A new respect for coaches

[Phonetek]

Yesterday was the first day of our kids league. We provide free coaching to them. I haven't taken the test yet to be a "certified" coach but I will be within the next couple weeks. The bowling center is paying the fees. I had to coach this girl, she's a little older than my son but she's a little on the slow side with a learning disorder. She's a very nice girl but she gets frustrated easily and confused quickly. She came with her own ball drilled fingertip. I was teaching her the push away.

I started with a one step drill and she kinda freaked thinking that I was making her no longer do a 4 step approach. Her dad was down there by her most of the time badgering her which didn't help. He got her very frustrated. My counterpart seen what was going on and made an excuse to get him away. After that I was successful in teaching her the push away in short order to where I could move to the backswing. She wasn't letting it get past her leg then forced it forward and tossed it on the lane. I was able to get her to let it swing a few times but not entirely successful.

I went and got a training ball which is less than 4 lbs plastic that kids throw down a carpet lane that we have. I let her take both home and showed her how to be down on one knee and roll it down the carpet. I think she understands how to do it. We let her take the ball and carpet home to practice with. After this drill I let her practice what she learned the rest of the league without further instruction. I didn't want to overwhelm her. Kids have a short attention span, especially with her disability I had to be careful that she wouldn't just shut down. By the end she did much better and I feel that what I showed her made a difference.

I didn't expect what I ran into my first time out doing actual coaching to someone other than open bowlers or my own kid. I have respect for those who do this on a daily basis, it's NOT easy and you have to be creative. Just like snowflakes, no two bowlers are alike. Kudos to those of you who do this all the time, you deserve it.

[Aslan]

Totally agree.

I'm smart enough to be a teacher...I'm experienced enough to instruct youth bowlers...but I wouldn't do it because I don't think I'd be good at it. Coaching takes patience and flexibility. Two thoughts from my previous coaches...both PBA Pros/former Pros:

"You have to adapt coaching to the bowler. If you keep trying to fit a bowler into a certain mold...eventually they'll give up."

"Most bowlers that come to me for instruction are either averaging <140 or >195. Low average bowlers aren't having success and know they need to get better. High average bowlers know they need to improve their game to score higher. Bowlers in the middle have all had just enough success to think they don't need coaching."

"Coaching, especially bowling, is about results. If a bowler is getting coaching and sees positive results on the lanes...they will continue to pay for coaching. But, as soon as that bowler starts to struggle on the lanes...they will stop getting coaching and go back to what they did the last time they scored well."

That 3rd one is important and why think so many bowlers never get better. Very few bowlers are willing to get worse in order to get better.