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MICHAEL
11-16-2014, 10:33 AM
I have two grandsons that are 6 years old, twins! They go bowing with their Dad once in a blue moon with the bumpers up! Question: what is the best age to get a child started in bowing on leagues. They enjoy bowing, but really can't throw the ball correctly yet. Is there an average age for league bowing and kids?

Bradski9
11-16-2014, 11:11 AM
There are a few dads in my youth league teaching their little boys how to bowl, they can't be older than 5-6. I think around there is a good time. They probably don't need their own ball right away since their hands are so small.

MICHAEL
11-16-2014, 11:40 AM
There are a few dads in my youth league teaching their little boys how to bowl, they can't be older than 5-6. I think around there is a good time. They probably don't need their own ball right away since their hands are so small.

good point about their hands! It will be fun getting them bowling equipment, as get older, and can be fitted with bowling balls, and equipment!!

got_a_300
11-16-2014, 04:20 PM
Yes I believe around 6 to 7 years old or even younger
is the perfect age to get kids interested in bowling.

I have seen kids as young as 3 or 4 years old in our
center bowling with their parents and bowling pretty
good too.


















i

J Anderson
11-16-2014, 05:59 PM
I have two grandsons that are 6 years old, twins! They go bowing with their Dad once in a blue moon with the bumpers up! Question: what is the best age to get a child started in bowing on leagues. They enjoy bowing, but really can't throw the ball correctly yet. Is there an average age for league bowing and kids?

It really depends on the child. Our youth league has three divisions: Bumper, where we've had kids as young as 2 years old, Pre-teen, and Teen. For the bumper bowlers, the main goals for the coaches are to let the kids have fun, and learn to bowl safely. If a three year old is having fun seeing how many times they can bounce the ball off the bumpers, we let them. We do teach them to pick the ball up with two hands, to watch out for balls coming back, to not stick their hands into the ball return, to wait for their turn to bowl, etc. Some of the kids stop using the bumpers before moving up to the next division. The other thing about the bumper division is that it's broken up into 8 week sections, no need to commit a kid to a whole season if they find they don't like it.

There are three questions that need to be answered in the case of any child and league bowling:

Are they physically ready for rolling a 6 pound ball 70 times in the course of a few hours?

Are they mentally and emotionally ready for bowling on a team?

Do they ( not their parents or grandparents )want to bowl every week?

MICHAEL
11-17-2014, 12:49 AM
It really depends on the child. Our youth league has three divisions: Bumper, where we've had kids as young as 2 years old, Pre-teen, and Teen. For the bumper bowlers, the main goals for the coaches are to let the kids have fun, and learn to bowl safely. If a three year old is having fun seeing how many times they can bounce the ball off the bumpers, we let them. We do teach them to pick the ball up with two hands, to watch out for balls coming back, to not stick their hands into the ball return, to wait for their turn to bowl, etc. Some of the kids stop using the bumpers before moving up to the next division. The other thing about the bumper division is that it's broken up into 8 week sections, no need to commit a kid to a whole season if they find they don't like it.

There are three questions that need to be answered in the case of any child and league bowling:

Are they physically ready for rolling a 6 pound ball 70 times in the course of a few hours?

Are they mentally and emotionally ready for bowling on a team?

Do they ( not their parents or grandparents )want to bowl every week?

very good points! I know they love to bowl....I am not sure they are quit strong enough to bowl 70 times yet, but I have a feeling they will be by this time next year! They are going to be BIG,,, both mom and day are very tall! They don't like using bumpers,,, I found that out! Hard headed like ICE!! LOL

Perrin
11-17-2014, 11:11 AM
My girls started bowling at 5 and 9

MICHAEL
11-17-2014, 11:34 AM
My girls started bowling at 5 and 9 Post some pictures of them bowling.... might inspire my grandsons!! I will take some pictures of them next time out! Great that you bowl with your daughters!!!! It's going to be fun watching my twin grandsons and now grand daughter Emma, grow up! I hope to make bowling a part of their lives!! A fun part!!! Guess what their Christmas/Birthday gifts will be!!??:confused:

foreverincamo
11-23-2014, 11:36 PM
I was 9 when in my first league. Used a 9 pound house ball and house shoes. When I turned 10 I got my first ball, a 10 pounder. I was old enough at 9 for no bumpers ( they didn't exist anyways ). I don't know what the ages are for kids' leagues now since they have bumpers.

Perrin
11-24-2014, 10:30 AM
I was 9 when in my first league. Used a 9 pound house ball and house shoes. When I turned 10 I got my first ball, a 10 pounder. I was old enough at 9 for no bumpers ( they didn't exist anyways ). I don't know what the ages are for kids' leagues now since they have bumpers.

around here Bumpers are generally 3-5/6 then up to the youth league. Then 11-13 they go to a second youth league. The second league actually uses a prize fund similar to normal adult leagues but the prizes are scholarship money. it's a phased approach that seems to work well. and there are enough coaches that they are able to focus on different things in each level.

Mudpuppy
11-25-2014, 11:22 AM
Correct answer: as soon as they are born. If we don't breed the next generation the almighty sport of bowling and all related IceGods will disappear wiped from the face of existence not even a foot note in the annals of history. So if you are having a kid remember - as soon as the kid is born skip the nursery and all that hocus pocus doctor check up garbage and take them straight from the birth canal to the bowling alley. If they leave a 10 pin - take them back and trade them in because they are right handed, if they leave a ringing 7 pin you are golden.

bubba809
11-26-2014, 09:03 AM
My daughter is 3 and I started taking her when she was 2. Just put the ramp up (no bumpers) and she has a blast picking the ball up and rolling it down the ramp.

My son is 9 months... so he has already been fitted for his Bad A**.

rv driver
12-05-2014, 01:07 PM
Correct answer: as soon as they are born. If we don't breed the next generation the almighty sport of bowling and all related IceGods will disappear wiped from the face of existence not even a foot note in the annals of history. So if you are having a kid remember - as soon as the kid is born skip the nursery and all that hocus pocus doctor check up garbage and take them straight from the birth canal to the bowling alley. If they leave a 10 pin - take them back and trade them in because they are right handed, if they leave a ringing 7 pin you are golden.
Now... If we could just figure out a way to get them to bowl in utero...

rv driver
12-05-2014, 01:12 PM
Correct answer: as soon as they are born. If we don't breed the next generation the almighty sport of bowling and all related IceGods will disappear wiped from the face of existence not even a foot note in the annals of history. So if you are having a kid remember - as soon as the kid is born skip the nursery and all that hocus pocus doctor check up garbage and take them straight from the birth canal to the bowling alley. If they leave a 10 pin - take them back and trade them in because they are right handed, if they leave a ringing 7 pin you are golden.
You do have to watch that you don't get the umbilical cord caught in the ball return...

Hendu71
12-11-2014, 05:30 PM
IMO, whatever age they are coordinated enough and safety conscious enough not to hurt themselves or others (get their fingers crushed by other balls in the return, etc). Also, they must be able to lose without pitching a fit. My daughter was banned for the latter until she was a teenager because of that.

Mudpuppy
12-12-2014, 10:24 AM
You do have to watch that you don't get the umbilical cord caught in the ball return...

Good point, that's why I always carry a pocket knife

bobforsaken
12-23-2014, 05:50 PM
My son is 6 now and is bowling in a youth league. He started when was 3 running and throwing the ball with two hands down the lane and just loving the destruction of the pins like a typical boy. When he was still 5 he did the last two weeks of a bumper league and he learned to throw the 6 lb ball with one hand by running and dropping it. (IE his "plant foot"was his right foot with the ball in his right hand.. there was no slide) Before you knew it he was playing without bumpers. Still playing with house balls he broke 150 a couple of weeks before his 6th birthday using a correct 4 step approach. Got a 158 on his 6th birthday and a 179 the following week with his new 8lb ball.
He's still 6 and is now throwing a 10 lb ball... This past Sunday he recorded his new High of 189. (previous was 188). He's also big for his age, but the moral of the story is to keep them challenged if they like it. Don't set limits on them.. let them decide when they can't do something.

Konvict1982
01-15-2015, 10:22 AM
I know this is kind of an old post but it really depends on the youth volunteers in the league. For our youth league here the only requirement is that they can get the ball all the way down the lane without bumpers. Doesn't mean they have to every shot it just means they have to be able to get the ball from the foul line to the pin deck without someone having to go retrieve the ball halfway down the lane. We have 3 groups that bowl in our youth program ... Teens/200+ average youth (have a couple of younger kids that are really good and bowl with the teens), U12, and then smaller kids 4-6 y/o who average like 25ish but we have 2/4 volunteers/coaches with them teaching them how to bowl so they can move up with the kids that can get the ball down the lane better. This usually involves the basketball pass style where they hold it with both hands about chest high and push it down the lane.

So in the end I think it just all depends on how the youth league is set up and if they have enough volunteers to dedicate time to the smaller kids still learning.

Here is my oldest son's team after his first season bowling he is the one with the punch balloon ... they took 3rd out of 36 teams and the 1st and 2nd place teams were teens (summer league they don't divide them into age groups)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10620545_925525847462925_3867928366442959609_n.jpg ?oh=0071f57963baec539dbf5ab20300c485&oe=55358588&__gda__=1428280368_6d5510fc3f707d4d88e9b499fbdd028 7

Joann Myers
08-21-2015, 10:37 PM
Both my kids bowl and my youngest seems to be more proficient at it. I think it is an amazing site to watch kids bowl and think more kids should be able to get out there and bowl. Recently my nephew started bowling, he won a ribbon and wants to keep bowling. Sometimes it just takes a little encouragement to keep them bowling.

Lt Tom
08-22-2015, 02:48 PM
I really think it comes down to focus and attention span. All kids are different. None of mine are league bowlers (yet), but for example; one of my kids was not even allowed to ride around the block as a passenger on my bike until she was 12. She'd see a butterfly and forget to hang on! One was going on long weekend trips with me by the time she was 8, and one actually had his own dirt bike by the time he was 6. That last one definitely could have been bowling on a league by the age of 6. The first one, not so much.