Mike Machuga actually gets what is behind the decline in bowling...

[mc_runner]

Standardized oil patterns would be a necessary start. Do that, then go from there. Baby steps will save the sport.

[ffemtreed]

While I mostly agree with what he said, I don't see how is views are intended to fix bowling. Does he think if conditions are tougher that bowling is automatically fixed? Yes the house cranker spraying the lanes averaging 250 is a problem, but there are many bigger problems that need to be fixed first. Things like sponsorships and higher payouts for PBA tournaments, some sort of incentive for your average league player to try and improve their game and become better bowlers instead of averaging 160 for the past 15 years. Why aren't many people joining leagues??? Do some surveys and find out and fix it, I know people I talk to say it cost too much, seasons are too long to commit to and league nights take forever.

While higher scoring in house leagues might be hurting the PBA, those high scores aren't really hurting leagues and leagues is where they need to start if they want to revive bowling to its glory days. To build the leagues you need to start young and get the youth interested throughout high school and college.

Just one example, I live in town that has a fairly large university in it and 3 bowling centers within 5 miles of campus but not one of those centers has a league aimed at college students. Even a fun completely recreation league would be a start. Bowling centers need to start sponsoring some high schools and promoting competition between schools. I know it comes down to money and those activities might not be the most profitable but if they want to keep the adult leagues filled up, they need to make an investment somewhere.

I am 35 years old and it pains me to see that 90% of the people in the leagues are older than me. Very few young people in the leagues, as these older members become unable to bowl sooner or later there won't be anyone left. There are not enough younger bowlers to take there place.

[ALazySavage]

Here is the thing with standardized and more difficult lane conditions; there are a few issues that occur when your typical lane conditions are too easy.

The first thing is that it hurts local tournament bowling. If you put out a challenging shot you will create too much of a difference between the house shot and tournament shot, the house bowler may not have a clue what to do and decide that they are not going to spend their money on these events because it is no fun or they are overmatched. On the other hand if you make the condition too easy it becomes a carry competition and your better bowlers may determine it isn’t worth their time.

The second issue relates to the following of the tour. If we are honest, bowling isn’t the most riveting thing to watch for your casual audience; it is based more on repetition and can become stale. If you make a smaller gap between tournament and some league conditions you may increase viewership from those who want to learn some other ways to play the lanes (they did try this with the PBAX leagues, but that was for a small niche group of bowlers).

I know this doesn’t directly address the new membership issue, but it could help keep current bowlers active in the sport and interested in tournament bowling as well.

[Aslan]

Things like sponsorships and higher payouts for PBA tournaments, some sort of incentive for your average league player to try and improve their game and become better bowlers instead of averaging 160 for the past 15 years.

The problem is payouts are related to ratings. If ratings are low, payouts will be low. It's a chicken and an egg issue. You can't generate interest with higher payouts until you have more interest to generate those payouts. Payouts used to be much higher because there were 50% more centers and the leagues filled the centers every weeknight. Pro bowlers were celebrities. Now most people bowl twice a year at a couple birthday parties and bowling is only on TV on an occasional Saturday on ESPN2 during non-college football season or live streaming on the internet.

Why aren't many people joining leagues??? Do some surveys and find out and fix it, I know people I talk to say it cost too much, seasons are too long to commit to and league nights take forever.

Again, chicken meets egg. League bowling requires commitment; financially and time-wise. People don't want to commit to 21-24 weeks and they don't want to pay $21 + $20 in beverages every week. But if you "fix" this by creating more no-tap, unsanctioned garbage leagues...you hurt the USBC...and make the sport a "joke". It's like cosmic and glow bowling. Do they excite young folks to come to the center 1-2 times a month and throwing 6lb balls as hard as they can? Sure. But is that "bowling"? No. Unless bowling is going to switch to a glow-in-the-dark PBA where the ball must go from gutter to gutter before hitting the pins to count...and balls are 6-7lbs...cosmic/glow bowling does NOTHING for the SPORT...it just adds some revenue to the center.

So how do we fix bowling? Get more people involved in leagues and sport bowling. But how do we make that appealing? Shorter seasons and cheaper leagues and easier conditions. Which, of course, ends up ruining the sport.

The bottom line is; people have an infintely increased number of activities now than they did 40 years ago. Whether it's more access to other adult sport leagues...the internet...single-parent households, two income households, less disposable income, the erosion of the middle class...ALL of these are FACTS and ALL have contributed to the decline of league bowling. And there's not much "bowling" can do about it. Mike Machuga is mad because he wants to be a pro bowler that can make a good living bowling and those days are long gone. I feel for him. I feel for the sport. But bowlers arent the only ones hurting. They are just joining a huge segment of the population of ironworkers, autoworkers, steelworkers, and factory workers that also wish they could make a good living but find themselves with less and less disposable income.

To build the leagues you need to start young and get the youth interested throughout high school and college.

Just one example, I live in town that has a fairly large university in it and 3 bowling centers within 5 miles of campus but not one of those centers has a league aimed at college students. Even a fun completely recreation league would be a start. Bowling centers need to start sponsoring some high schools and promoting competition between schools. I know it comes down to money and those activities might not be the most profitable but if they want to keep the adult leagues filled up, they need to make an investment somewhere.

I am 35 years old and it pains me to see that 90% of the people in the leagues are older than me. Very few young people in the leagues, as these older members become unable to bowl sooner or later there won't be anyone left. There are not enough younger bowlers to take there place.

I 100% agree. The sport hasn't done a good job of getting youth involved and hasn't done a good job at it since I can remember. Centers MUST take the lead on this and it's just not profitable enough so they don't do it. But nowadays, kids have SO much to distract them...SO much competition for their time...that to get them into a bowling league...you're gonnna have to partner with schools. You're going to need to have the USBC help centers fund it. The centers are going to have give up prime space/times.

And unfortunately, I think things are going in the wrong direction. Three examples:

1) AMF/Bowlmor/Brunswick "claims" to be committed to leagues...yet everything I've SEEN...enhanced interiors, closing down during the day, increased emphasis on bar/food prices, staff changeover where staff is reduced and the older folks are forced out...all Bowlmor strategies to make bowling alleys into "entertainment centers".

2) The USBC launched a big program to enhance youth bowling. They trained a bunch of new youth coaches (including me). And they recently ran their "kids bowl free" promotion during the summer. Yet while the kids did start bowling in greater numbers...it was just "joke bowling"...not "sport" bowling. Not youth league bowling. And the centers quickly adapated to this perceived hit to their pocketbook by temporarily raising prices on adult bowlers over the summer.

3) I've been trying to joing a league for Fall/Winter. The current center said they may not have room in their Wednesday league because the "...center has told the league person to limit the number of teams on Wednesdays because they are taking up too much of the center..." And now they've cancelled the Friday league...they claim because of lack of interest...but I have a feeling there were 8-10 teams ready to go but the "center" felt Fridays would be more profitable with the young adult casual bowling crowd and wanted the lanes.

Mike is mad at the USBC...and I agree with all of his points. But he overlooked two BIG players in this equation...Bowlmor and the bowling entertainment groups that continue to try and model their centers to appeal to young, hip, casual bowlers at the expense of sport bowling....and the centers themselves (Bowlmor or otherwise) that are looking at short term bar revenue from a big Friday college crowd and not seeing the bigger picture.

[Amyers]

It actually goes even deeper as far as youth bowlers go our centers had hugely successful programs late 80s-90s its the transition of those bowlers once they graduated that was the problem. 12 lane house 5 person teams full every week bowling on two shifts. How many of those bowlers from my age group at left 1 me and I left for 20 years. Mostly due to money somewhat due to time constraints. Now we have one shift 2 person teams and use 8-10 of the lanes. It's really sad to see the lack of interest but we do seem to be growing it some.

The other issue is peoples attitudes and reality. Last week I was bowling with one of the new members on my Sunday night league which is in its third week after his second game I was talking to him and he told me he thought about not coming tonight. Which surprised me because this league is a lot of fun one of the best I'm a part of. I asked him why and he said he had bowled so poorly the week before I had seen him throw last week 130-150 games. I asked him how long he had been bowling he said he bowled for 5 years and then took 3 years off and this was the first he had been back and I told him I though he was doing pretty well for just coming back. He said well not well enough to beat you and I said no of course with handicap if I bowl below average you've got a good chance. He said he wanted to be able to compete with the "Big Boys" I told him I understood that and I was just starting to get to that level myself. So I asked him how often he practiced. He looked at me and said "practice" I said yes how often do you bowl? Just this league was his answer. I just looked at him and told him if you want to bowl just for fun that's fine were glad to have you come in drink a few beers go home that's cool but why do you think you can compete with the top guys if you don't put any work into it? He says what do you do. I told him I bowl 2 leagues practice at least 3 to 4 games twice a week and work with one of the pro-shop guys at least once a month sometimes more. The answer I got I don't have time for that. Enjoy your beer was what I told him.

Really you think your just going to walk in the door pick up a ball and average 200+ what is wrong with people? If you just want to go for fun, camaraderie, an excuse to drink beer, or whatever I'm good with that. you can be my teammate even if I'm desperate. I won't bother you. I just don't understand why people think that they should pick up a ball and just do it and be great.