Beat Your Coach Day

[J Anderson]

Today our youth leagues had beat your coach day. We coaches got to bowl with ( against ) the kids. We were supposed to change pairs after each game, but my first game went so slowly that the kids on the pair I was moving to had to wait for me to finish. By the time we finished the second game the teams on the next pair over were well into the third game.

Except for a few whiffed 10 pins and chopped multi-pin spare I didn't embarrass my self too badly.

[billf]

Did any of the kids you bowled beat you? Sounds like fun to me.

[noeymc]

i remember when we did that my coach youth coach had a 200+ avg and was a awesome bowler so calm all the time no shot was un doable to him or so it seemed

[J Anderson]

Did any of the kids you bowled beat you? Sounds like fun to me.

If I understood the announcement at the start of bowling if any of the junior's beat any coach's score, they will be credited for having beaten their coach, even if the coach was on another pair. I think that those of us coaches who don't have a 200+ average were supposed to get handicap. I let the kids on my first pair of lanes vote on whether I would bowl right handed or left. They picked right handed, and my only right hand average from the last 2 years is my current sport league average of 168, so I'm not sure what my handicap was. I started off well with a 192, which I'm pretty sure that even with handicap was beaten by a girl on my pair whose score with handicap was 211. Second game started with a whiffed 10 pin followed by a pretty good looking ball that left the 4-6. I managed to throw a 168 that game and earn all but one of the kids on that pair an "I Beat My Coach". Decided to throw only my White Dot the last game and had a respectable 179.

It was a lot of fun, especially when one of the kids tried to trash talk me during warm ups.

[billf]

I will admit, I have about 4 or 5 kids that may be able to beat me. I'm talking scratch too. Some of these kids really get it and it's a beautiful thing to watch.

[J Anderson]

I will admit, I have about 4 or 5 kids that may be able to beat me. I'm talking scratch too. Some of these kids really get it and it's a beautiful thing to watch.

Several of our older youth bowlers also bowl in the sport league on Monday nights. Two weeks ago, one of them beat me 197 to 193 on Cheetah, scratch! And he's the one who has been having the hardest time adjusting to the sport league.

[billf]

A lot of negative things are said about the children of today,as I imagine is done with every generation. Yet I'm continually amazed at how some can manage to take a little advice and show such amazing ability. Even in the afternoons, with the lessons and helping with homework, I'm convinced most want to succeed and just need some guidance and someone to show they believe in them.
Don't take me wrong. I'm not blaming the parents. As a kid I never wanted to take my parents advice either and that still hasn't changed. Our roles, as adults shouldn't and can't be to just worry about our own families but also the children of our neighbors and friends too. It's time we took this "me, me me" society and turned it into "me helping society".

[J Anderson]

A lot of negative things are said about the children of today,as I imagine is done with every generation. Yet I'm continually amazed at how some can manage to take a little advice and show such amazing ability. Even in the afternoons, with the lessons and helping with homework, I'm convinced most want to succeed and just need some guidance and someone to show they believe in them.
Don't take me wrong. I'm not blaming the parents. As a kid I never wanted to take my parents advice either and that still hasn't changed. Our roles, as adults shouldn't and can't be to just worry about our own families but also the children of our neighbors and friends too. It's time we took this "me, me me" society and turned it into "me helping society".

"As a kid I never wanted to take my parents advice either and that still hasn't changed." As much as I like having parents come bring their kids on Saturday morning and watch them bowl, I can think of three or four of them that I'd love to send over to the diner for an hour while the kids bowl. These parents are giving their kids negative feedback almost every time the kid doesn't mark.

"someone to show they believe in them." It's amazing how many times when I make a comment like "I know you can make this spare" or "you know you can make this shot", whether it's a child I'm coaching or an adult that I'm competing against, they will succeed. Even if they had been making negative comments about their ability to do so earlier.

[billf]

I was attempting to show one kid the proper athletic stance. His father, who bowls league and has for many, many years, came over and had the kid stand with his feet shoulder width apart. He pushed his shoulder and said, "see, that's balanced. You can't be pushed over." I walked away saying nothing. I went over to some of the other kids. In front of five 230+ average parents he tried to chew me out. When he started to get loud I calmly interrupted him, "Eric, calm down. If that's how you want your son to bowl that's fine with me. That's why I walked away. Now, the only question you really need to ask and this is to yourself, do you want to teach him what you've learned over the last 25+ years and yet still only average 130 or do you want him to learn the right way so he can maximize his potential?"
I walked away again before he could speak. Every parent gave me a pat on the back as I passed them. Two weeks ago Eric asked me how much I charge to coach. I told him the kids are free. He said, "Not the kids. It's for me." I guess in the end, I even won him over.
This past Saturday one of the kids was crying. Tough kid crying on the approach. His dad is one of the 230+ guys. This kid is the youngest and only male of a great bowling family. We talked then and there and will again. He was upset because he hasn't had what he considers a good game in two months. He is 12 and is averaging 183 for the season. His dad thanked me later saying the kids really trust me, even beyond bowling. His dad is a good guy, good coach but his own son doesn't listen to the same thing coming from him. Kids are like bowling: frustrating as hell but you wouldn't trade them for anything.

[GeoLes]

Beat your coach day. Is that the same as leasing your coach out for a Mexican birthday party? -"Johhny, you hold the bat. Here's the blindfold. Now, here Coach, You hold the candy."

[GeoLes]

Did any of the kids you bowled beat you? Sounds like fun to me.

That is a great dynamic. Whenever I see a dad bowling with kids, I ask the kids if they can beat dad using their combined scores against his score. It usually gets a rise out of th kids.

(Dad, No so much :) )