How do you come back to a league?

[LOUVIT]

Many of you know I've been out of it for 25+ years. I think I want to do a winter league, Of course I have no average and right now I can shoot a 150 or a 220. What type of league do I look for and how do I get a card and establish an average. I am still not comfortable joining but it's not or never.

[bowl1820]

What type of league do I look for
Since your basically just starting out, look for a beginners league or a Fun league or one that is only mildly competitive. Go to the lanes and checkout the fall schedule, see what they have.

If they have a "Get a Ball" league that wouldn't be bad and you'd get a new ball in the process. A lot of options just have to see what they offer where your at.


and how do I get a card
when you join a sanctioned league, they hand you a blank USBC form the first night, you fill it out and pays your money. They'll send it in and eventually you'll get a card in the mail.



and establish an average.

That all depends on the leagues rules for entering averages, if you have no average what so ever. then you usually establish a average that first night after you bowl three games.

Example rules:
Rule 7. Entering averages of all players shall be determined in the following order:
a. Average established in this league last season, based on 21 games or more.
b. Highest average from the previous season in any USBC league, based on 21 games or more.
c. Current average from another USBC league, based on 21 games or more.
d. Bowlers who do not have a qualifying average outlined in items a-c will establish their average the
first session they bowl.
e. The maximum entering average per team is ______ (delete if this does not apply).

[ytlas]

Lot of bowling centers have daytime Senior leagues. Ideally you get into a summer league first so your commitment isn't that long or check out the leagues now for opportunites to sub and make connections

[LOUVIT]

Bowl 1820.
that can be dangerous...If I get lucky the first night I can average 200+...But I would guess it would average out with more games.

Ytlas,
I am already on a summer daytime senior practice league and have been recruited by some people for the real day league in the winter. It's only a buffet as the prize. Really not something to shoot for over 30+ weeks..lol. When I left NY for Florida I tossed all my trophy's for some stupid reason. I had drag racing and bowling trophy's.

[collinwho]

You can look on leaguesecretary.com to see if scores from previous years are posted. That will give you an idea of the scoring and competition level in any league you are considering. Your scoring range seems completely normal for most moderately competitive sanctioned leagues, so I wouldn't worry at all about fitting in if I were you.

[LOUVIT]

You can look on leaguesecretary.com to see if scores from previous years are posted. That will give you an idea of the scoring and competition level in any league you are considering. Your scoring range seems completely normal for most moderately competitive sanctioned leagues, so I wouldn't worry at all about fitting in if I were you.

good info, thanks:D

[fordman1]

Louvit exactly how old are you?

[taxexpert2]

Go to your local bowing center and sign up for a league. Ask them if it is sanctioned. If it is you will be able to get the sanctioning thing done the first or second night of a league. The manager or proprietor will help you find a league and will match you up with a team that needs a member or others who are just starting out at that center. Good luck and good bowling. Don't be shy just DO IT>

[LOUVIT]

61 fordman

[JasonNJ]

Bowl 1820.
that can be dangerous...If I get lucky the first night I can average 200+...But I would guess it would average out with more games.



That happened to me last season, first league ever and first week I averaged 218. Needless to say, my team didn't do well the next 2 weeks. Thankfully, you only carry the average for the first 3 weeks, then they calculate your true average weekly.

[Mike White]

That happened to me last season, first league ever and first week I averaged 218. Needless to say, my team didn't do well the next 2 weeks. Thankfully, you only carry the average for the first 3 weeks, then they calculate your true average weekly.

A league I bowled in caught me in both directions.

It has been a "use your book average" type league for years, then they switched to establish first week... I shoot 690.

The next year they went back to "use your book" and the first week I barely broke 500.

[fordman1]

Establishing an average the 1st night is basically bowling scratch. Totally unfair to lower avg. bowlers. Use that leagues average from last year if you had 21 games or over. If you didn't bowl in that league use highest book from the last 3 years of over 21 games. New bowlers who have never bowled in a league or haven't for over 3 years you could use that rule even though it is open to abuses.

[Mike White]

Establishing an average the 1st night is basically bowling scratch. Totally unfair to lower avg. bowlers. Use that leagues average from last year if you had 21 games or over. If you didn't bowl in that league use highest book from the last 3 years of over 21 games. New bowlers who have never bowled in a league or haven't for over 3 years you could use that rule even though it is open to abuses.

How is establishing the 1st night basically bowling scratch?

If you bowl games of 180, 210, 210, you average 200.
If I bowl games of 140, 185, 185, I average 170.

If we were bowling scratch, you would win all 3 games.

at 90% handicap, you're giving me 27 pins.

That makes my handicap scores 167, 212, 212, and I win 2 out of 3.

[fordman1]

I know how to play with numbers too. You bowl 3 170 games and I bowl 3 200 games I win all 3 games. By 3 pins each. Play nice now.

[billf]

Don't worry about your average. Unless it's a scratch league most teams that are competitive by nature will care more about you trying than doing every time.

[fordman1]

For every scratch league there are probably 100 H\C leagues. They will always be set up so the high average teams have the overwhelming advantage.
My leagues don't use individual h\c it is all team h\c. 90% from 1100. We don't get more than 2 bowlers a year that don't have any average to use. They are required to use 195 for the 1st 9 games. We check any 21 game avg. over the last 3 yrs. We had a sandbagger last year that sneaked through the cracks and was then rerated and ended up quitting. He would bowl in a bunch of leagues and always quit before getting 21 games. Never going to let that happen again.

My point is almost all leagues are H\C and if you are entrusted with the job try to do a fair one.