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Author Topic: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult  (Read 5109 times)

ShermDawg

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Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« on: January 23, 2005, 01:28:57 PM »
i figured a new post needed to be made since no one has been on or posted in the last couple of days... i was just wondering who thinks that being a junior now just isnt worth it anymore and going adult is looking better and better as the days of being a junior goes on... i personally am waiting for Junior gold and thats it... i am done after that and its time to venture on new horizons.... as when i talked with Robert Smith... theres only so much you ccan do as a junior and i know i haven't odne it all... but damn... cna only stayb a junior so long.... i personally have one year left after this year (if i want) and i just dont see it being worth it... but anyways i was just wondering what is everyone take on this and if anyone wants to give out some pros and cons ofr being a junior and being an adult.... one thing bout being adult would be good is that when you put money into a tourrnament and place... you actually get a check in your hands rather than jump through hoops to get money out of a scholarship account.... but ya.. just wanted to start a new topic because the other ones are kinda old... and thats that....
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bowler257628

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2005, 09:31:16 PM »
Well our alley treats the youth fairly bad.. we dont get to much oil. I know ADJUST but sometimes you cant.. Going adult looks REALLY good.
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bowler257628

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2005, 09:41:50 PM »
Well the other thing is HANDICAP.. we had one team who we have 600 pins to at the start and our team still beat them.
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TJFreaky24

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2005, 10:04:33 PM »
I'm gonna have to take the other side on this one. I would stay a Junior as long as possible..if I had the choice. I'm 21 now, and this is my final season as a junior. The reason I love it so much? We have a great alley and great people in our league. We have a really tight knit bunch of kids. Everyone gets along pretty well and roots for one another. All season, it has been about who wins first place in our league. Everyone wants it. Of course you only get a silly trophey instead of money, but those tropheys have intrinsic value to all of us. Matchups are always competitive. We see a decent amount of oil from week to week. The owners love the junior bowling and do a great deal to support it. We have a City Junior Masters tournament coming up. The owners set up a weekly tournament for the youth bowlers on thursday nights. We throw 3 games of qualifying and then based on our scores bowl single games head to head for practice for the tournament. All this at no charge. From what I've seen on here through posts...Being in an adult league isn't all it's cracked up to be either. There is far too much emphasis placed on money and whatnot. Many people who bowl adult leagues take it far too seriously, and don't understand that this is supposed to be a fun activity as well. I also see it this way...Once you go adult, you can't go back to Juniors. I figure..use the time given to you to bowl juniors and get as much experience under your belt before you jump to adults. You have the rest of your life to bowl adults. Just my .02, but i'd love to see more replies on the topic...
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C300_Rye

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2005, 10:33:06 PM »
i might go because one of my friends is going cause he's 19 what do you think i should do and we have no oil in youth leagues and we bowl two games cause of the adult league coming in and there are so many more adult leagues
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stanski

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2005, 10:42:57 PM »
I'm sick of having to put up so much money for tournaments for no actual money in return, that is my one major gripe with being a junior. I look at payouts for adult tourneys, and they seem to have LOWER lineage, and much higher prize pools. How does that work out? Anyone have an explanation for that one?

I'm 16, averaging 209 in one bs league, and 219-225 in a scratch league, and I really am sick of making no money from league (although i did win a small scholarship amount from the first half in the scratch league). I'm really not sure on the regulations surrounding joining adult leagues at 16, anyone else have any insight into this (turning 17 in october, so that might influence this a little too)? Are there any rules in adult competition, or otherwise that I should be aware of about turning adult before 18? Another year might be an option, but at this point, I'd really like to go adult.


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BigMike_RevMaster

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2005, 11:27:58 PM »
well theres a lot of things that can go either way some areas it better to go adult in some other peoples enjoy what there leagues and stuff has to offer. in my area tournaments arent held much but i travel to other cities a lot. and in the summer i have state, JOG, and two other big tournaments and one gives out ring to the winners. theres just so many reasons to go and so many not too. one thing i always say is that adult will always be there and im in no rush for what they have. your only youth so many year so ill just stay for a while.

ShermDawg

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2005, 11:42:06 PM »
yeah i just think that the junior programs no matter where you bowl just arent what they used to be.... i think the bowling alleys care about the adult leagues and the stupid cosmic bowling because they make money.... junior leagues are like donations back to the community and that doesnt have to do with the almighty dollar so it dont matter to many bowling alleys except to the few that are really cool...  and i totally agree with putting money into a tourney and actually getting something back out of it rather than a trophy, plaque or certificate.... juniors is just definetly not what it used to be and the younger people that are coming up is just not what it used to be.... junior leagues 5-6 years ago were a lot better ... and more competition all around.... i just think going adult will bring more competition ... it might take away some of the intensity though because when junior you can get intense and stuff and adults just dont really do that all tha much... but then again that could be the next generation of adults to get loud and intense like no other.... who knows.... i just dont think juniors is worth another whole year.... this is it for me ... and i know for many others.... people who stay really have dedication to being a junior... i just think its time to take that step in my bowling career.....
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mumzie

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2005, 11:46:33 PM »
quote:
Once you go adult, you can't go back to Juniors.

Looking at it from far down the other side of the road - wait as long as you can. You (meaning jrs. in general on this thread) complain because - it's a dry shot - it's too hard - they won't put a sport shot out...

Waa, waa, waa. The only difference between Adults and Jrs is that you pay a LOT more to bowl adult, and when you whine, mom and dad don't care any more. Neither do your teammates.

Do all you can as a junior - be a medium fish in a little pond - until you can't stay any longer - like until you're 21. If any of you want to bowl in college, be sure you understand the rules BEFORE you bowl an adult league - it would be a shame to have your team dq'd because you didn't check it out before going adult.

Anyway - just some words from an "old" lady - been there, done that.
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CB

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2005, 11:49:18 PM »
Stanski
To go adult before you are 18 requires a parental consent form.  Basically your parent acknowledges that you are forfeiting the right to bowl junior again and my be putting amatue status at risk according to high school and college definitions.  

As for tournament entries vs prize funds adult city tournament costs $60, state $70, nationals $120 for singles/doubles/team/all events.  If you place in the top few, the payout is good, but most don't break even.  Especially when you add in travel expenses.  Most of the people I know make their money in sidepots or brackets rather then the tournament prize fund.


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ShermDawg

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2005, 12:04:45 AM »
exactly...... you pay a little more and you get a lot more back in prize fund...  i just think that there is a lot better treatment out there for adult bowlers... junior bowlers arent really cared about like adults truthfully... adults get the golden treatment while yes at first and in some junior programs people do care, Ventura County for example and Buena lanes are way awesome witht he junior program.... i dont know how it is really anywhere else... but i just think adults get better treatment ..... better prizes.... and more insentive.... like there is basically two junior tournaments throughout the year... JOG being the biggest and Vegas being the other... Adults have the mini eliminators, high rollers, regionals, pro tour and many other things.... i dunno.... just it seems like there is so much more to try and acomplish as an adult rather than junior... ao i figure leaving a year early wouldnt be bad... and you guys are saying stay as long as possible.... if you guys bowled juniors now you would not have much to qwant to stay for either... its really hard to want to stay when there are two big tournaments in the year.... just doesnt seem that ffantastic.... so we wil see what happens in the last 6 months of my junior career ...... and then on to adulthood
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J_L_B

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2005, 12:42:03 AM »
I suggest staying Junior as long as possible. Bowl as many tournaments as you can, sport leagues, JOG,  vegas, etc. The more experience you get as a Junior the better prepared you will be to donate as an adult and mark my word, you will donate. The fact is that bowling Juniors is much cheaper overall than bowling adult and the competition is much stronger.  Sure the payoffs are better, but it costs alot more to make more. So go ahead and turn adult , there are plenty of seasoned veterans waiting to take your money, including me.....
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BigMike_RevMaster

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2005, 01:17:48 AM »
hey Mason, i understand what you statng. like i said there are plenty of reason why and why not. the money is always nice since you actually get real money. but i figured down there on the west coast if you hold a good tourney a lot of good bowlers would come. be a nice little thing to bowl. another thats hurts the youth now a days which people say is that they comp gets lower cause a lot of good bowlers leave early. you know man you do what you wanna do it your decision im just giving you my opinion on what i think about it.

ShermDawg

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #13 on: January 24, 2005, 01:19:25 AM »
i think i will be taking some of your money jon ;-) no worries.... its just hard to stay down when i feel like i am done with juniors.... i even talked with robert smith bout it... he said once you reach a certain point as a junior there is no more reason to stay and try to go for the new goals in your bowling career.... he is surprised i have stayed this long and is urging me to go adult heh.... experience is the key i believe... and staying junior doing the same thing over again isnt gonna do it anymore.... its time to move on... and after this season its on.... going a season early isnt too bad considering ive known a lot of guys that turned at 18 and such.... so tunring when im almost 21 is a pretty good run i think.... oh and jon i totally drilled a blue messenger yesterday haha... thing is awesome....
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BigMike_RevMaster

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Re: Staying Junior Vs. Going Adult
« Reply #14 on: January 24, 2005, 01:46:53 AM »
i understand ya sherman you probably gots most thing out of youth and your coming out old by today standards. just go finish JOG off with a bang if you go. i just hate wheni see kids come out when there 16 17 i know a kid who came out who was 16 and he doesnt even avg 190. if there nothing special anymore around your youth stuff then youll be more happy with adults. i just wish more guys i know would think about more things than just i can make money in adult