By Dale Niemela
USBC proprietor relations manager
Now that summer is coming to a close the bowling industry is coming back to life. However, the USBC Proprietor Relations department has been alive and very busy throughout the summer. To start with, USBC Proprietor Relations specialist Bob Learn and I have been on the state's Proprietor Convention circuit across the U.S., which have included informative BPAA seminars. All of them have had their own personality where a lot of good business ideas have been shared. There are a lot of exciting things being brought to light by the BPAA and Strike Ten Entertainment.
Proprietor Relations has also done several exciting things. Bob Learn developed a High School Bowling Camp program that we implemented for the first time in Bowling Green, Ohio. It consisted of four days of coaching for high school teams and their coaches. In-class seminars with handouts comprised about 1½ hours of the curriculum, with the remaining 3½ hours spent on the lanes getting one-on-one instruction, including video analysis.
The most exciting part for the kids was who did the coaching. Besides Bob Learn and me we had Norm Duke and Mika Koivuniemi. Bob is a five time titlist and U.S. Open champion while Norm and Mika are PBA Bowlers of the Year. How is that for coaching fire power? Besides giving the athletes fundamental skills, as recognized by USBC, they were privy to the advanced secrets of the stars. And while all this went on, USBC was offering certification classes for the high school coaches in the local area.
Our next success story happened in Jackson, Mich., where we conducted a clinic, a trick shot exhibition and a pro-am tournament. Sponsored by the local USBC Association, Suburban Lanes and Airport Lanes brought in Brian Voss, Mika Koivuniemi, Jeff Lizzi, Bob Learn and Michelle Mullen. They put on quite a show and taught a full house of bowlers how to improve their game.
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Brian Voss gives bowling instruction
at a USBC clinic in Kansas City. |
Keeping things rolling, we took our show to Kansas City, Mo. As a kickoff for National Bowling Week, USBC put on four clinics in four different centers. We brought in more heavy hitters to put on a grand event. Brian Voss, Norm Duke, Mike Machuga, Bob Learn, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Kim Terrell and Diandra Asbaty headlined a show that the bowlers are not soon to forget. Trick shots, coaching and autographs made it possible for approximately 500 bowlers to get up close and personal with the greatest stars of our game. Not many other sports can claim to have such personal players as does the sport of bowling.
So while summer always seems to bring a lull to the bowling industry, USBC and Proprietor Relations are finding a lot to do. It is a great time of the year to do things for the industry. The pros are available so we try to use them to promote our great sport. The kids are not yet in school so we develop programs for them to improve their games and help them become lifetime bowlers. USBC and BPAA are joining forces to get young people started properly in the sport and retain those that already have begun by teaching them more about the game.
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