March 14, 2008
By: Mark Martin
USBC
HAPPENINGS
Two major decisions have been made recently which may have a huge impact in the future of organized bowling as its been known.
The
most recent decision will relocate the United States Bowling Congress (USBC)
headquarters from
The
decision, made during a USBC Board of Directors meeting in
"This
is a great day for bowling. Relocating to
Contingent upon TEF approval, USBC Headquarters is expected to move to
The property is located at
“Integration of operations can be achieved without the loss of identity or
control of the individual organizations," said BPAA President Joe
Schumacker. "By working in tandem with USBC, we can fulfill our individual
missions, as well as protect and grow all levels of competitive bowling.
“The concept of integrating the operation of the BPAA and the USBC makes
sense. Bowling has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. It is imperative
the organizations embrace change so they can continue to
professionally support their individual constituencies.”
The new joint venture is expected to help grow the sport by USBC and BPAA by
being more able to work together on joint programs such as youth bowling and
coaching. Youth bowling and coaching have been major points of emphasis for the
organizations.
An additional factor for the Board's decision was ease of travel. As one of the
world's largest airports, Dallas/Fort Worth International makes it much easier
for those traveling to and from the international bowling campus, especially
those traveling internationally.
USBC and BPAA announced in November that their boards of directors had approved
a study of how much their operations should be integrated. The goal was to use
such efficiencies to help grow the sport of bowling. The
organizations' boards of directors gave approval in January to start
negotiations with all parties involved to relocate the organization's
headquarters to
The USBC has also announced a revamped awards program beginning in the 2008-09 season.
In the 2008-09 season adult and youth honor score awards (300 game, 800 and 900 series, 11-in-a-row game) will be changed to once-in-a-lifetime awards. These awards currently can be earned once per season. All honor scores will continue to be tracked and the records available at www.bowl.com.
For the 2009-10 season, USBC’s wide range of emblem and pin awards for special achievements all will become emblem awards and all also will become once-in-a-lifetime awards. The list of special achievement awards ranges from 7-10 split conversions, all-spare games and Dutch 200 games to a variety of average-based high game and high series awards.
“Organized bowling has wrestled with its awards programs for more than a
decade,” said USBC Chief Operating Officer Kevin Dornberger. “After years of
discussion, debate, research and opinion polls, USBC’s leadership has
concluded the awards program of the past simply does not serve the interests of
our members today, nor does it serve USBC’s mission to regain credibility for
our sport.
“USBC and its predecessors have always placed a high value on recognizing
outstanding personal achievement,” he continued. “We are going to continue
recognition of excellence, but rather than offering a token reward for
individuals who accomplish the same feat year after year, we are going to
recognize the fact that once a player has
accomplished a specific feat, the special nature of that accomplishment has been
realized.”
“The purpose of our average-based high game and series achievement awards is
not to create a reward system, but to recognize members for improving their
skills and advancing to the next level,” Dornberger said. “Whether it’s a
youth or adult bowler, that remains the focus of these awards. Once a player has
achieved a goal, there is no special thrill in earning another emblem for the
same accomplishment. The goal is to get better. That’s the point of our
average-based awards program: to recognize improvement.”
Beyond its tangible awards program, USBC also continues to expand its remarkable
individual recognition system through the development of its National Database
and the “Find a Member” feature on its official Web site, bowl.com. While
bowlers will no longer earn awards for multiple 300 games, 700 or 800 series,
etc., all of those accomplishments will be compiled as a part of their ongoing
career files stored in the database.
“The era of emblems, coasters and trinkets is ending,” Dornberger said,
“but a new era of possibilities is on the horizon. We are just beginning to
tap into the possible new ways we can recognize our members via the Internet.
The future holds some amazing promise.”
Members who would like to express their opinions regarding the changes to the awards program are encouraged to contact USBC at (800) 514-2695 ext. 3151 or e-mail ma@bowl.com.
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BOWLING
ON TV
While the PBA is on a one-week break ESPN Classic
will feature nine hours of non-stop past bowling shows on Sunday beginning at 11
a.m.
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HONOR SCORES
300
Games
Date,
Name, Hometown, Center, League
Feb.
29, Paul White,
March
2, Richard Pearce,
March
6, Derrick Wilson,
March
7, Richard Bottrell,
March
8, Gregory Anspach,
March
8, Anthony Thomas Jr.,
March
8, Renard Hall,
March
9, Sandra Schultz,
March
9, Sandra Schultz,
March
10, Robert Szachta,
March
10, Michael Caples,
800
Series
March 2, Dennis Sernick (801), Madison Hts., Bowl One Lanes, Sunday Moanin’
March 6, Paul Szumny (837), Commerce Twp., Cherry Hill Lanes, Thursday Nite Men’s Invitational
March
9, Sandra Schultz (836),
March
11, Kent Armstrong (810),
Mark Martin writes a weekly bowling column for The Daily Oakland Press and is the association manager of the Metro Detroit USBC Association. He can be reached at (248) 443-2695, faxed at (248) 443-2690 or e-mailed at mark.martin@mdusbc.com.