I was in a conversation recently about many facets of the sport I love. The more we talked, the more we asked the question, Why are we seeing a decline in membership across the board?
Let's look at a few figures covering the past decade. The Women's International Bowling Congress reported in the fourth edition of the Bowlers Encyclopedia a membership total during the 1990-1991 season of 2,711,909. For 1999-2000, WIBC had 1,481,163 members, a 1.2 million loss during the period.
The American Bowling Congress didnt fare any better. It listed 2,922,829 members for the 1990-91 season but had 1,866,163 during this past seasona loss of more than one million bowlers.
The Young American Bowling Alliance recorded 620,362 youth bowlers in 1990-91. For 1999-2000, it had 409,465.
There were 7,904 bowling centers in 1990-91 but only 6,560 in 1999-2000. And, there were fewer lane beds. So, if you think that small centers closed and larger complexes are taking their place, that really isn't the case.
Now everyone knows that there is no simple answer for any of this, and we certainly did not solve the bowling woes we were so willingly debating. However, a few responses are worth writing about.
Looking at our league sheets, we noted that in the case of both the men and the women, there were very few young people coming from the YABA ranks into our leagues. There are probably as many reasons for this as there are for the decline in bowling overall, but our youth are entering college and many are more interested in other sports than they are in bowling. Our leagues are getting older and subsequently smaller.
Leagues, especially mens leagues, are not as fun as they used to be. That was a common response. I enjoy the Traveling Classic Bowling Association for the competition, but I'd rather bowl in a mixed league, was one statement. We have too many mens leagues with sandbaggers and inflated averages, and rather than have a good time, they come only to win, was another. In my area, mixed leagues are more popular than single-gender leagues.
When you think about that, you cant help but agree. TCBA practically penalizes you for improvement, and average manipulation is commonplace. Bowling balls have taken over most centers. The non-smokers who are required to stay in the scoring area are forced to sit with the smokers because each bowler has to have a warehouse of balls, and all of them have to be on a seat in the bowlers area.
Our leagues are getting older and subsequently smaller.
The subject of smoking and environmental health is always a hot button. I cant speak for everywhere, but we are about to open a new 48-lane center that will be completely smoke-free. Since it is a government building on a military installation, that is a rule that will be easily enforced. It has already caused consternation on both sides.
Cost. I hear all the integers tell me that bowling is a bargain and, We havent raised dues in X-number of years. But, I also hear the bowlers in a community consisting largely of retirees saying they are picking and choosing the leagues and tournaments in which they participate because of the cost. Offering a few more awards or giving out a quarterly newsletter or cut and paste magazine isn't going to bring more bowlers into the centers.
And, everything is relevant. The first night of bowling can be like buying a new pickup truck as sticker shock sets in. You buy a card, pay for bowling, many times you're required to pay two weeks forfeiture fee, purchase something at the snack bar, maybe have to pay a babysitter, and on and on. To a young military couple or a retiree on a fixed income, it causes you to contemplate your desire for organized bowling.
So, although many things seem to give us gas, and we can see the steady decline in our ranks, what solutions did we come up with? Not too many. We had a long discussion over sanctioning versus not. It was like the smoking issue—it caused gas on both sides.
What about reduced lineage for loyal league bowlers? Seniors, kids, bowling during certain hours, all get some kind of discount. Me, I bowl leagues all the time and get nada.
One proprietor put it really well when TCBA bowlers decided they were going to reduce an already agreed-upon raise in lineage. He said, Drivers don't tell Exxon how much to charge for gas, and bowlers won't set my rate either. I agree that proprietors have to make a living, and once more, in my area, bowling lineage is very reasonable.
However, I do think that bowling proprietors and center managers need to understand that bowling isn't a one size fits all proposition. Bowling centers that play music too loud during league play because thats what the proprietor wants may not be such a good idea. Because you like country music or rock and roll or hip-hop doesn't mean that everyone there has your taste. Could that, too, be part of bowling's decline?
I doubt we will ever see the four million-plus bowlers of the past, and maybe we don't need that many to have a great sport. What we can't afford is the steady decline until we are nothing more than a recreation—something to do when there is nothing else to do.
So, look around your association, leagues, and centers. Ask your proprietor to do a survey on the likes and dislikes of his operation. Talk to the youth in your associations as they reach adult league time, and see what their plans are. Call bowlers who quit and ask them why and tell them to be honest.
Do what we did: Talk among yourselves.
See you on the lanes.
Don Wright is a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America. Visit his home page.