Quote from: morpheus on October 27, 2016, 09:54:47 AM

The same board that is hand picked by the executive director of the USBC. He doesn't surround himself with people that will challenge his ideas, he wants yes men. Which is how you get to where we are today...The Core.

Ah, so you aren't willing to put the effort into getting anything done yourself. Got it.

I know with certainty that my name on an application for the board would be dismissed without a thought.

Solution 1 - You have to make a move to get more involved in youth bowling. It amazes me today, that just putting a sign outside the bowling center that youth league sign-ups will happen on this day is enough. In this day and age with social media and all the ways we can reach people, bowling is still in the dark ages.

USBC and Local Associations need to get off their asses, get out there and recruit.

Include Proprietors in that too.

why did we go from ABC to USBC?

Quote from: milorafferty on October 27, 2016, 10:11:08 AM

Quote from: morpheus on October 27, 2016, 10:08:37 AM

Quote from: milorafferty on October 27, 2016, 09:57:51 AM

Quote from: morpheus on October 27, 2016, 09:54:47 AM

The same board that is hand picked by the executive director of the USBC. He doesn't surround himself with people that will challenge his ideas, he wants yes men. Which is how you get to where we are today...The Core.

Ah, so you aren't willing to put the effort into getting anything done yourself. Got it.

I know with certainty that my name on an application for the board would be dismissed without a thought.

I get it, you are an "idea" man. You have all the answers, just so long as it doesn't require any effort from you personally.

I get it...you think bowling is just fine and the USBC is awesome. Enjoy your membership in The Core.

Thank you, I just may buy a membership. And bowling currently gives me what I expect from the level of effort I put forth.


Not that I think USBC is doing an effective job, but I doubt I could do any better.


Enjoy your membership in the "bitch about it but don't try to help improve it club". Which of course, has free lifetime membership.

It is obvious things would be better with more members, after all, more members equals more money.  But saying "get more members" doesn't equal a plan.  You have to be pretty ignorant to think USBC is not trying to increase membership. 

There are two different ways for USBC to increase membership.  One is to find and recruit new members.  How do you do this?  Social media is a good idea, but getting people who are not currently interested in bowling to go to your sites or page or whatever is difficult.  You have to identify cross-sport or cross-activities where bowling type people will be and find ways to direct them to you.  USBC does do some things to drive traffic to them.  They host events with other sports agencies (Chris Paul, Jerome Bettis, Mookie Betts) in an attempt to get those demographics interested in bowling amongst other things.

Another way to grow membership is trying to not lose those members who are on the fence.  And this is where "The Core" comes into play.  Many of the hyper-active bowlers don't feel they get something in return for their money.  And perhaps this is what The Core is trying to do.  Give those active fans of bowling (the ones who go as visitors to tournaments and follow several Facebook pages for the newest gossip and information) a way to be more involved with bowling.  I like the concept, but feel it has missed its mark.  Perhaps subsequent years will improve once data is collected.

And lastly, even though USBC and BPAA are extremely closely related (too much so?), getting new bowlers into the center really does fall on the BPAA.  They have marketing deals in place that get bowling in front of diverse audiences like television shows and movies.  This at times can be difficult since many times writers show bowling in a negative light, but as others have said, bad publicity is better than no publicity.  Once in the centers, it should be up to center representatives to recruit the once a year bowler into a league bowler.  The centers can be better educated in this area.

I realize many people want bowling to be what it once was.  Unfortunately, it will probably never be that.  But it can be successful and it will take some differing views than what may have worked in the past.  Are we doing everything necessary, obviously not, but if we the bowlers who care the most want it be something positive, it will take more than complaining on this forum to achieve it.  Get out there and do what you feel is beneficial.  If nothing better comes from it than improving the local scene, then it wasn't for naught.

It is obvious things would be better with more members, after all, more members equals more money.  But saying "get more members" doesn't equal a plan.  You have to be pretty ignorant to think USBC is not trying to increase membership. 

There are two different ways for USBC to increase membership.  One is to find and recruit new members.  How do you do this?  Social media is a good idea, but getting people who are not currently interested in bowling to go to your sites or page or whatever is difficult.  You have to identify cross-sport or cross-activities where bowling type people will be and find ways to direct them to you.  USBC does do some things to drive traffic to them.  They host events with other sports agencies (Chris Paul, Jerome Bettis, Mookie Betts) in an attempt to get those demographics interested in bowling amongst other things.

Another way to grow membership is trying to not lose those members who are on the fence.  And this is where "The Core" comes into play.  Many of the hyper-active bowlers don't feel they get something in return for their money.  And perhaps this is what The Core is trying to do.  Give those active fans of bowling (the ones who go as visitors to tournaments and follow several Facebook pages for the newest gossip and information) a way to be more involved with bowling.  I like the concept, but feel it has missed its mark.  Perhaps subsequent years will improve once data is collected.

And lastly, even though USBC and BPAA are extremely closely related (too much so?), getting new bowlers into the center really does fall on the BPAA.  They have marketing deals in place that get bowling in front of diverse audiences like television shows and movies.  This at times can be difficult since many times writers show bowling in a negative light, but as others have said, bad publicity is better than no publicity.  Once in the centers, it should be up to center representatives to recruit the once a year bowler into a league bowler.  The centers can be better educated in this area.

I realize many people want bowling to be what it once was.  Unfortunately, it will probably never be that.  But it can be successful and it will take some differing views than what may have worked in the past.  Are we doing everything necessary, obviously not, but if we the bowlers who care the most want it be something positive, it will take more than complaining on this forum to achieve it.  Get out there and do what you feel is beneficial.  If nothing better comes from it than improving the local scene, then it wasn't for naught.

I think the USBC, and many on these threads, very specifically do not think it's the USBC's job to grow membership to which I strongly disagree. If they are trying, it's hidden really well because I see nothing other than "The Sport Of Bowling", PWBA stories, and tournament updates online and on social media which is of little interest to the average member.

The USBC can either listen to their members, even when the feedback isn't pleasant or you can live in a state of denial and paint any comment that doesn't flatter them as "negative" or "uninformed". Any time someone disagrees with the USBC or Chad Murphy on Facebook, their comments are deleted. Each post is prefaced with any comments deemed negative with be removed leading me to believe they don't value anyone's opinion other than their own.

Bowling is never going to be the way it was. That era is gone and bowling will never have the membership it once did.

But one thing for sure, if USBC and proprietors don't start reaching out to the youth, in the future bowling is going to be only associated with loud music and flashing lights.

Bowling is never going to be the way it was. That era is gone and bowling will never have the membership it once did.

But one thing for sure, if USBC and proprietors don't start reaching out to the youth, in the future bowling is going to be only associated with loud music and flashing lights.

I anticipate that contact sports are going to lose a substantial amount of popularity in the next 20 years, and I do wonder if it could be possible for bowling to take advantage of that and make a comeback.  Maybe not to the same level, but then again who knows?