Attending our monthly Butler County Bowling Association meeting the other night, I was struck by an alarming statistic.

The number of sanctioned male bowlers in the county is down to 949.

As in less than 1,000.

Not too many years ago, that number was up over 1,400.

The drop-off is significant enough to wonder why it’s happening.

Three reasons are likely: the economy, dissatisfaction with the USBC and a lack of time availability and commitment.

Like any other sport, bowling isn’t cheap and some folks feel like that portion of their recreational dollars can be better spent elsewhere or saved in the piggy bank.

A number of bowlers — and even leagues — question how worthwhile it is to even be sanctioned. A few leagues in the county aren’t willing to pony up the sanction fees and operate on their own.

Most bowling leagues are once a week. Many parents have busy lives, running their kids here and there, and feel they don’t have the time to commit to going bowling every seven days.

Youth bowling on Saturday mornings around here is healthy. Butler, Knoch, Seneca Valley, Mars and Karns City all have bowling teams and those rosters are strong in numbers as well.

At some point, as they get older, bowlers leave the sport. They get married, have kids, priorities change. Many of them never come back.

County tournament participation has been down as well. Only 23 teams took part this year — less than 10 percent of the sanctioned bowlers.

It’s a shame.

There are plenty of reasons to take up bowling:

• The price is actually right. Compared to most other adult sporting options, bowling is relatively inexpensive. Join a league and it’s even cheaper in the long run.

• The socialization. There is plenty of time to meet and talk with other people during bowling night. A league is almost like a weekly gathering where people catch up with each other. And it guarantees a married couple at least one night out together a week.

• The competition. It’s a game, after all. Your team vs. their team. Standings are kept and there’s always something to play for. Most leagues are competitive, not cut-throat.

Games are supposed to be fun. Bowlers get that.

• It’s climate-controlled. Bowling is done inside. Weather is never a factor. You won’t get rain or snowed on. You can bowl in whatever feels comfortable.

• This is my favorite reason to bowl — Everybody can do it.

You can be good at it. You can be terrible at it. You can be tall, short, old, young, thin, hefty, none of that matters.

There is a place in bowling for whoever wants to pick up a ball and roll it down a lane at some pins.

A bowler averaging 200 can be on the same team as a bowler averaging 90. There is a place for both.

It’s sad seeing the numbers for such a basic, yet fun activity, continue to drop.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle