Young bowlers love striking out
"We're sort of a novelty in the area, which is kind of ironic," said Ruth Geller, co-owner of Mars Lanes.
Almost everything about the bowling house is original. The floors are wooden, the benches are original from the 1950s, and there is no electronic scoring.
Even the ball returns are at floor level.
"Iguess you could say we're old-fashioned here," Geller said, "but that's the way we think things should be."
While the bowling house is old, it is attracting a number of young bowlers.
Mars Lanes has two youth leagues with about 75 members. The age range for the leagues is 7 to 21.
Geller said 7 is a good age to start because youths at that age can strengthen their hand-eye coordination, and improve their motor skills.
The leagues are educational, according to Geller. While tips and hints are offered, particularly to beginning bowlers, they are mostly left to themselves, though are encouraged to ask for help.
"And the great part is, the kids help each other out too," she said. "They cheer each other on and support each other with good sportsmanship."
That's something that Geller tries to encourage in her leagues, along with bowling courtesy.
"And we hope that they learn some of life's lessons too," she said. "Like helping others and being supportive, showing good sportsmanship, being polite and kind, and just treating people right."
"We're sort of a small town, in a small town," she said of the fellowship shown.
Geller attributes the growing popularity of youth leagues to the cost of bowling being less expensive compared to other sports. Essentially, bowlers can begin with nothing more than a ball and the fees to play, whereas other sports require protective equipment, a uniform, and fees on top of that.
Another reason she thinks youth bowling is growing is because there is less of a stigma that bowling is "for nerds."
"I think as the game continues to be popular; bowlers aren't seen as being nerds," she said. "It's a fun game, and it's becoming more accepted."The way the leagues are set up, the youths are constantly encouraged, and rewarded for accomplishments.Youth bowlers receive certification from the United States Bowling Congress. Because of this, they receive awards such as pins, emblems, and patches. They also receive awards in areas such as attendance, most improved, and best average."It really gives them something to work for,"Geller said, "and something they can be proud of."In addition to playing against other teams within the league, teams also play in sanctioned tournaments throughout the season in the county and in the state. One such event was on March 10-11 at Family Bowlaway of Butler Township.The tournament was a four-member team tournament. Rick Reeder, president of the Butler Youth United States Bowling Congress, who is in his 21st year with the organization, ran the tournament."Our goal is to teach a sport that they can do for a lifetime," he said of the bowling congress.Family Bowlaway also offers youth bowling to nearly 200 youths in two leagues."We've been offering youth bowling off and on for more than 40 years now," said Kevin Caparosa, co-owner of Family Bowlaway. "It's something we're very proud and excited to be a part of."The leagues are divided into four divisions:the bantam division for those 8 years old and under, the prep division for those 9 to 11, the junior division for those 12 to 14, and the senior division for those 15 and up.There is also a bumper league for younger bowlers, some as young as 3, according to Reeder.Reeder echoed several of Geller's sentiments, stating the most important aspect of youth bowling is that participants have fun and are rewarded."These kids are the future of bowling," he said. "It's important that we teach them right, and that they enjoy it. They're our future men's and women's league bowlers, and they're future business for local proprietors. It's a sport you can do for a lifetime."
To help, Family Bowlaway's youth leagues offer several coaches, who must be certified by taking a training class with a certified instructor.According to Reeder, the majority of the coaches are former youth bowlers themselves, so they are better able to connect with the bowlers, since they have already gone through the process.Another way to help youths is through sponsoring tournaments, according to Reeder. Tournaments are a chance for youths to compete against other youths and learn from them. One such tournament is Bowl With Butler's Best."It's great for the kids,"Reeder said. "They get to pair up with some of our men and women league bowlers and learn from them. And the winners are awarded with scholarships rather than money."The money comes from local business, so they not only help themselves, but they help the kids too."Bowl With Butler's Best pairs youth bowlers with adult bowlers from the county bowling association. The adult bowlers change lanes for each of the three games, so youth bowlers are paired with a different bowler each time and can learn from all of them."The tournament is a great tie-in for our adult leagues," Reeder said. "Youths can see some of our better adult bowlers and aspire to be as good as they are."Family Bowlaway also offers bowling outside of league play. It hosts both Butler junior and senior high schools' intramural bowling leagues. It is also working out a new concept of an in-school bowling program."It's something we're excited about,"Caparosa said."Kids can do an activity, and it ties in with math because they learn scoring too."The program consists of six portable lanes, a scoring program, and equipment. Because it is portable, the program can be moved from school to school, allowing more students an opportunity to learn.With more than 500 youth bowlers in leagues throughout the county, the future of bowling appears to be a bright one.
