I always hear how scratch bowling is dead across the country. Even sanctioned Sport Leagues are handicapped, go figure. Call me a throw back, but I've always encouraged kids to bowl scratch as soon as they were able to. That said, I also don't believe is sending a kid to the sharks totally unprepared. I feel like you have to groom them--letting them graduate one step at a time.
Around every holiday weekend, I usually throw a no-tap tournament. The junior leagues take the weekend off, and it allows the kids who don't go away (more and more in the post-September 11th world) an opportunity to do something fun. Fourth of July weekend was no different. We had a no-tap tournament and a tie dye party afterwards to get rid of a bunch of T-shirts with the bowling center logo. I give the kids divisions: Bumpers (self-explanatory). On the other end, I have the Junior Gold kids. They average head and shoulders above the Saturday morning kids, and each of them is capable of shooting 800 no-tap, so they're separate. In the middle, though, is murkier. I have a scratch and a handicap division. The kids who belong in the handicap are clear--the newer kids, the kids who average under 100--heck even under 120. But because the top of the scratch division is in the 160s based on the Saturday morning crew I have, some of the kids from the younger league who bowl in a handicap league are in a grey area.
Saturday morning, I approached one of the boys (he's 10) about bowling scratch. His 149-average gives him great no-tap scores, but he often loses out by the handicap. He's complained in the past, and I put a stop to it, but at the same time, I always want to groom them for more. Being "allowed" in the scratch division was all he needed to hear, he jumped. But as I'm writing up the score sheets, one by one, the other 11- and 12-year-olds start rushing up to the table I'm at. Before I knew it, all of the boys 10 and up, averaging 118 and up were bowling scratch against the 160-average boys. It was pretty funny, and the parents were all amused, but I realized they've crossed into another realm. If they win, they wanted to earn it, not have it handed to them.
It worked out really well, as two of the lower average boys made the rolloff in the scratch division. And some of the newer handicap bowlers were relieved not to have to beat the usual suspects in the tournament. I rate the day an entire success, but not because of anything I did, rather just what the kids decided to do. I had 26 entries: 13 handicap, and 11 scratch. Amazing.
Hey im kyle and you know what im 11 and i average 192. Those other kids are pethetic! my high score is 274!
Posted by: Kyle at August 23, 2003 12:03 AMThose kids are still good though
Posted by: kyle at August 23, 2003 12:05 AM