BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: racincowboy3 on November 01, 2009, 02:24:46 PM
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Hello all! I hope this is going to bring up some good conversation...
My pro shop guys and I were in the shop talking and another guy came in and we got on the topic of the USBC and the awards program. The current rumor is that the USBC is planning on changing it so that each bowler that registers with the USBC will be eligible one time and one time only for each award offered. This includes the 300 and 800 awards the 11 in a row award and so on.
If that be the case, there is already discussion of leagues not sanctioning with the USBC and another sanctioning body (or two or three) being formed.
I was wondering if anyone out there has any insight on this and/or wants to share there feelings on this matter.
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I have heard the same thing - I think that the USBC is moving towards more "lifetime awards"...
I suggest you visit bowl.com check out the awards..
However - I want to know how many people think the USBC is only about awards?
Because if you do - I want to bowl against you. Because if I want, I can throw the ball from 5 feet in front of the pins. I can make a strike worth 300 pins each, and open frames worth 500! If YOU foul, I can challenge your shot - but there will be NO enforceable playing rules - or should I say, no membership to an organization that adopts, amends, and enforces them...
Not to mention league training, guidance, and bonding.
And on, and on....
I've typed this same discussion several times - but if all people think about is awards - I'll be happy to fulfill their order for patches and awards for all they deem important.
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www.Shirts4Bowling.com
We Know What Bowlers Want
Home of the HAMBONE shirt!
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I always thought the awards for 11 in a row, pins over average, 298, 299 and many others were unnecessary. I believe the only rings should be given for 300's and 800's. One a season no matter how many leagues you bowl would be fine. If you want to give certificates for the other stuff that's fine but have the league secretaries print them out.
I believe the object of this sport is to strive for perfection. If that is the case why does this sport hand out so many awards for imperfection?
JMO!
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I could care less about awards being once in a lifetime, once in a season, ect. As long as I know I shot the score, then the award doesn't really matter. Yeah, I want a ring for my first 300, but after that, a plaque or certificate or something would be fine.
Where I think they really shouldn't skimp is the awards to the junior bowlers and the young kids. They are the future of the sport, and to them getting awards for their bowling is one of the coolest things ever. Those awards can be used to help promote our sport and help it go. Don't short change the kids...the more positive reinforcement they get about what they are doing, the better off they are. If it means some plaques and patches more than once a season, then so be it.
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University at Albany 2007
-Let's Go Danes-
ROTO GRIP - King of Them All
STORM - The Bowlers Company
Harry E. Inglis 3/31/1915 - 2/3/2009
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I believe the object of this sport is to strive for perfection. If that is the case why does this sport hand out so many awards for imperfection?
One league I'm in, I'd almost call a "starter league". We probably have 10-20 new bowlers each year join. Several of the 'second/third' year bowlers move to other leagues so we seem to be 'starting' new bowlers each year. Those folks are all smiles when they ( last season ) would get a patch for 75 pins over average, an all spares game, a triplicate and so on. It may well not be as important to you but to a "new" bowler it's a sign they did something to be happy and proud of. Those are the ones I feel have been snubbed by the USBC this year.
I know when I got my triplicates I was just as happy as the guys that got their 300's and 11 in a rows. To a "new" bowler it was a sign of doing something special. If you say you want to 'create' new bowlers it's not just the youth it's some man or woman that wants to get into bowling as well. They may not be here 20-30 years from now but anyone who gets into the sport should have something to show for improvement and special games/series, IMO.
Our local association has come up with patches to fill in the gaps that was left by the USBC and one would be surprised at the 'higher average' bowler that seems just as happy about that as the 'lower average' bowler is, one might be surprised who really misses those patches.
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az guy aka: R & L Bowlers Pro
rlbowlerspro@cox.net
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I don't know about the emblems and now the magnets. But the honor awards were considered going once in a lifetime. BUT the cost of the rings is based on the amount ordered by USBC. If USBC were to go once in a lifetime, then that price would no longer be available to USBC. Thus is was deemed too expensive for USBC to go once in a lifetime on the rings. Now USBC has a very confusing order form, which includes "add ons" to the rings. These are options that are not as expensive as going full gold. I'm not sure this is going to catch on. We have had so far a few bowlers choose some of the options. We've had, even so early in the year, more bowlers buy these options then order the 299 and 298 or 11 in a Row rings offered for sale after USBC did away with them.
Erin
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Where I think they really shouldn't skimp is the awards to the junior bowlers and the young kids. They are the future of the sport, and to them getting awards for their bowling is one of the coolest things ever.
I agree that the youth are the "future of the sport", but the award system for them is out of control this year. And I do not think it is teaching the youth anything about earning awards and recognition. This year a youth only has to bowl 1 pin over their average or average series to get an award. So if the kid has a 123 average, and they bowl 126, they get a 125 emblem for bowling two pins over their average. USBC has jumped onto the "everyone wins", "everyone gets a trophy" type mentality where the youth are concerned and "you're too old to get an award" for adults.
Azguy is right, the new bowlers, and many senior bowlers really enjoy and look forward to getting any award they can. I even have a couple bowlers that constantly inquire if this pick up or that pick up gets a patch. But now buying patches for all the discontinued USBC awards is not financially possible for our association. Our local assoc. already has some local awards that are different then the ones offered or were offered by USBC.
Erin
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I think we should get something for what we pay in sanctioning fee usbc is not hurting at all they just want to keep more money for themselves and not for the bowlers. I have never seen usbc step in and enforce any rules. Without usbc does that mean you can do what you want um no all you have to do is print out the rules for the league and abide by them like we do anyway if someone doesnt they get enforced the same way so mumzie is not correct in that. Just use the local associations that are around now only name them something else I am sure they would be more then happy to give out awards and keep the left over money
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I don''t know why someone needs an award for preforming the same feat over and over but the bonding of prize funds is worth the sanction fee all by itself, not to mention the ability to bowl in certain tournaments where sanctioning is required.
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"I don''t want to be remembered, I want to be forgotten"
Edited on 11/2/2009 8:21 AM
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Well, there is the bonding issue. Kind of an insurance policy for leagues' prize funds. Every year we seem to have at least one league with prize fund ...."theft, mystery, missing". Though I have yet to see a league get their money out of USBC. The procedure is very complexe and long.
Also USBC rules limit officers being on the same team. This often keeps families from ultimate control of leagues. Unsanctioned leagues sometimes have a very small group that controls all aspects of the league even including changing rules to suit themselves and who is eligible for prize fund at a moments notice.
Erin
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quote:
I have heard the same thing - I think that the USBC is moving towards more "lifetime awards"...
I suggest you visit bowl.com check out the awards..
However - I want to know how many people think the USBC is only about awards?
Because if you do - I want to bowl against you. Because if I want, I can throw the ball from 5 feet in front of the pins. I can make a strike worth 300 pins each, and open frames worth 500! If YOU foul, I can challenge your shot - but there will be NO enforceable playing rules - or should I say, no membership to an organization that adopts, amends, and enforces them...
Not to mention league training, guidance, and bonding.
And on, and on....
I've typed this same discussion several times - but if all people think about is awards - I'll be happy to fulfill their order for patches and awards for all they deem important.
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www.Shirts4Bowling.com
We Know What Bowlers Want
Home of the HAMBONE shirt!
But, Mumzie, leagues can certainly agree to abide by the USBC rules, even if no dues are paid to them. About the only service beside guaranteeing the league funds is taping the lanes. Even then, it's almost a passing over of the hands, a wave, as most houses go back to their own oil pattern once they pass the "official" inspection.
I'd say the guaraneeing, the bonding of the league funds is the most important servie offered.
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"None are so blind as those who will not see."
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Why does there have to be something in it for you? I give money to lots of things that provide no direct payback to me. We have become such a hedonistic society.
Why can’t the sanctioning fee be viewed simply as for the “betterment of the game� If you don’t like the direction of the USBC then get involved in your local association and try to move up.
The USBC is currently hemorrhaging money, no one is getting rich.
Do you want local, state, national tournaments? Champions crowned?
Team USA?
Junior Gold?
The women’s series on the PBA?
Do you want centers inspected to know that the playing fields meet specifications? Balls, pins, tested?
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Even then, it's almost a passing over of the hands, a wave, as most houses go back to their own oil pattern once they pass the "official" inspection.
Only if you give them warning you are coming. We don't.
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Do you want centers inspected to know that the playing fields meet specifications? Balls, pins, tested?
As far as center cerfitication goes. USBC incures no cost, zero, none, nadda.
The local assiciation covers 100% of that cost including the tools needed to to the inspections, take the zero lineage and read the tapes. Plus provides 100% of the man power to do this job, usually earlier then 7am on weekends.
So in your yearly dues there''s National, State( probably ) and local. The local part is paying for your lane certification etc......
Erin
Edited on 11/2/2009 8:04 AM
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The people complaining about the USBC do not divide the local, state, and national USBC.
They see the singular dues they pay at the beginning of a season.
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Why can’t the sanctioning fee be viewed simply as for the “betterment of the game� If you don’t like the direction of the USBC then get involved in your local association and try to move up.
Won't argue there. Not bashing the organization but what has it done ? It seems the only thing is a costly move and a cut in some sort of awards. If one wants to know why cut awards maybe look back 10-20 years to what bowlers were getting then. I know my wife has some great looking pins, year bars, those are nice. Maybe bowlers were 'spoiled' to awards and just seem to think no one really cares.
As I said, one league is first to third year bowlers, maybe 50/50 with 'long time' bowlers but there's a feeling that they are just needed for the money and nothing given back. I don't think the average bowler sees what their money is used for, the whys and where fores of the USBC and feels they are just a 'cash cow' for them.
Change is usually taken hard and some here just feel they are only wanted for their small fee each year and then thrown under the bus when anything they want or would like comes up.
It may be interesting to see next season how many leagues adopt their own rules, awards and just don't see the need for the USBC. Not saying they have to cave into every whim but some explanation of the decrease of awards might put some at ease and know why the changes.
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az guy aka: R & L Bowlers Pro
rlbowlerspro@cox.net
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My folks were huge bowlers in the 1950s and 1960s. You remember -the "heyday" of bowling???
The ABC/WIBC gave out a few awards, but the local associations, and primarily the proprietors - gave out the pins and patches for 200 games, 500 series, etc.
It wasn't the national group that took care of it.
We can ask that our proprietors go back to that - so that bowlers don't feel abused and want to come back. IF the bowlers truly feel that they are only there so the league can get money, they can leave - after all - if they're not getting entertainment, or exercise, or social interaction, or enough booze, they don't need to be there anyway!
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www.Shirts4Bowling.com
We Know What Bowlers Want
Home of the HAMBONE shirt!
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IF the bowlers truly feel that they are only there so the league can get money, they can leave -
It's not the league our bowlers are upset with, as with the OP, it's the USBC. Nice attitude. You'd fit right in with a couple nights leagues here, that's their attitude, you aren't good enough for them so go out the door. That's been told to me by more than a few bowlers that wanted to join a certain night's league. And people wonder why, in some areas, the number of bowlers is dropping.
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az guy aka: R & L Bowlers Pro
rlbowlerspro@cox.net
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The ABC/WIBC gave out a few awards, but the local associations, and primarily the proprietors - gave out the pins and patches for 200 games, 500 series, etc.
It wasn't the national group that took care of it.
We can ask that our proprietors go back to that - so that bowlers don't feel abused and want to come back.
I don't know of any centers that give out "center" awards anymore. IN fact many centers do not want leagues or tournaments these days. So getting the proprietors to pay for awards is not going to happen.
ABC/WIBC used to give out some decent pins and such. And I've also gotten some nice State pins/award, when the women paid state dues. Now there are no adult awards from state (though we, men and women, pay state dues) and only the youth get state awards. Our local assoc. has about a dozen patches/awards that are not duplicated by the USBC.
Erin
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You say that just pay the money for the better of the game its not for the better of the game nobody is getting crowned champion for state local or really even national tournaments because of the money we pay in to the usbc. We have state tournaments because we pay to enter the tournament we have nationals because we pay to enter that tournament just like local ones where again they make money I personally dont even see why the usbc is around I only pay because I have to to bowl I feel like I should get at least something for sanctioning. They bond the leagues prize funds yeah right several were stolen around here and never paid for by usbc thats why the centers got smart and now the banking is done through the bowling center at the end of the night the secretary pays the money to the bowling center and keeps track of it and the bowling center pays it out for the league to insure that nobody takes the money and spends it.
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my local association has stepped up since the USBC cutback and started their own awards. 300's and 800's get a nice shirt with which ever score you shoot, our association logo, and your name on the back if you want. also, for difficult spare leaves, century awards etc. they give out free games. i know it doesnt mean much to the folks like myself who have been bowling for 20 plus years to get a patch, but i remember how i felt when i got my first century award, it was something i was proud of. you must give new bowlers something to shoot for, even if it is a patch, free game, whatever.
and i also agree more than anything that youth awards must NOT be cut back! i dont agree with the everybody wins agenda(went through that coaching baseball for the local YMCA a couple years ago). kids today must learn how to lose as well as how to win.
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STORM:If You Hear The Thunder,Sorry,The Lightning's Already Struck!