Newbie! Greetings from the UK!

[dj_devillish]

Hi All,

I have been reading these boards for a couple of weeks and decided to take the plunge & register!

I am a 28 year old Bowler from the Midlands in England, UK.

I started bowling when I was 11 years old when I joined a YBC (Youth Bowling Club) in my hometown of Leicester. I quickly migrated to the 'Adult' leagues at the age of 12.
I love everything about the sport & wish the general population had a broader respect for the SPORT it is! I wish we could give bowling the same exposure it appears to receive in other parts of the world.

I had always bowled in Leicester apart from a couple of youth tournaments which gave me the opportunity to bowl at other centers.

Following a number of years happily bowling once or twice a week we unfortunately received word that my local center was to be closed, forcing all bowlers to move to another bowl in the city.
I didn't get on as well at the new center & felt it to be run by management that were not interested in league/tournament play which led the center to deteriorate and lose lots of players!

I decided to hang up my balls after a season as it wasn't fun any more! This saddened me to do but if it's not enjoyable then it's not worth doing!

Following a 4-5 year absence I was asked to return by my Father as his team was short of players. I decided to give it another go and achieved a small amount of success (Averaging 170+)

I plateaued very quickly and again, felt there was nothing more I could do while bowling at the only center within 30 miles so decided to quit once more for another 2-3 years.

I decided to actively progress my bowling intentions after this latest hiatus & broadened my scope to travel & bowl at other centers (as well as Leicester).

It quickly became apparent that there was a whole other world out there as I was greeted by consistent lane conditions week after week as well as defined oil patterns with clean back-ends!
I've not looked back! Now averaging 220 in Coventry & 210 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. I achieved my first 700-Series on 20th March 2012 & have since had a further 8!

I only took up bowling again in January of this year and couldn't believe I was able to add 40-50 pins onto my Leicester average.
I have now taken part in several tournaments with limited success but most importantly I am enjoying the sport again.

I have recently invested in the balls seen in my Avatar (Nexus Solid & Pearl) as they were a steal at my local pro shop following the release of the Aura/Meanstreak & after 2 nights of league play I know they are giving me the reaction I was looking for! I can't wait to unleash them onto the Sport patterns experienced during tournaments where I felt my previous arsenal to be lacking!

I have bowled 237 games in 2012 in all leagues & tournaments and my overall average is 207.9 so very happy with this! I have once again abandoned Leicester in favour of 'proper bowling' & look forward to trying my hand at centers up & down the UK as well as abroad if I get the opportunity!

I know that was a long introduction but hopefully you now know a little more about who I am and where I'm coming from!

I'm sure you'll see me around as I hope to become a valued member of the boards!

Sean

[Perrin]

Welcome to the boards

[75lockwood]

Welcome to the boards!

[striker12]

welcome to the boards

[Brother_jd]

Welcome.

[ArtVandelay]

I enjoyed your post! hahaha. But even more so, I enjoyed all the replies you've had so far. It reminds me of this picture.

In a forum, I think it's important to have members who can write a coherent thought! Welcome to the boards!

[billf]

Sean, welcome to the forum. It's sad that the inability of your local center to care caused you to quit the first time. I too wish that bowling was a more respected sport and had the exposure of the others. Nice to see you are bowling again and a lot of bowling at that. I also look forward to your participation on the differing topics. Have a wonderful day.

[MisterSinister]

Welcome, is it wrong that I read your post as if Jeremy Clarksons is saying it?