Commentary |
While I generally am not one to post negativity on the web, unless I am being
candid about a local sports team or restaurant experience, I have felt
compelled to delve deeper into what I am finding to be the new norm for
children’s experiences with youth leagues. After talking with other parents
whose children participate in youth bowling leagues throughout the area I have
come to the conclusion that while the future of the sport depends on our youth,
bowling alleys seem to be pushing the youth out the door with the lackadaisical
way that leagues are run. Speaking from experience, I am finding that the
powers that be in local bowling alleys simply go through the motions of setting
up and running youth leagues without putting any true thought, effort or heart
into the matter. This even includes the leagues that are sanctioned by the
United States Bowling Congress (USBC).
Rules
are given out the first week of the youth bowling league with the “coaches”
stating that the rules will be closely followed. Insert eye roll here because
every parent that has had a child bowl under these coaches knows this is just a
bunch of hot air. By the second week over half of the rules have already been
broken with no recourse. Children are turned loose during league play to run
screaming, with bowling ball in arms, through the concourse and down to the
lanes. Phones are always readily available while the children are supposed to
be focusing on their bowling skills and lane etiquette simply seems to be a
concept that no one truly feels a need to observe. Parents, grandparents,
guardians and family members also seem to lack respect for one another and the
bowlers. Adults huddle up in their cliques reminding me of high school students
desperately trying to be cool. Children that have been dragged from their beds
on an early Saturday morning to watch their siblings bowl find creative ways to
entertain themselves while everyone looks out over the chaotic scene of a
bowling alley hosting a Saturday morning youth league. There have been many Saturday
mornings that I have relied heavily on Excedrin Migraine and strong black
coffee to keep my head from exploding and a civil tongue. After finally finding
an activity that my daughter thoroughly enjoys, I have been horrified by the
lack of commitment that I have seen in the local bowling alleys. Why are the
bowling alleys not stepping up and taking these youth leagues seriously? When
you go to a youth hockey or football game so you see absolute chaos during the
game? No, you do not; you see children learning how to respect one another and authoritative
people while enjoying time spent playing a sport.
Aside
from having to binge drink coffee and pop headache pills most Saturday
mornings, it would all be worth it if at the end of the season you truly felt
that your child’s efforts were being fully appreciated and recognized. However,
my daughter has bowled for three seasons on a Saturday youth league and the
past two years have concluded with an “awards ceremony” that was thrown
together. This last year the “coaches” were not even there to hand out the
medals. The year before, medals were handed out on the last day as each bowler
finished their games; no official ceremony was provided. How much effort would
it be for the hosting bowling alley to set up a room for the awards ceremony
with some balloons, streamers and a photo opportunity for the bowlers to
celebrate their achievements? You would think that since the youth are the future
of the sport, bowling alleys would want to make them feel welcome and celebrate
with them so they want to keep coming back. It is a sad situation when children
walk away from a league feeling disenchanted and unimportant.
