Is bowling a dying sport? How to fix it?

[bowl1820]

Yes, TIMES HAVE CHANGED, but why not get back to basics? .

Why not? BECAUSE TIMES HAVE CHANGED. I agree with swingset insurance costs and liability issues. That's why they took out the play room here the insurance costs shot up.

want to help bowling alley's, then go to Real back to basic's. when people got babysitters to watch the kids and didn't demand every place provide free babysitting services them.

But that won't happen.

[sprocket]

I'd like to see a complete throwback league from like the 50's except that I would allow plastic or rubber but no urethane or reactive. Hopefully the lane machine would be able to oil in a way that would work for plastic. Every bowler would have to dress up for leagues. Nicely embroidered silk (or whatever they wore in the 50's) shirts and dress pants. Yes the shirts would be expensive. There would be fines for swearing and rules for conduct. How much interest would it get? I don't know; I might find myself with a league of one.

[ecub]

I'd like to see a complete throwback league from like the 50's except that I would allow plastic or rubber but no urethane or reactive. Hopefully the lane machine would be able to oil in a way that would work for plastic. Every bowler would have to dress up for leagues. Nicely embroidered silk (or whatever they wore in the 50's) shirts and dress pants. Yes the shirts would be expensive. There would be fines for swearing and rules for conduct. How much interest would it get? I don't know; I might find myself with a league of one.

You can always have a day of your league to be themed bowling.

[2fingerroller]

They already have those at my alley. Tuesday club 55 and the Spirit Mountain Casino Seniors. They both start at 1230pm so you don't have to look at or hear young people and they dont have to see you and be reminded of their own impending mortality.

[J Anderson]

My wife and I met through square dancing. With the exceptions of Darien, Bridgeport, and Westport, there was at least one at least one square dance club in each town from Greenwich to New Haven. Now there are less than ten in the whole state. Part of the problem was that teens were not given much of a welcome in most clubs. Part was that the people who were most enthusiastic about dancing got caught up in dancing at higher and higher levels and stopped going to dances where they would have to dance at the mainstream ( beginner ) level, or be in a square with beginner dancers. Add in the fact that in a whole night of dancing you won't hear one song less than 20 years old, you can see why despite all the positives of fun, exercise, and mental challenge, there's not much dancing going on around here.

As experienced bowlers, we need to be welcoming to both open bowlers and new bowlers, and support efforts to attract new bowlers.

[ArtVandelay]

I have another theory... What about US...?

How many times have you seen a thread complaining about etiquette? How many times have people yelled at the young kids and parents. Safety concerns are real, but how we handle ourselves has a major impact. Perhaps we need to take it on ourselves to never do anything that discourages a young one from fun.

I remember being little, if a stranger said anything disciplinary to me, I remember fear, confusion, embarrassment, etc. it made me uncomfortable. Imagine those feelings in a bowling alley.

I remember my first league experience. I was maybe a 130 average, and the 10 pin was my nemesis more than anything. But I was a drummer and my left arm is good. I could pick the 10 up about half the time by going lefty. Immediately I was called out. Thankfully it was by a fellow Masshole (in TX) and even though he was a jerk about it, I know Massholes and I can handle that. So it was fine, but it could have easily been my last league night if it were almost anyone else being that rude.

[Hammer]

If you think that THS patterns are too easy and that conditions should be made harder like sport then I think that you will lose even more bowlers then we are now. Not everybody likes harder conditions especially beginners. If they see it is too hard then they will give up. You need the THS pattern to keep some folks interested because not everyone wants a big challenge. After a hard day at work folks want something to relax them. If they bowl a hard pattern after work they will say that they are quiting because bowling is too much like work and not relaxing. If you feel you are not being challenged enough then go to a sport or PBA setup. Everyone has a comfort spot and if that is bowling on THS pattern then so be it. Everyone fits in where they are the most comfortable. I think what would make league night interesting just about anywhere is to alternate THS and sport patterns on leagues. You can have your so called to some easy night and then have a night that challenges you more. That way you get a taste of both worlds. So to me you need both the easy patterns and the harder patterns to satisfy more folks.

[Greenday]

If you think that THS patterns are too easy and that conditions should be made harder like sport then I think that you will lose even more bowlers then we are now.

I'm not saying all leagues should have sports patterns. But there should be more leagues with sports patterns. None of the local alleys near me have leagues or tournaments that use sports patterns. Everything is a THS. There's just no options for challenging yourself for a good game around me.

[bowl1820]

I'm not saying all leagues should have sports patterns. But there should be more leagues with sports patterns. None of the local alleys near me have leagues or tournaments that use sports patterns. Everything is a THS. There's just no options for challenging yourself for a good game around me.

If they don't use any sports patterns around there. Then you and some like minded others need to get together. Go and talk to the lanes, leagues, local association, the tournament directors and lobby for it.

Somebody has to start the ball rolling to get changes made.

[swingset]

If they don't use any sports patterns around there. Then you and some like minded others need to get together. Go and talk to the lanes, leagues, local association, the tournament directors and lobby for it.

Somebody has to start the ball rolling to get changes made.

This. The house owner's job (as far as he sees it) isn't to provide each bowler with his ideal challenge. His job is to make money and keep the lights on. He'll do what sells, 9 times out of 10. If you can convince the lanes that there is money to be made off of a sport series and get bowlers to lobby for that, they'll likely do it.