There have been some interesting replies to my rant. I wanted to reply sooner, but I hate typing long responses on my phone.
To dR3W: No, I don't like it when I'm asked to pay more when I'm getting less; however, I honestly don't expect a whole hell of a lot when I'm paying less than $2/month. So my question is, what do you want, expect, or think we (bowlers) deserve for the $1.75 a month USBC gets from us? This is an honest question because I often hear bowlers complain about all that USBC isn't doing with "our money," but I never hear them say what they think the organization should be doing with it.
Also, I don't think that awards costs and numbers have gone down as membership has gone down. As we all know, even though the organization has far fewer members than it did in years past, the number of award scores being shot has gone way up due to the powerful balls and the soft conditions they're thrown on. That was one of the biggest problems and reasons why they've finally gone to lifetime awards.
To Johnny cee: Again, if you are a standard member, you're paying $1.75 a month for your membership. Where do you want that money to go? How do you want it to be spent? What should they be doing with it that they're not now?
Now, you posted salary figures, and, yes, if those numbers are accurate, some of their upper level execs were making very good money. I say were because most of the people on that list are no longer with the company. In fact, I'm not sure any of them are. I don't know what the current execs make, and I probably wouldn't comment on it if I did because I don't necessarily think it appropriate; however, here's what I will say. First, upper level employees at most companies make pretty good salaries. Plus, many of the people on that list had been with the company for many, many years, decades in several cases. I doubt they started anywhere near that pay grade. Isn't that the way it works in most jobs? Teachers who start off making $30,000/year can end up making $85-100,000/year if they keep getting more schooling and keep working up the pay scale. Does that mean that our tax dollars are being wasted and teachers are living high off the hog on "our money?"
Moving on, let me tell you what I know from my own time with USBC. I was hired in 2007, and I didn't make anything close to a six-figure salary, and I don't believe many other people in the building did either. I can also tell you that shortly after I was hired, a company-wide salary freeze was put into place, and benefits were cut and the costs of them increased. Did any of us like it? Of course we didn't, but we all understood that it had to be done because we were putting out a lot more money than we had coming in. You know what was great? When that happened, nobody cried, whined, and jumped ship. Why? The people in that building love the sport and truly want to see it grow and prosper. Nevertheless, shortly after that, my position was eliminated as were those of roughly 15% of the building's work force because they simply couldn't afford to keep us on any longer. Obviously, I was crushed. I had moved roughly a thousand miles (from Illinois to Texas) to be a part of this organization, and then one day I was just let go. I was crushed because working for USBC was something of a dream job for me, but did I bash the company up and down and say how awful it is? No, I didn't because I understood why it had to be done.
The move from Milwaukee to Arlington was a good thing. It brought bowling's two sides, the bowlers and the proprietors, together and forced them to start working with each other instead of against each other. It was an expensive move, it came at a horrible time for the economy, and it wasn't without growing pains, but it was the right move for the sport of bowling. Since those two organizations have been housed under the same roof, there has been unprecedented communication and partnership to try to get things moving in the right direction.
In regard to the ITRC, which has been a bone of contention with bowlers since it was built, that too has been a very good thing for bowling. Yes, it was terribly expensive, so I understand why it looks bad to have built it when and how they did; however, what many of you don't realize is what that facility has done and is doing for the sport. It's drawing coaches and bowlers from all over the world, which is increasing interest in the sport as well as enhancing the level of expertise that its coaches possess and can pass along to young bowlers. It has also hosted several big time youth events such as the Bowling Combine. That's where USBC is putting its eggs these days, folks. They're putting it with the youth. If we can show youth members the value of the sport, coach them properly, show them that there's scholarship money out there, etc., maybe we can hook a new generation of bowlers and get things moving in the right direction again. I don't know if it's going to work, but I believe that they're doing the right thing by trying. Lord knows it's probably too late to placate all of us old, crotchety bowlers.
The last thing I pose is what alternative do we have? Sure, you can bowl in non-certified leagues, but what is that going to make things better than they are now? Do we want to have bowling be a total free-for-all where no group or organization is doing anything to promote or grow the sport? We can go that route, but you're not going to convince me that it's going to make things better. At least with USBC we have a dedicated group of people working toward that goal and trying things. Again, sometimes they make mistakes and do the wrong things. There's no denying that. However, for $1.75/month, I'm willing to give them a shot because without them, I think organized bowling will die even more quickly than it is right now.
I'm not saying that any of us should be writing testimonials about how great USBC is and all of the wonderful things that it has done. However, who if we turn our backs on the organization, who is going to pick up the flag and TRY to move bowling forward? Who is going to look out for the sport then? Who is going to try to promote it? If you can answer those questions reasonably, I'll listen, but I think I already know the answer because people love to talk, but very few are willing to act!
