little more than a once-a-month-bitch-fest of old-timers complaining about the National governing body.

I have seen this with those on the local association board too. Sticking with the concept "Well we have been doing it this way for years, and we are not going to change!"

When you have people like that in charge, it is very difficult to get anything done.

Quote
So I decided to take a different path. I actually recruit new league bowlers myself. I take the time and effort to organize groups of teams for the local, State and National tournaments.

If bowling is to succeed and grow, WE as individuals are the ones who have to make it happen.

Last sentence needs adjusted.

We "need to work together" to make it happen.

Working as individuals is one of the reasons local associations are in disarray. Everyone wants to do it their way. Pride and Egos must be put aside and work needs done. Unfortunately this generation of parents and people, just don't want to get involved in anything.



I think we agree in concept, just not the wording.  ;D


We as single bowlers can make a small impact. But if we as a group of individual bowlers do the same thing, then the cumulative effect would be significant.
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Steven

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #65 on: October 27, 2016, 12:49:05 PM »
Quote from: morpheus on October 27, 2016, 12:01:57 PM
Bowling may never be as big it was...but sure ought to be bigger than it is! If the USBC isn't part of the solution to grow bowling then why are they a membership organization?

 
First, they provide basic services required of the membership. You may poo-poo it, but managing a national historical database and guaranteeing prize funds is important. Very important. And for this, you pay less than you'd toss at brackets for one night.   
 
All you've really offered is that the USBC should grow membership. That's nothing more than a strategy statement. You provide no concrete steps on how to accomplish this. It's not 1960 anymore. The world doesn't exist with nothing but 3 television channels and communication through rotary phones. Unless you've been living in a cave, people have thousands of additional choices on how to spend time, and they do. There is no easy answer and USBC doesn't have a magic wand.
 
I don't know this is so hard to comprehend.
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spmcgivern

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #66 on: October 27, 2016, 01:34:06 PM »
One more thing I would like to add.  Why does everyone feel USBC and bowling would be better with more bowlers/members?  Do more USBC members equal a better organization?

USBC has a set cost each year to perform the bare minimum according to their mission statement.  Any additional funds are used to fuel the future goals of the organization.  Right now, USBC wants to fuel the future of bowling as a sport.  Notice this isn't the future of league bowling or the future of more members.  Pushing bowling the sport into the same realm of respect and reverence of other sports requires a different view compared to the past.  It requires a different approach.

Perhaps the magic number of members is less than one million, or it could be 10 million.  If charging 500,000 members $50/yr gets them to the where they want to be, then that's what it takes.  It doesn't mean you can't go bowl.  It doesn't mean you can't bowl leagues and tournaments.  You don't have to pay the $50.  You can continue to live in your non-sanctioned world and enjoy your life.

Also, as stated earlier, today's association boards are not the best representations of the USBC's mission.  Part of the reason is people work, have kids and have other interests.  Doesn't mean they don't care about bowling, but at the same time they don't want to devote several hours working on the issues.  Because of this, the boards are dominated by retirees who are vocal and claim their experience means they know what's best.  I do agree they USBC needs to educate their boards and members to present the USBC better.  If there is one thing I am extremely critical of it is local association image, and at this time, it is below substandard.

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morpheus

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #67 on: October 27, 2016, 01:50:24 PM »
Quote from: Steven on October 27, 2016, 12:49:05 PM
Quote from: morpheus on October 27, 2016, 12:01:57 PM
Bowling may never be as big it was...but sure ought to be bigger than it is! If the USBC isn't part of the solution to grow bowling then why are they a membership organization?

 
First, they provide basic services required of the membership. You may poo-poo it, but managing a national historical database and guaranteeing prize funds is important. Very important. And for this, you pay less than you'd toss at brackets for one night.   
 
All you've really offered is that the USBC should grow membership. That's nothing more than a strategy statement. You provide no concrete steps on how to accomplish this. It's not 1960 anymore. The world doesn't exist with nothing but 3 television channels and communication through rotary phones. Unless you've been living in a cave, people have thousands of additional choices on how to spend time, and they do. There is no easy answer and USBC doesn't have a magic wand.
 
I don't know this is so hard to comprehend.

If they want to just be the governing body of the "Sport", I would completely understand their current approach to put so much emphasis on the sport of bowling. I realize it's not 1960, but I don't think the USBC got the memo because you can tell a lot about an organization by their digital strategy...or lack there of when it comes to the USBC. I will say this, it's hard to comprehend how there aren't much better education programs and coordinated marketing programs designed educate/acquire/retain members at the local level, when they invest so much of their resources in things like the PWBA, USBC Tournaments, and my new personal favorite...The Core.
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Steven

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #68 on: October 27, 2016, 07:27:01 PM »
Quote from: morpheus on October 27, 2016, 01:50:24 PM

If they want to just be the governing body of the "Sport", I would completely understand their current approach to put so much emphasis on the sport of bowling. I realize it's not 1960, but I don't think the USBC got the memo because you can tell a lot about an organization by their digital strategy...or lack there of when it comes to the USBC. I will say this, it's hard to comprehend how there aren't much better education programs and coordinated marketing programs designed educate/acquire/retain members at the local level, when they invest so much of their resources in things like the PWBA, USBC Tournaments, and my new personal favorite...The Core.

 
Talking about "education" and "coordinated marketing" sounds good in the abstract, but why does that mean in reality?
 
The bottom line is getting new people in the door. How you do that is really a grassroots center focused activity. It's going to differ based on geographic location and what incentives can be offered by respective local houses.
 
My primary center has has outreach programs to the local schools during the school year and summer camps during the summer. They've established shorter season leagues and incentives to new bowlers which include new shoes and a ball to new people who commit. There is no way this can be USBC driven because you're talking about decisions made by a local bowling business. You can't project responsibilities on the USBC that they have no way of independently implementing.
 
As Milo alluded to, the answer is to each of us individually to get new people into the game. It's simply not possible to do this at a national level.
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morpheus

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #69 on: October 27, 2016, 08:09:56 PM »
Quote from: Steven on October 27, 2016, 07:27:01 PM
Quote from: morpheus on October 27, 2016, 01:50:24 PM

If they want to just be the governing body of the "Sport", I would completely understand their current approach to put so much emphasis on the sport of bowling. I realize it's not 1960, but I don't think the USBC got the memo because you can tell a lot about an organization by their digital strategy...or lack there of when it comes to the USBC. I will say this, it's hard to comprehend how there aren't much better education programs and coordinated marketing programs designed educate/acquire/retain members at the local level, when they invest so much of their resources in things like the PWBA, USBC Tournaments, and my new personal favorite...The Core.

 
Talking about "education" and "coordinated marketing" sounds good in the abstract, but why does that mean in reality?
 
The bottom line is getting new people in the door. How you do that is really a grassroots center focused activity. It's going to differ based on geographic location and what incentives can be offered by respective local houses.
 
My primary center has has outreach programs to the local schools during the school year and summer camps during the summer. They've established shorter season leagues and incentives to new bowlers which include new shoes and a ball to new people who commit. There is no way this can be USBC driven because you're talking about decisions made by a local bowling business. You can't project responsibilities on the USBC that they have no way of independently implementing.
 
As Milo alluded to, the answer is to each of us individually to get new people into the game. It's simply not possible to do this at a national level.

Not possible...how do you think franchises work?
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Steven

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #70 on: October 27, 2016, 08:27:15 PM »
Quote from: morpheus on October 27, 2016, 08:09:56 PM

Not possible...how do you think franchises work?

 
Independently owned bowling centers are not franchises in any way. They are private businesses that have their own cost/profit structures, unique customer demographics depending on region, and their own thoughts on what they desire to grow and maintain their business.
 
No national body can impose their will on a business that goes against how they want to operate. It's a big reason why more stringent lane pattern specifications went down in flames. 
 
Any growth in traditional league participation will by definition have to be organic based on the what individual centers can and are willing to do. Somehow inferring the USBC can do this is simply not being real.
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morpheus

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #71 on: October 27, 2016, 08:49:15 PM »
Follow along...local association (franchise) sells membership and pays $10 to USBC (franchiser). It benefits the franchiser to make franchises more effective at selling so they make more money.

As for the grassroots theory, news flash it is not working so maybe consider a new approach.
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Steven

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #72 on: October 28, 2016, 10:27:26 AM »
Grassroots doesn't work? The center I referenced (and the other 3 owned by the same guy) are increasing league membership and are also increasing recreational traffic. It's all due to targeted grassroots marketing based on the specific demographics of the respective centers. The kind of outreach that would be impossible at the USBC level. Don't mistake your not witnessing this in action as 'not working'. It does.
 
If you honestly believe local USBC volunteers are going to function as star sales people, spending large chunks of unpaid time selling league bowling, you've been smoking too much of the wacky-tobacy.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2016, 10:29:11 AM by Steven »
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morpheus

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #73 on: October 28, 2016, 12:49:30 PM »
Quote from: Steven on October 28, 2016, 10:27:26 AM
Grassroots doesn't work? The center I referenced (and the other 3 owned by the same guy) are increasing league membership and are also increasing recreational traffic. It's all due to targeted grassroots marketing based on the specific demographics of the respective centers. The kind of outreach that would be impossible at the USBC level. Don't mistake your not witnessing this in action as 'not working'. It does.
 
If you honestly believe local USBC volunteers are going to function as star sales people, spending large chunks of unpaid time selling league bowling, you've been smoking too much of the wacky-tobacy.

First of all, sales was an analogy to demonstrate the concept of franchises which you so clearly do not understand. Secondly, the better associations are at educating, acquiring, and retaining members the more money USBC get so teach them to use social media to promote clinics, tournaments, etc. Coordinate social media marketing campaigns at the national level that drive consumers to local clinics and events.

I'm saying we are consistently losing more members than we gain for the last three decades...time to try something else because grass roots completely independent associations are not effective. No matter how many people you reach with grass roots, it will never match a coordinated effort with USBC, BPAA, and local associations.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN, IT DOES NOT WORK...IF IT DID MEMBERSHIP WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN A FREE FALL FOR DECADES.

Now back to your regularly scheduled madness doing the same thing expecting a different result....
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MI 2 AZ

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #74 on: October 28, 2016, 01:22:18 PM »
Quote from: morpheus on October 28, 2016, 12:49:30 PM




Now back to your regularly scheduled madness doing the same thing expecting a different result....



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morpheus

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Re: I went to the USBC website and saw this....
« Reply #75 on: October 29, 2016, 10:11:15 AM »
Quote from: Good Times Good Times on October 27, 2016, 07:49:33 AM
morpheus, you voted with your wallet this season and didn't buy a sanction card if I remember right?

That's correct, I am no longer sanctioned but stay active practicing twice a week and competing in unsanctioned tournaments. While I miss being able to participate with friends and family, based on principle I refuse to support an organization that's clearly incapable or unwilling to get membership growing again after decades of declines.
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