My view of bowling has changed over the last few years. I still love it, and I still feel that what makes it great is that it is something that families can do together from the ages of 2 until 102.
The problem is that it may not be too long before individuals, age 2 and 102, are throwing honor scores.
Please do not misunderstand me. I really do not mean to devalue the scores of today. I salute those that are still rolling the honor scores in our area. I still cannot roll a, 700, regardless of lane condition or equipment.
I am also not going to Brian Voss on you and list stipulations that must be done to “save the game.” If you are not aware of his most recent remarks, feel free to do a Google search to be enlightened. It has a great deal to do with, among other things, bowling with one hand and not two, limiting the weight blocks in equipment and the amount of oil that is used on the lanes.
This past week has just been a little more interesting, and it involves some folks that I have a great deal of respect for, even though in some cases it left me scratching my head.
Don Rice of Delphos has to feel on top of the world. It really would not matter the condition, for he is clearly one of the best in our area. He started his week last weekend teaming with Zach Sargent in the Doubles Division of their city tournament. In one of their games, the two of them got a great series, a 580, when each of them rolled a 290 game.
Later on this past week, Rice would up the ante with games of 300, 269 and 299 for a new house high of 868.
On the same evening, five young men that I respect a great deal would do something that may be even more noteworthy.
While Rice was rolling his 300, Taylor Booth (287), Dan Uncapher (201), Zach Pauley (228), Justin Starns (300) and Chandler Stevens (300) were rolling a team game of 1317, just a few pins off the house high.
What is more interesting is the University of Northwestern Ohio stars performed this feat when I was putting this story together. One of the big elements was growing belief that college might be the purest element of the bowling world, that and bantam juniors.
Again I am not going to go all Voss on anyone as too much of what he says is just way too scoring limited, but perhaps there is some merit. Individuals should not be leaving the lanes dejected if they do not shoot an amazing score. We are not professionals, even though an increased number of bowlers in recent years feel that they have those same type skills.
With the exception of maybe five or 10 folks in our area, you do not have those skills.
I do think the equipment that bowlers use to get to that level and even in some cases proprietors are not necessarily doing the game any good.
I spoke to a friend recently, and I concur with him that the argument that Voss makes that the high scores that are being bowled may well ruin the game. One example that non-bowlers and bowlers alike may be able to identify with is the video game Mario Brothers from a generation ago. It brought many of us hours of enjoyment working for high scores, then the book came out on how to master the game, and two things happened. We bought the book, scored high and got bored, or we discovered we would never be able to top the person who bought the book, and we gave up the game.
That is the rub for both me and my friend. He is a member of our Hall of Fame and, like me, wants the game to live forever. We both worry that if the scores continue, it may reach a Mario-like ending, last seen driving a scooter through mushroom land.
I will always have a deep respect for our bowling elite, who can do what I cannot begin to do. I respect that proprietors have to do what they are doing. I think Voss is a little left of center in his dream.
All that being said, my biggest take-away this season may be the efforts of individuals like the young men and women of Temple Christian as well as the youth who bowled on the teams in the bottom half of the West Ohio High School Bowling Conference, the most respected conference in our state. This would apply to the senior leagues, junior bantam leagues and most collegiate tournaments.
The individuals in the above-mentioned groups know they are frequently up against it. It’s a mix of “their day will come,” “their day has passed” and “I hope my day comes soon.” What they want ranges from a personal best to a realistic increase in my goal when I have mastered a new plateau of a personal goal.
You want to know what makes the non-elite bowler or the new bowler smile? Consider my remarks above, or take it from Amy Albert, who this season introduced new bowlers from Kenton High School to the sport/game.
“The kids loved it. It was a lot of fun watching them improve,” she said. “I love the sport of bowling, and I want to see it grow with our youngsters. I think it is great that we have young individuals winning PBA events as well.”
If that does not work for you, consider this: One of the better bowlers in our area, Drew Ambroza, of Shawnee, was just accepted into the National Honor Society. Another, Kylie Timmerman, has a leg up on being valedictorian at Wapak.
Just as the stereotypes of some are being dismissed, perhaps we can change some perspectives.
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