With all due apologies to T.S. Eliot, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the closure of Rocket Lanes in Chatsworth last weekend. This article has some serious errors in the chronology, but the reporter got the gist of things right: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_12504083
When the kids bowled City Tournament there back in March, I dreaded going back. The place looked physically the same, but the heart and soul were gone. A couple of disinterested teens manned the desk, and the parents all laughed as the same lane breakdowns the center was known for plagued our squad--a full squad with no breakdown pair. One dad took pictures of his son bowling alone in the empty center as a testament to why we left in the first place.
Zoe went on to win Doubles with her best buddy Ryan, on the same pair that they learned to bowl together on. That's as full circle/happy ending as I could make it. So when the announcement came that May 31 was their last day, I didn't go to say goodbye. Mario went to pull his 300 placard off the lane earlier in the week and that was that.
Moving to Corbin was the best decision I ever had to make. I would never have moved for me. I've seen other youth coordinators throughout the country have a disagreement with management, and use the kids as leverage. For me, however, it was always about the kids. When we announced our departure, I had no idea how many would come with us. We intentionally didn't say where we were going, and were shocked to have a line of people after our goodbye asking "So where we goin'?" I was actually surprised when Rocket lumbered beyond last May, and then slipped by August--the two nature league-ending closure dates that are the least impactful. Even a few weeks ago, other AMF centers were being assured that Rocket was still going strong, when it was clear to everyone it wasn't. Leagues had left, sublease tenants were being offered different business space, and even the leagues that stayed were being told to look at other options.
Rocket certainly whimpered at the end. It's a sad ending to some beautiful memories. So now we make new memories, a short 10-minute drive away, and when we look back, we'll remember to good times, and look forward to even more.
Posted by Angel Zobel-Rodriguez at June 4, 2009 08:57 AM