Some people think if you make it a sport,,i.e. Sports Condition, that bowlers will cause an upswing in the game. The problem isn't with the conditions for most people. It's a matter of time and affluence of the society that has caused this not how easy or hard the game is. Talk to the average schmoe, which the game needs if to grow, and their not talking about how the easy conditions are driving them away but overall the commitment to other activities that affluence allow them even in a downturn economy.

   If any condition is keeping new bowlers out of the sport it is that the ambiance of the alleys.. smokey, bathrooms filthy, and the center is dreary. Let face it golf has a much cleaner environment overall than bowling as a whole.

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Bowling is for sissies..ask Bones...

I can't disagree with anything that's been said. One thing in addition to these that I recall hearing from non-bowlers is that they just couldn't comit to 8-9 months long leagues. Maybe shorter leagues would attract more of these busy people.
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kendog
avoids spare shooting at all costs
just throw strikes, and check your own spelling

It all lands in the advertisement that the bowling industries and organizations puts out. They should make an effort. How many times you read a press release or a TV AD from a bowling ball manufacturer showing the accomplishments of said bowler using his equipment in RENO. Like, "You can also be a Perfect 300 shooter if you had used my Conquistador Pearl bowling ball." and show the person that did it. Today's sport has to be promoted and people will follow if they are shown what they can accomplish in bowling. Show that in bowling the whole family can play together the sport in any type of weather. Can the whole family play together at one time, baseball, basketball, tennis, golf, scoccer and football without sitting somebody or waiting for the weather to be right one. NO.

Advertisement is all we need. It can be done if all the organizations and industries related to bowling will get together. Pool their PR resources and create a mass media bliz about the sports of bowling.

Let's bowl on the Moon, on Mars, at what was known as the World Trade Center for the unity of this country. Special events will create interest and people will follow. Make it a reality and they will come.

Media mass advertisements is all we need from the people that wants us to buy their products and keep it alive.

This is a very interesting topic.

I agree many people do not want to bowl the long seasons. Another reason (especially for the area I live) is cost. Some people do not want to pay $12-$20 for bowling every week. If you take everything else into account, drinks-jackpots-brackets etc... you easily drop $50 bowling every week. The prices cannot be helped and they will not go down. Utilities cost much more than they did 10 yrs ago, let alone 20 or 30 yrs ago.

The center that I run has an open play rate of $2 a game!!! $2!!! That is very inexpensive. Most centers around here are $2.50-$3.

I think that bowling just totally skipped a generation, and is actually on the rise again. There are many more youth and junior bowling leagues now than when I was younger. When my dad would go to league it was his night to hang out with the guys, and he didn't want the kids there, so I did not really get to be in a bowling alley to bowl until I was about 15-16 yrs old.

I am an advocate of making ABC (or USBC or whatever) requirements for legal lanes more difficult, but that is not going to be the answer to make bowling more popular. There are a couple of centers around here that most people that bowl leagues want to go. Averages tend to go up atleast 15-25 pins at these places. Some bowlers just flock to go there (herds.....*S*). They want those high averages, and easy conditions. Today's bowlers, particularly the younger ones do not want to actually have to work for or earn scores. You know, the same ones that would throw/slam/smash the video game controllers when things would not go their way.

I love bowling. I would bowl no matter the "scores" or "conditions". I just think that we need to show people that there are really great things involved with the bowling. At my center, in every league we have a family type atmosphere.

Everyone has an "answer", but we will never know what is going to work. I don't care if my local association gets down to one bowler (ME), I will be there every day!
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Owner/Operator
C-G Pro Shop


Edited on 5/18/2004 7:06 PM