IMHO

If bowling is led by the current contingent of leaders....it is in more trouble than EVER. Every organization has leaders that are more concerned with 'justifying their existence in the universe' than moving the game back in the direction it needs to be. We have too many egos currently worried about the legacy and not enough individuals that truly want to help do the things, such as promoting and growing the youth movement. The PBA will more than likely be non-existant and more than likely any form of professional bowling will be over seen by the World Ten Pin Federation.

Bowling's loss of members is NOT due to equipment....unfortunately it is the easiest place to place blame, but it is the economy plain & simple. The issue with equipment is that the disparity between competitive lane conditions and what is deemed as THS is HUGE...and it is very difficult to be able to practice for it as PBA conditions are very difficult to duplicate. Today's youth are not concerned about getting better and going pro ...no reason to.

The game is in trouble and does look bleak for the next many decades to come...

I have never talked to an ex-bowler who told me they quit the game due to the high scores....it is always due to life and it's new responsibilities....job, marriage & children....or even injuries as in my case...but I have yet to run across one telling me it got too easy

I agree with this post.  In my later 40's now.  As a teenager, cable came with 20-40 channels as it expanded. My X-box was Intellevision which was the step up from Atari that my friends had. (supposedly).   There was no home computer.  MTV that played music videos 24 hours a day was the coolest thing on the planet.  Boy I sound old.  LOL  I got into bowling because I was a scrawny 5'8" kid with no chance at football, no height for basketball, and couldn't hit a baseball.  Bowling gave me a chance to compete.

 

Today, kids have a lots of other options available to occupy their free time.  And you can try all you want to get them into the game, but you face an up hill battle.  I'm not saying we should not try, but today, video games are more of what bowling was back in the 70's.  It's a chance to compete, when you lack the physical attributes that the normal sports require.  Everyone has an ego, and wants the chance to say they are the best at something.  That's what motivated me in bowling.  To practice and get better.  Because, I knew I had a chance to possibly be in the top of the sport.  Today, kids can do that in video games, and other activities besides sports.  So the ego can get attained in other ways.  Makes bowling harder to grow, and as the current population of bowlers get older, the over-all numbers decrease.

i realize in a way i came across as one sided towards the high scores i did (rico) have a couple people i used to bowl competitively with leave the game because its lost its challenge but most have as you mentioned left do to other life factors. I agree though that the state the economy as well as the modern convenience of computers, x box, facebook and all the other things kinds and adults would rather do than go out and compete in something is the biggest factor, in a way tho part of me still thinks like this if a kid can afford to go spend 60 bucks on a video game hell thats allot of bowling he could be doing instead of setting on his but getting more and more lazy. But thats me ive never been good with computers cause well until i retired it was a waste of time now im getting better. i see the game being nothing more than something to do every once in a while; when people would rather set in front of their computer for hours "Living life on social networking rather than calling or walking up to someone and having a conversation". If i could id take bowling back to wear it was when the factories were prosperous and the alleys were many to take your pick from but that time is dead and gone.

 

Edited by oldschoolbowler on 7/29/2011 at 0:22 AM