A poll on what type of bowling alley you want

[SilverFear]

topless...topless....topless.

Topless bowling? hmmm... mayyyyybe.

wait... I'm thinking about some of the bowlers in my leagues... nevermind. I don't want to see topless bowling.

[classygranny]

Topless bowling? hmmm... mayyyyybe.

wait... I'm thinking about some of the bowlers in my leagues... nevermind. I don't want to see topless bowling.

hum...I'm thinking about some of the men bowlers in my leagues....also, nevermind, I don't want to see topless bowling either!

[Aslan]

hum...I'm thinking about some of the men bowlers in my leagues....also, nevermind, I don't want to see topless bowling either!

Yeah...there's already too much crackage from the male contingent...I agree no thanks on that.

[rv driver]

Instead of having another glow-light rock-n-bowl session, maybe we should offer FREE coaching classes for kids and teens (and adults, too, while we're at it). People really don't wanna go bowling and look stoopid in front of other people. It's not fun -- it's embarrassing. There's a mystique about bowling -- a secret knowledge kind of thing that serves to help accomplished bowlers form their "bowling club of players," but also serves to keep the uninitiated out. If more people had the knowledge and the technique, more people would have more fun bowling.

Also, not every accomplished bowler likes leagues. Why should the league bowlers get all the special attention? All that does is serve the purposes of elitism that serve to keep the "uninitiated" out. And then we scream about nobody being interested. The goal shouldn't be "get everyone into a league." The goal should be "get everyone interested in bowling."

[crimsoneyes]

Instead of having another glow-light rock-n-bowl session, maybe we should offer FREE coaching classes for kids and teens (and adults, too, while we're at it). People really don't wanna go bowling and look stoopid in front of other people. It's not fun -- it's embarrassing. There's a mystique about bowling -- a secret knowledge kind of thing that serves to help accomplished bowlers form their "bowling club of players," but also serves to keep the uninitiated out. If more people had the knowledge and the technique, more people would have more fun bowling.

Also, not every accomplished bowler likes leagues. Why should the league bowlers get all the special attention? All that does is serve the purposes of elitism that serve to keep the "uninitiated" out. And then we scream about nobody being interested. The goal shouldn't be "get everyone into a league." The goal should be "get everyone interested in bowling."

League bowlers should get special attention IMO because of the lengthy commitment to the house. the lineage that goes to the proprietor and its a consistent income. One thing I wish that one of my local houses would do is a deal for league bowlers (a discount or something) to get them to come in over the summer. not very many people here bowl over the summer. I actually bowl at a different house because they do 99 cent games on tuesdays all summer. i can go eat and have a couple drinks and bowl for under 20 bucks.

[rv driver]

League bowlers should get special attention IMO because of the lengthy commitment to the house. the lineage that goes to the proprietor and its a consistent income. One thing I wish that one of my local houses would do is a deal for league bowlers (a discount or something) to get them to come in over the summer. not very many people here bowl over the summer. I actually bowl at a different house because they do 99 cent games on tuesdays all summer. i can go eat and have a couple drinks and bowl for under 20 bucks.

Well, of course they should! Just not all the special attention.

[Aslan]

The goal shouldn't be "get everyone into a league." The goal should be "get everyone interested in bowling."

Disagree. What you're missing is the difference between sport and casual bowling. Sport bowling is dying. Sport bowling is what needs to be saved. Sport bowling begins in sanctioned leagues at sanctioned centers.

The other side of bowling is "casual" bowling. Casual bowling is all well and good...but it's not enough to support a center and can be very erratic. Getting more people into casual bowling won't fix the problem...it's only usefull to supplement league bowling and maximize profits. It's sport bowling where 60-70% of the center's income is generated and it's sports bowling that leads to more interest in the game, more sponsors, and a better pro circuit.

I'm not saying "discourage" casual bowlers. But if you can convince those casual bowlers to take it a bit mroe seriously and transfer over to the league side of things...now you have a steady customer and a steady source of income. Bowlmor and Main Street and all those places seem to think you can keep an alley open on just casual white collar folks coming out and throwing a plastic ball around a couple games while having a few drinks during happy hour. But in most markets, on most nights, those type of people are few and far between. You're competing with sports bars and movie theatres and every other entertainment venue/activity.

But if you can hook them on the "sport"...there's very few sports available to middle aged non-atheletic people where they can excel. Golf? Maybe a softball team? Maybe soccer for those with Euro/latino roots? Maybe a YMCA basketball league? Maybe beach volleyball if you're on the beach? But bowling ANYONE can do...and they can usually do it fairly well with only a small learning curve. All those other sports mentioned take some level of physical ability. Even biking or running takes some level of fitness. Bowling can be done by anyone at any age. THAT is it's inherenet advantage.

If you lose ONE league bowler...how many casual bowlers does it take to replace their annual income? (doing quick math)....22. You lose ONE league bowler...it takes 22 casual bowlers to replace him/her. THAT is why you focus on growing and keeping leagues vs. casual bowlers. And that is a conservative guess since I didn't factor in equipment. A casual bowler doesn't buy shoes, balls, bags, towels, shirts, etc...

[Aslan]

Here's a great idea to increase league participation...

Day Care centers.

What if? WHAT IF?

What if to attract couples to bowling leagues, the bowling center offered free child care during league play? How many couples fail to join a league because it's too hard to get a babysitter? Or too expensive to join a league AND pay a babysitter? How many couples with a toddler would like a "break" for a few hours on a weeknight evening?

You want to grow leagues AND increase female bowling participation?? There ya go.

How many centers could instantly fill a midday league of stay at home moms if they made it a sort of "play date" where the moms all bowl and visit while all the kiddies are cared for in a little day care center for 2-4 hours??

[circlecity]

THAT is why you focus on growing and keeping leagues vs. casual bowlers. And that is a conservative guess since I didn't factor in equipment. A casual bowler doesn't buy shoes, balls, bags, towels, shirts, etc...

Very true about equipment. During open bowling pro shops are a ghost town. Get them in a league and their going to want their own ball, shoes, etc...

[rv driver]

But if you can hook them on the "sport"...

This right here is the crux of the matter for me, and the reason why we should continue to focus on the casual bowler: If you can hook them on the sport. Where do sport bowlers come from? It's all right; you can say it: From casual bowlers. If you ostracize the casual bowler, league bowling will die from attrition. You've got to nurture (not ignore) the seed so it can grow into a plant. I agree that lanes make $$$ on league players, but you've got to grow those leagues from somewhere. Kids get interested in baseball by watching it on TV, by attending games, by getting into the baseball "world." Those kids ultimately play pee-wee baseball and little league, and grow up to be pro players. Problem with bowling is that there are few bowling games on TV, no games to watch live, and the "world" of bowling is driven -- not by spectator activity, but by participation. If you don't provide real opportunities for participation, they won't get hooked. That's why you don't give all the attention to league bowlers.