The Cornerstone
The Foundation Newsletter
Volume 15, Issue 9 September 2011
"The crisis is upon us, friends. Our sport is in trouble. Many of you, that love the game as we do, will look at the crisis like a friend who is in trouble and needs our help. We must not shrink from the task before us, we should welcome it. It is 'our' generation that has been called to the challenge. If not now, when? If not us, who?"
The Foundation
“One World, One Game”
__________________________________
Letter from the Editor
The Business of Making Money
When I wrote my editorial regarding the Women’s US Open last month, I strictly spoke from the point of view that the talents of elite athletes should be showcased. With the easier lane pattern that was used during the USWO, scores were literally through the roof; there were several perfect games and, if you watched the TV show, you saw that there was some area to play the lanes.
I stand by my opinion and what I wrote 100%.
However, I thought about it some more and continued to wonder why the BPAA, the group running the most prestigious event in women’s bowling, would want to “lighten up” the lane conditions. And it occurred to me that I had already written the answer. I mentioned the BPAA Executive Director Steve Johnson had addressed the Bowling Writer’s Association during the annual meeting. Johnson said they “wanted a tournament like no other; a tournament that would break the records.”
When I think about what Johnson said and that the BPAA is an organization comprised of bowling proprietors, I begin to understand perhaps why the lane conditions were made a little “softer”. The bowling proprietors own bowling centers and they are in the business of getting people; any people; into the centers to spend money bowling. They are in business to make money and if people aren’t coming into the bowling centers, then the proprietors aren’t making money.
I suppose they were trying to get people interested and show that bowling is exciting. I just don’t personally feel that by using an easier pattern that allows mistakes to be made on the lanes will put our athletes in the most respectable light…especially at a prestigious tournament like the US Open.
Scoring records and participation records may have been broken, but did that really help attract more women or more people to bowling? I can’t answer that and I suppose we’ll have to wait until next year to see if the entries improve.
On a side note…it took a while for the numbers to be released, but it turns out the USWO television show also broke the record for live attendance. I wonder…did we break any records for television viewers?
WTBA to create new World Bowling Tour event
ARLINGTON, Texas - The World Tenpin Bowling Association will conduct its first owned and operated World Bowling Tour event in 2012 when the WTBA International Open presented by Sunset Station Casino and Hotel takes place in Henderson, Nev., next year.
The WTBA International Open will take place at the 72-lane Sunset Station Strike Zone Bowling Center from Jan. 28-Feb. 5. The prize fund will exceed $100,000 with at least $20,000 going to the winner. "On behalf Station Casinos, we are extremely pleased with the WTBA's decision to award the Sunset Station and Strike Zone Bowling Center a World Bowling Tour event," Station Casinos Corporate Director of Bowling Sales David Garber said. "The WTBA International Open presented by Sunset Station Casino and Hotel will be a very important stop on the World Tour and we invite all amateurs and professionals to attend this wonderful event."
In addition to presenting sponsor Sunset Station, Brunswick has also signed on as a supporting sponsor for the WTBA International Open. "Brunswick has always been supportive of competitive bowling and we are especially keen for the advancement of international competitive bowling," President of Brunswick Bowling Products Brent Perrier said. "We are pleased to lend our support to the WTBA World Tour in general and the WTBA International Open in particular."
The tournament will be a six-game re-entry style event that mirrors events on the European Bowling Tour (EBT), where players post their best six-game score to try and make the first cut. The event will be open to men and women and will have a special prize fund for women.
"WTBA believes that the World Bowling Tour is the future of our sport, and we are proud to announce we have created a new event for the best athletes in the world," WTBA President Kevin Dornberger said. "This event will be made possible by our partnerships with Sunset Station and Brunswick. They have stepped up to make this event a reality."
The 2011 World Bowling Tour continues Aug. 21-26 with the Korean Daejeon Open in Daejeon, Korea. The World Bowling Tour Thailand will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from Sept. 24-30 and the AMF Australian Masters will take place in Sydney, Australia, from Oct. 10-22.
The WTBA is made up of more than 100 bowling federations and governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA, visit: WorldTenpinBowling.com.
New USBC ‘Welcome Package’ for new members
ARLINGTON, Texas – The leading brands in the bowling industry are teaming up with the United States Bowling Congress to create an aggressive new program designed to engage and retain first-time league bowlers. The new USBC Welcome to Bowling program is scheduled to launch in the fall and will include exclusive offers providing new league bowlers access to proper equipment and coaching.
“Our data shows that a 63 percent of first-year USBC bowlers do not come back to join a league the next year,” USBC Executive Director Stu Upson said. “Industry research shows the primary reasons new bowlers quit the sport is they feel uncomfortable about their equipment and ability. A proper ball and some basic instruction appear to be the keys to reversing the trend. USBC and the bowling industry must act to address this key challenge of retaining first-year bowlers. Our goal is for this new initiative to become something the entire industry can benefit from.”
The USBC Welcome to Bowling program will be offered exclusively to 2011-12 season USBC members who have not been members the last three years. These new USBC members will receive an invitation to take advantage of special offers designed to hook them on the sport. Key elements of the program include:
The leading brands in bowling including Ebonite, Storm, Brunswick and 900 Global have each agreed to offer a select entry-level mid-priced ball to new bowlers at a promotional price of $59.95. Balls will be shipped by the manufacturer or distributers to the bowlers with instructions to visit their local pro shop for proper fitting, drilling and to purchase additional accessories. The shipment will also include information about the coaching components of the USBC Welcome to Bowling program.
USBC will contact certified coaches across the country and request they offer new bowlers an introductory half-hour lesson for $20. Participating coaches will be listed on BOWL.com so new bowlers can quickly find a qualified coach to teach the basics of the sport at a reasonable price.
Led by USBC Director of Coaching Certification and Development Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, USBC is developing a series of tips and online instructional videos specifically for beginning bowlers. Tips and instructions on how to access the video series will be emailed regularly to first-year bowlers. “This program is designed to develop and grow a new customer base we do not currently have and includes coaching to get them engaged, which is why all of the leading ball brands are behind the initiative,” International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA) Managing Director Bill Supper said. “Many of these new bowlers are never stepping foot in pro shops and without action from the industry, they never will. This program creates a chance to build relationships with new customers, get people connected to the sport and grow sales for everyone in the retail chain over the long haul.”
More specific details about the USBC Welcome to Bowling program will be available on BOWL.com in September. Bowlers can find IBPSIA at: www.ibpsia.com.
(This article is used with permission from the USBC and edited for space in The Cornerstone).
USA Bowling – A fresh look into youth development
By: Terry Bigham; IBC Communications
A major transformation in youth bowling will begin this fall in bowling centers with the launch of the new USA Bowling Youth Sports System. The initiative is geared toward developing the skills of young bowlers - to grow the sport by teaching the sport.
The USA Bowling system is a mainstream sports model for youth bowling developed by the International Bowling Campus (IBC) Youth Development team. It shares many of the characteristics of team-based programs in other youth sports, such as soccer, baseball and basketball. That includes having practices that are separate from competition to help with proper skill development as well as featuring one coach per team.
"The USA Bowling system provides all the ingredients to build successful youth programming that will appeal to today's kids and their parents," said IBC Youth Director Chad Murphy. "When kids develop skills, they have more fun. The parents will see value in a shorter time commitment and watching their kids learn faster in a system they are already familiar with."
For youth directors and bowling center managers, the IBC Youth department has developed and will provide materials including "how to" guides, posters, counter cards, brochures and sign-up forms to help anyone start a USA Bowling program, anywhere. Contact Emily Maier at emaier@ibcyouth.com for materials.
The USA Bowling system has several features that distinguish it from traditional youth bowling leagues:
Instruction and regular practice with a dedicated coach to each team
* A short schedule of 8-12 weeks
* Kids of the same age and abilities competing together
* Teaching important life skills such as sportsmanship and teamwork
* Easy to implement with instruction books and marketing tools provided
* Seminars to teach parents and volunteers basic bowling coaching skills (see BOWL.com/usabowling/coaching for details)
USA Bowling is a product of the industry working as a team through the YES Fund, a joint initiative of the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America and United States Bowling Congress that is supported by founding partners Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track.
"The founding partners in the YES Fund have made this major initiative possible," Murphy said. "The YES Fund is dedicated to the development of youth bowling, and with the help of centers and local associations, this program will pay dividends for years to come for young bowlers and the sport."
For information on USA Bowling, visit BOWL.com/usabowling.
Two high school grants awarded through YES Fund
By: Terry Bigham; USBC Communications
Walt Whitman High School in Huntington Station, N.Y., and the Lee County, Fla., school district have each been selected to receive $2,500 grants through the High School Grant Program of the Youth Education Services (YES) Fund.
The High School Grant Program, administered by the International Bowling Campus Youth Development team, provides grants for up to four high school programs annually. The high school teams must show financial need because of budget cuts or other changes, or may request funding to start a new program.
In the case of Lee County, the grant will go toward the cost of starting programs at 13 high schools. Lee County school system administrators voted to add bowling as a varsity sport in February after proprietors from six bowling centers of the Southwest Florida Bowling Proprietors Association agreed to fund the first five years of the programs. The projected cost for the first year is about $25,000.
"This is truly a program being built from the ground up," said Mike Cannington, director of operations and marketing for Bowland Centers, who spearheaded the effort to make bowling a varsity sport at Lee County schools along with Bill Hanson, James Browder, Herbert Wiseman and Herman Williams. "Not one of these schools had any sort of bowling program, not even a club sport. We are trying to accomplish a lot in a very short period of time - identifying new coaches, setting practice and match schedules, picking team uniforms ... the list goes on and on."
Proprietors Pat Ciniello of Bowland Cape Coral Lanes and Bowland Lehigh Lanes, Tanya Preisinger and Petra Mercantonio of Friendship Lanes, Kevin Walsh of Gator Lanes, Terry Leis of Pin Street Lanes, and Bill Hanson of All Star Lanes have agreed to pick up the all the costs of coaching and bowling shirts in addition to hosting practices and competitions.
Walt Whitman High School has had a boys bowling program since 2001 but the team learned in March that the school district would cut funding for several athletics programs for the 2011-12 school year, including bowling, golf and swimming.
Athletic Director James Wright said they began looking for ways to raise funds for next year and one of the parents, Patti Kielawa, found the information about the grant program.
"These funds will help defray some of the costs associated with the program," Wright said. "Our program runs about $12,000-13,000 per year and to be able to say to parents and athletes that 20 percent of the money needed was the result of a generous grant helps to take off some of the pressure."
The Wildcat Booster Club also has been helping the program. The club held a successful yard sale and bowl-a-thon fundraiser this summer. There are several other activities planned in the next few months.
The High School Grant Program is made possible through the YES Fund, a joint initiative of the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America and the United States Bowling Congress that is supported by founding partners Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track.
With grants to Lee County schools and Walt Whitman High School, the High School Grant Program has awarded its four grants for this year. Applications are continuously being accepted and four more grants will be available starting the first quarter of 2012.
Go to BOWL.com/highschool for information about the grant program and for the application.
WTBA signs proclamation with Special Olympics
ARLINGTON, Texas - The World Tenpin Bowling Association has become the first international federation to sign a proclamation of mutual support with Special Olympics International.
The agreement includes a Special Olympics event to be held in conjunction with the 2011 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Women's Championships in late August in Hong Kong. In addition, the proclamation sets the stage for helping recruit coaches to train Special Olympics athletes.
"WTBA is proud to be the first international federation of Special Olympics International to sign the proclamation of mutual support," said Kevin Dornberger, WTBA President. "It's my hope that all of our future world championship events shall include a Special Olympics competition as well. The synergies of the combination of two organizations' volunteers, spectators, media coverage and sponsors will improve both Special Olympics and WTBA."
Dornberger recently attended a press conference announcing the proclamation at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece. Also attending the press conference were representatives from the International Olympic Committee, the United Nations, UNICEF, SportAccord, FIFA and several famous athletes.
"Special Olympics is pleased to have the support of the World Tenpin Bowling Association as we strive to share the physical and social benefits of tenpin bowling with more athletes, more coaches and more sport officials through expanded competition opportunities," said Brady Lum, President and COO of Special Olympics International. "In partnership with the WTBA, Special Olympics will use the sport of tenpin bowling as a platform for demonstrating the skills and capabilities of person's with an intellectual disability, fostering a community of acceptance which celebrates the effort to be one's best rather than a singular focus on the best."
The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of more than 100 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA and the World Bowling Tour, visit WorldTenpinBowling.com.
The Bahamas will host 2012 World Bowling Tour event
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Bahamas will host a World Tenpin Bowling Association event for the first time in its history when the Bahamas International Bowling Classic 2012 joins the World Bowling Tour next year.
The inaugural event is scheduled to be conducted Feb. 27-March 4 at Mario's Bowling and Entertainment Palace, a new 50-lane bowling center in Nassau. It will mark the first time a World Bowling Tour event will be held in the American Zone outside of the United States.
"Hosting an international bowling tournament provides The Bahamas with the opportunity to showcase the sport of bowling on the international arena," Mario's Bowling Marketing Manager Odette Carey said. "Attracting professional athletes, fans and media attention around the world brings excellent exposure for The Bahamas."
The Bahamian event is the first tournament to be confirmed for the 2012 World Bowling Tour. The Tour is currently in its inaugural year and boasts a schedule of eight events around the world.
"Although the 2011 World Bowling Tour has yet to conclude, it has been so successful that we are proud to announce the first tournament to join the Tour in 2012," World Tenpin Bowling Association President Kevin Dornberger said. "The Bahamas are not only a beautiful place to visit, but it's a country with very passionate bowlers who look forward to hosting a WTBA event for the first time."
The 2011 World Bowling Tour continues Aug. 21-26 with the Korean Daejeon Open in Daejeon, Korea. The World Bowling Tour Thailand will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from Sept. 24-30 and the AMF Australian Masters will take place in Sydney, Australia, from Oct. 10-22.
The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of more than 100 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA and the World Bowling Tour, visit WorldTenpinBowling.com.
Recent ‘Phantom Radio’ trivia contest winners
Phantom Radio’s monthly Trivia Contests continue to be popular with the listeners and the list of Phantom Phans continues to grow. These contests are sponsored by Storm Bowling and you must be a “Phantom Phan Club Member” to be eligible to win. It’s easy to join; just go to our website, www.foundation300.com, and look for how to join The Phantom Phan Club. Listed below are the most recent Phan Club winners. Sign-up today and WIN!
JUNE 2011
1. Bill Cleary: Wins a new bowling ball from Storm Bowling Products. Bill, please contact me as soon as possible so that I can put you in touch with our friends at Storm.
2. Brian Tompkins: Wins a 3-day, 2-night stay at the Sands Reg. Hotel Casino in Reno.
3. Janet McMullin: Wins a 3-day, 2-night stay at the Sands Reg. Hotel Casino in Reno.
4. Julio Rodriquez: Wins a 3-day, 2-night stay at the Sands Reg. Hotel Casino in Reno.
JULY 2011
1. Dave Kowalski: Wins an accessory item from Storm Bowling. Dave, please contact me as soon as possible so that I can put you in touch with our friends at Storm.
2. Vic Sockrider: Wins a surprise package of “goodies” directly from The Phantom.
3. Warren Friedl: Wins a souvenir Sean Rash “Bobble Head Doll”.
4. Sammy Stern: Wins a 3-day, 2-night stay at the Sands Reg. Hotel Casino in Reno.
AUGUST 2011
1. Bob Gritzke: Wins a new bowling bag from Storm Bowling Products. Bob, please contact me so that I can put you in touch with our friends from Storm.
2. Rafel Cons: Wins a 3-night stay at the El Dorado Hotel and Casino in Reno.
3. Lisa Curran: Wins a Gift Pack from the Glover Masters Scratch Tournament.
4. Jon Wolfe: Wins a Gift Pack from the Glover Masters Scratch Tournament.
For a complete list of the past contest winners, go to www.foundation300.com
Once you are there, scroll down and click-on Phantom Phan Club. Then go to Storm Bowling Trivia Contest Winners. If you don’t see your name, it’s because you are NOT a member! Join today to take advantage of all of the monthly prizes that are given away. The total amount given away to date is well over $100,000.00 Join and get YOUR share.
Support our Sponsors:
We appreciate all that they do to bring Phantom Radio to you each and every week.
www.stormbowling.com www.elitebowling.com www.kegel.net www.starsandstrikesbowling.com www.teenmastersbowling.com
___________________________________________
Membership Report
We have members in all 50 states,
and the District of Columbia
We have members in 49 countries, including the United States:
Argentina Australia Bahrain Belgium Brazil Canada China Columbia Costa Rica Denmark Ecuador Egypt Finland France Germany Great Britain Greece Guam Guatemala Ireland Israel Italy Japan Korea Latvia Malaysia Mexico The Netherlands N. Ireland Netherlands Antilles
New Zealand Panama Philippines Puerto Rico Peru Qatar Scotland Singapore Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Thailand Turkey U.A.E. Ukraine Venezuela
Corporate Sponsors
The problems that exist in our Sport are “industry-wide” problems that must be addressed by the entire Industry. The Foundation does all that they can to help, but we can NOT do it alone.
The Foundation has well over 1000-Members who have joined-in to assist. Some Members (Founding and Charter) have paid to show their support. Some Members (Associates) have just lent their “voice”. ALL of the members are important.
Even though The Foundation has NOT actively solicited bowling-related companies for help, some realize the importance of our “Mission” and have come forward with donations. We recognize the following companies for their loyalty and support to bowling.
KEGEL
KAT Travel
I.B.P.S.I.A.
EBN Services
Storm Bowling
Classic Products
Bobs’ Business, Inc.
Vincennes University
BowlersParadise.com
Virtualtournaments.com
Wichita State University
David Driscoll & Associates
International Bowling Industry Magazine
Stars and Strikes Bowling Newsmagazine
_________________________________________
Please send change of address or email address to the address below, to ensure uninterrupted subscription to the Cornerstone newsletter.
The Cornerstone,
The Foundation’S Newsletter
The Foundation
c/o Kegel
6800 US 27 North
Sebring FL 33870
Phone: 863-382-2643
Email: savrsprt@yahoo.com
The Foundation
“One World, One Game”