The Foundation / The Foundation / Editorial of the Month

A Queen-like Experience

Brandy Padilla — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:37:27 GMT

A Queen-like Experience

An Editorial By: Brandy Padilla

In my quest to become a better bowler, I have learned that if you want to find out where you stand or where you fit into the ranks, then you have to compete against the top competitors. This holds true in every sport. So, in late April, I joined the ranks of nearly 400 women to compete in the USBC Queens tournament in Matthews, North Carolina.

Going into this tournament, I knew that I had my work cut out for me if I wanted to make my goal of making the first cut. After all, even I know enough to realize that I am competing against the best women bowlers on the planet and they will show no mercy in their quest to be the best. That said, I was also confident in my ability. I spent hour after hour, day after day in training. I practiced on some tough patterns and worked mostly on making good shots and staying on the head pin, making my spares and controlling my emotions so that I wouldn’t let my head get in my way. I really thought that I was ready and I knew that it would be a good experience no matter what the result.

I packed up my gear and met up with a friend early on April 27. We caravanned with each other on the nine hour trip from Florida to North Carolina. It was an uneventful drive with the exception of some hard rain that we hit in South Carolina. We parted ways just across the North Carolina state line as she headed to her hotel and I headed to mine knowing that we would meet up again at the bowl for the orientation meeting and practice. I was on B squad and she was on D squad so we would both be practicing on the “used” condition as that is what we would be see first in competition.

I arrived at my hotel with just enough time to breathe and stretch before having to get myself ready to head to orientation. Since I was a first time Queens attendee, I figured the orientation would answer all of the last minute questions and it would give me an opportunity to see who else was bowling. Additionally, I would be at the lanes and ready for the early practice session (on the fresh) so I could see how some of the other bowlers attacked the lanes.

Practice seemed to go by so quickly and before I knew it, it was my time to practice. I had already scoped out the lanes that I would be bowling on and I had a general game plan for how to attack them during my hour of practice. Since the house was a three sided house and I would be bowling on all three sides, I wanted to make sure that I spent at least 15 minutes in each area to acclimate myself with the approach conditions and the environment in each area. I took copious notes on my practice so I could remember what I felt worked and what I felt did not. I made sure that I paid close attention to my ball reaction while trying some different lines to get to the pocket. After my practice was complete, I packed up feeling confident that I would be able to achieve my goal based on the results of my practice. I talked to a few friends before heading back to the hotel just to get their thoughts and I even called my coaches to get their thoughts. Overall, I still felt confident.

After a fairly good night’s rest, I dressed, had some breakfast and headed to the bowl to watch the last few games of the first squad. I paid particular attention to some of the top women bowlers and how they were attacking the lanes. And then it was time; I shoed up and stepped onto my starting pair. It was an intense moment for me knowing that this was my first major tournament and I wanted to enjoy it as well as learn from it. Unfortunately, things did not go quite as well as I had hoped. I felt like I was executing my shots well but I found myself missing spares. I also made some bad decisions and did not make a big enough move soon enough. So, after the first day, I was well below where I wanted to be and I knew if I wanted to make that goal I would have a lot of work to do on the second day.

I took a break and went back to the hotel. I relaxed for a little while before heading back to catch the end of the third squad and the beginning of the fourth squad. It was interesting to see that there were people having success from a couple of different places on the lanes. I had really struggled with the initial line I selected but had found better success with a more inside line albeit a bit too late in the day.

Knowing I had to be up early, I left without watching the end of the fourth squad. I head back to get some rest and prepare myself for the next day.

Once again, I got ready, had some breakfast and headed to the bowl. I felt confident that I would bowl better than I had previously and faced the day with continued confidence that I could hold myself together. We started our block and I seemed to get into a groove a little more quickly than I had on the first day. Unfortunately, I was still missing a lot of spares and I was finding difficulty in striking. My good shots that hit the pocket were not carrying so I was leaving back row pins and some unfortunate pocket splits. It was a difficult day but I improved my first day’s performance by more than 50 pins.

In the end, I did not meet my primary goal of making the first cut. I did however make myself proud because I learned more about myself than I ever expected. I was pleased with my ability to focus on my tasks and keep my head out of my way. I took each shot individually and never let one shot effect another one. This, for me, has been one of the most difficult lessons to learn for once I get frustrated, I stop focusing on what I am doing and I keep thinking about what I had done. I cannot change the shots I have already thrown so there is no need to dwell on them; I must refocus my attention to what I can control and concentrate on each of the shots to come. While this may seem like an obvious thing, it is unfortunately something that I learned the hard way.

In the end, my first Queens experience was really an up and down roller coaster of emotions. I went into this tournament with many odds being against me but I never let down; I persevered and kept my head up even when I was down. I normally go into a tournament having someone there to help me, an extra set of eyes to guide me, but I went into this one, my biggest one, all on my own. This made it a little tougher on me because I did not have anyone to lean on when I started feeling lost. I had no one to help me so I relied solely on myself; no support to help me stay focused, no one to cheer for me, no one to make suggestions. In that respect, I did more than I could have ever imagined that I could. I talked to my coaches after each squad and they continued giving me words of wisdom while trying to make some suggestions; they tried to keep me positive even as I was sobbing into the phone about my experiences and they too did more than I could have expected from hundreds of miles away.

Now, I have no real experience in tournaments until this one, so I must say that even though I did not achieve my goal, I am proud of the way I performed. I will certainly be better prepared heading into future tournaments because I can look back on this Queen-like experience

Politically Speaking

Brandy Padilla — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:24:00 GMT

Politically Speaking

An Editorial By: Brandy Padilla

Politics infect everything we do, everything about the society we live in; gas prices, health care, education. It seems in some way, politics have some effect in our daily lives and I’ve come to find out, albeit the hard way, that politics even affect bowling.

The story I am going to share is not only true but very personal for me. Read on.

Over the past months, I’ve written several stories about some of my personal accomplishments, not to gloat or be boastful, but in hopes that I may affect someone else’s life. By sharing my experiences, if I help one person realize how great this sport is, then I have accomplished my goal; to touch a life through bowling.

If you’ve read any of my stuff in the past months, you know that a few months ago, I finally achieved one of my goals; a goal that seemed to have been dangling in front of me and thereby plaguing me for a very long time. On October 12, 2006, I finally shot my very first (ever) 700 series. For me, it was a much anticipated and long overdue reward for all of the hard work and dedication I had been putting in.

You see, I had been so close to that plateau on several occasions yet seemingly fell just shy each time. Before I actually hit 700, I shot a 696 in a tournament (which even helped me to a Handicap All Events title). A spare in the tenth of the last game would have given me my first 700, but as I released that first shot a little too far to the right, it did not recover and make it securely back to the pocket thus leaving me with the 6-7 to convert for “victory”. I actually tried to make the spare and was close sending the 6 just behind the 7 to shoot 696.

During my next “close” attempt, I shot 698 after being more than 110 over for the first two games having shot 250-something the first game and 260-something the second game. Going into the third game, I knew I only needed to be clean and have a decent game. Unfortunately, it is easy to succumb to the pressures, especially personal pressures when you put so much emphasis on a number. I fell short once more shooting 180-something for a 698 set. During this particular instance, I got down on myself because I miscalculated my scores in my head and actually thought I had my 700. When I added the score sheet and it hit me, I was disappointed.

My last “close” shot was during summer league. I had two pretty good games to start but still needed about 220 to clench a personal victory. I needed the first hit in the tenth frame of the last game. I stepped up on the approach sticking to my pre-shot routine in an effort to keep my nerves from becoming a factor. As I released the ball, I felt the disappointment start to wash over me because I threw what I thought was a terrible shot. I got lucky and it struck. I felt a huge weight lift but as I turned around, I see our opponents arguing with my team. Amidst a bit of controversy, I found myself lose what I had worked so hard to achieve. The anchor bowler for the opposing team claimed to have not bowled his frame. The scorer indicated that it was my turn so I had bowled. We argued for a few minutes and then reluctantly erased my score because none of us had really been paying attention. Their bowler made his shots and then I once again stepped up needing that first hit. I took a deep breath as I began my approach and I threw a great ball. The pins exploded (or at least that is how it seemed) as the ball pushed through the rack leaving me with a solid standing 10 pin. I was crushed. I shook it off as best as I could and made my spare. I threw my fill shot and left another 10 pin to shoot 692. I left the bowling center in tears that nigh; tears of disappointment and a feeling of failure as I once again fell short of the set I so desperately reached for. I was truly hurt and felt like I may never reach that plateau.

Now, fast forward a couple of months. I still want a 700 but I’ve been working on my mental game and trying not to put so much emphasis on one thing. Rather, I think about a routine and repeating that routine each time. I think about focusing on the things I can control; timing, arm swing, release; rather than fretting over the things I cannot control; ball reaction, pin action, and carry. I focus on the things I am doing well and don’t try to change my game during league.

Having put so much pressure on myself over the course of almost a year, when I actually reached my goal, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Because I had such high expectations, part of me was expecting the bowling center roof to open and there to be Disney-esque fireworks with a parade as my fellow bowlers lift me into the air and carry me around the center while chanting my name. But back to reality; we all know nothing of that sort happened. I did however expect some sort of congratulatory fanfare. In our center, things like that normally get announced over the PA system and a bowler gets a bit of personal glory in that recognition. I’d been there when it happened for other people so naturally I just figured it would be the same for me. When I did shoot my 700, things did not happen the way I had imagined them.

I knew I would be eligible for my USBC 700 award; a coaster or pin or some other commemorative award; and I would now be eligible to join the elusive association women’s 700 club. I also thought, given that I had received a plaque for 692, that I would receive one for me newly achieved 700; a 726 that I was extremely proud of and relieved to have obtained. To say I had high expectations for my achievement would be grossly understating reality; I seriously had a vision of grandeur regarding this particular accomplishment. Unfortunately, because I had put such high expectations upon this achievement, I was setting myself, albeit unknowingly, for big disappointment.

The night I shot my coveted 700, there was no announcement over the PA. The only people who even noticed were my teammates. The opposing team did not even realize that this was my first 700. There was very little congratulations; no handshakes or hugs, no celebration, obviously no fireworks or parade; it was as if nothing had even happened.

I shook it from my mind (at least I tried to) passing it off as an oversight; after all, I’m one of hundreds of people and it’s easy to be overlooked. But then it took over two months before I got my USBC award (a 700 pin). It took more than four months to get an application to the 700 club; another thing I tried to write off as oversight but could not given that I saw another person shoot 700 and immediately get an application for “the club”. And I guess 692 is better than 726 because that is the plaque; the lone plaque; that adorns the bare wall in my office.

This is where I think the politics of bowling come in to effect. Why is it that one person is ‘overlooked’ while another person gets ‘proper’ recognition? Bowling is as political as any other sport. Sometimes it isn’t about bowling at all; it’s about people or about “cliques” or “groups”; who you may or may not be friends with.

I’ve paid my dues as has any other member in good standing. As a paying and active member, I expect the associations; local, state, and national; to work for me. In this particular case, I must say, that I feel like they are working against me. I only want for each bowler to be treated equally; no bias based on skill or style, or who you happen to be friends with; simply one association that serves the bowlers efficiently and effectively.

Unfortunately, it is scenarios like this that I think push bowlers away. If the associations were run like businesses, scenarios like this may not occur. When bowlers get frustrated, they leave. If we could perhaps put the focus back on bowling and get away from a few of the ‘cliques’ and politics, perhaps bowling as a sport would once again flourish.

Spare Me the Practice

Brandy Padilla — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:11:03 GMT

NOTE: These opinions stated by the Editor do not necessarily reflect those of The Foundation or those of The Kegel Company.

Bowlers are a funny group of people. I don't mean funny as in "Ha-Ha" or even funny as in strange or weird. I mean we do some 'funny' things.

I enjoy bowling and have only been bowling for about six years. Compared to a lot of people that I know, I haven't been bowling long at all. But, in comparison my understanding of the game is great compared to some who have been bowling a lot longer. Sometimes, my understanding is a bit too good; if you know what I mean.

I am a pretty smart person. I understand all the fundamentals of bowling: push-away, arm swing, slide, timing, release, etc. and I have pretty good form. I have a good push away, my timing is a little late but it works for me, I have good speed control, good balance at the line; my 'approach' has all the right pieces. So why is it that I can't seem to average more than 180? I know I am capable of better.

It all boils down to PRACTICE. I just don't practice. And not because I don't have time or the facility to do so, I just don't do it. I am literally down the hall from the most advanced training facility in the world (for bowling) and I can't find an hour a week to take advantage of it. For that, SHAME ON ME. But I digress on my point. Let me continue.

So here you have me, a 'talented' (OK-not talented but not talent-less; better than average) and I want to get better. I am now making a commitment to myself and to my 'talent' to improve so that I can better my average. What do I do?

It's all about practice. I can easily put in an hour a week. In my case, I could easily put in an hour a day. But what do I work on?

I personally would concentrate on ONE thing. And ONLY one thing: SPARES! Spares cost me more pins than they should. Two or three missed spares in a game cost me 30 or more pins. That means a decent 180 game with two additional spares would have been 200. Or that 160 game with three missed single pins could have been 190. Missed spares are the majority of my problem.

I recently bowled in a league where I subbed for an absent bowler. In this particular league, ladies bowl head-to-head in Peterson-Point format. Scores are scratch and there are three ladies per team. Points are awarded for each game and series for both the individual and the team.

Now, it's time to bowl. My first game, I really felt like I was throwing the ball well. I was making good shots, but I didn't carry that well. I made a couple of bad shots where I let the ball get a little too far right and it never really made it back to the pocket. Those shots cost me. I left the "bucket without the 8 pin" on one shot and only took two pins on the spare and I left the 3-6-10 on another shot and only took one on the spare. Those two missed spares alone cost me 20 pins. Couple that with the 4-7 I missed and my 185 game just jumped to 215.

During the second game, I made a little move to (hopefully) help me get the 10 pin out a little better. I left four solid 10 pins in the first game, which I spared, so I knew I was in the right place; I just needed a small adjustment. I threw the first four strikes in the game and then came in a little light to leave a flat seven pin. I made my spare and then threw three more strikes. In the ninth frame, I got the ball a little too far right. It came back but not enough and I left a flat 10 pin. I made my spare again. When I stepped up in the tenth, I had a clean game going. I threw the first strike and stepped up for shot number two. I made a really good shot but the 6 pin just wrapped around the 10 pin. That ended the clean game as I threw my spare ball in the gutter for 246.

The third game was a bit of a downward spiral for me. I was still physically throwing the ball well but I did not read the lane transition properly. Basically, I didn't move fast enough and make the appropriate adjustments. I once again missed the "bucket without the 8 pin" taking only two pins on the spare. Then I missed a 6-10 and a 10 pin. I got it back together with a spare in the ninth frame and three strikes in the tenth frame for a 173. I missed four spares in the last game. Those four spares would have pushed my 173 game to 213.

All those missed spares cost me. Not that my 604 series was bad but it could have been 670 or 680 with a few more spares.

Normally when I go practice I don't work on any one thing. I just kind of throw the ball and practice. Unfortunately, this method doesn't really work on anything. If anything, it's actually counter productive. If I went out and actually practiced spares, I could get better at MAKING spares. The 50 pins I lose a night in missed spares would improve my average a great deal.

But then again, bowlers are funny people. And this is why I think so. It never ceases to amaze me how many bowlers are just like me. They go 'practice' but don't actually practice anything. Or, they spend an hour practicing a strike shot but don't work on making the spares they leave. And then, we complain that we should have shot 700 instead of 640 (or in my case 670 instead of 600). See, we are funny people.

We are quick to complain about something yet do nothing to correct the problem or improve upon the problem. I have heard countless bowlers complain (just like me) that their average should be higher or their score should have been higher. Get out there. Do the "P" word. PRACTICE! If you think your average or scores should be higher, only you can get them there. And my friends, practice is a necessary key in the solution.

I have a practice plan in mind and I am going to stick to it. It isn't always easy. Days are long and I get tired. But I really WANT to improve and I won't get any better without practice. My current high game is 258 and my high set is 661. I want 700 and I want a 270 or better game. Heck, I may even want to add another title like National Amateur Champion or Kingpin Millionaire to that while I'm at it. Brandy Padilla, National Amateur Champion, Kingpin Millionaire. I definitely like the sound of that. Well, a girl can dream. But anything is possible if you put your mind to it and if you practice.

The Best of the Alphabetical Best

Brandy Padilla — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:09:31 GMT

NOTE: These opinions stated by the Editor do not necessarily reflect those of The Foundation or those of The Kegel Company.

A few months ago, Bowler's Journal International announced it would be accepting nominations for their annual Top 100 Coaches. Nominations were taken over a short period of time (about two or three months) and from the entries received the Top 100 Coaches would be named.

Now I am sure that narrowing down the list was not a task to be taken lightly. There are many excellent coaches to be considered. While I may not personally be able to think of 100 of them, I can certainly name a few who I think are more than worthy of the honor of making the list.

Selection for the honor was based on criteria from a nomination form. The information included level of coaching certification (bronze, silver, gold), type of coaching (youth, professional) achievements (any honors or awards; Championships, etc) and a host of other criteria. From that information, the daunting task of selecting coaches began.

I don't pretend to know what went into selecting the coaches; I wouldn't even speculate. I would imagine that there were several thousand entry forms that were received. I would also imagine that there were far more than 100 coaches that were nominated. Considering that many coaches probably received multiple nominations, I am sure the 'selection committee' had no easy job.

In the July issue of Bowler's Journal, the top 100 coaches were announced. Now, if you were like me, you probably assumed that the coaches would be listed in some kind of numerical order; say from 1 to 100 or maybe even from 100 to 1. To me, it only seemed logical that if you are going to name the top 100 coaches that they should be ranked in some kind of order. Unfortunately, this was just not the case.

Donning the cover of the July issue was Team USA Head Coach Jeri Edwards. I recently had the opportunity to meet her during the World Ranking Masters. I also bowl with one of her sisters, Brenda (Edwards) Viator, so in a sense I feel as if I already knew her. Jeri is a truly great person. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious and she has a passion for this sport that is simply unbelievable. I watched her as she 'coached' Diandra Asbaty and John Janawicz during the WRM and found that she really just gets it. She knows when to be a cheerleader, she gets the strategy and physical part of the game, she is a motivator and a teacher; she really is phenomenal. It was of no surprise to me that she was on the list of top coaches. In fact, since she was on the cover, this lead me to believe that she was at the top of the list. But I was mistaken.

So here I am reading through the list knowing not what coaches are 'the best'. I only know that there are 100 coaches listed. To me, this seemed more of an advertisement for 100 coaches. To say I was disappointed would be somewhat of an understatement.

I want to know who the best coach is and why he or she is considered to be the best. All this list told me is that there are 100 active coaches in the bowling industry. Why would Bowler's Journal name the top 100 coaches and then not even rank them? Is it a political thing? Did they not want to hurt anyone's feelings? Were they just trying to be nice to everyone?

I don't really know the answer to any of that but as a reader and as a student of the game, I must say that I feel really cheated. If Bowler's Journal was trying to be nice by not ranking the coaches, I think they may have been better served by just naming all of the coaches that received nominations. I really just don't see the point in their list.

Isn't it supposed to be an honor to be on the list of the top 100 coaches? If you were on the list and you were the best, wouldn't you want to see the number one by your name? Is the honor diminished somewhat by not having a ranking system? In my opinion, the honor is somewhat diminished. After all, many of these coaches have dedicated their lives to bowling and to helping bowlers to be the best. And now we can't even honor them with a proper top 100 list.

If you were a coach and you were the best, wouldn't you feel proud to be at the top? And wouldn't your students feel great about their coach being the best of the best? I know it would boost my ego a lot to go to league and say that I took a lesson from the best coach in the country; especially if I bowled well.

To me, Bowler's Journal has done an incredible injustice to the coaches on that list. Maybe some of them like knowing that they aren't ranked and maybe some of them wish they were ranked. I don't know. But I personally would like to see a ranking system. After all, we rank athletes based on their performances. Jason Couch did win three successive Tournament of Champions. It's certainly safe to say that he was at the top. Why not apply the same sort of philosophy to coaches? I know it would be a little more difficult to do so as some coaches are more visible than others but that doesn't mean that a system of some sort can't apply.

Now don't think I am asking for a popularity system either. I don't think just because a coach got 500 nominations and a coach got 12 nominations that the 500 coach is better, but I think there should be some weight given to the number of nominations that a person receives. I also think accomplishments and accolades should be considered and given proper weight. Gordon Vatikin has lead the Wichita State Shockers to numerous National Championships and Richard Shockley coached Team USA and has worked with several of the PBA's top professionals and Pat Costello has coached team USA and has built a team at the University of Central Florida and led them to compete for National Championships. Would one of these coaches be considered the best in the country based on these qualifications? Not necessarily. If one were to judge based just on these qualifications, coaches that do not work with college teams or Team USA would seem to be eliminated right from the start. But then there are coaches like Stephen Padilla and Randy Stoughton who work with hundreds of students and foreign national teams throughout the year. They work with students of all styles and all skill levels all year long. Some may say that coaches in these types of positions, that help these volumes of students, would be better candidates for the top honors. But then we might be ruling out coaches who work with Teams. It really is a 'Catch-22'.

My point is that there are many great coaches and if only so they know where they stand in relation to other coaches, I think there should be some kind of ranking system. The Bowler's Journal list really disappointed me. I waited in anticipation for the list to be published so I could see who the best is and all I got was the best of the alphabetical best.

One Small Step for Women; One Giant Leap for Women's Bowling

Brandy Padilla — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:02:56 GMT

NOTE: These opinions stated by the Editor do not necessarily reflect those of The Foundation or those of The Kegel Company.

Unless you have been living on some non-bowling planet, you've probably heard about Liz Johnson making it to the final round of a PBA Show. But, just in case, here's a quick recap of the past few months.

Women's bowling, specifically the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA), ceased operation in September 2003. The demise of the professional tour put the top female bowlers out of a job. John Sommer, PWBA founder and chairman, explored some potential avenues in hopes to get the tour back up and running for the 2004 season. Unfortunately, even with the interest of such bowling promoters as Steve Sanders of Pinnacle Events, he was unable to get the tour back on track. Ultimately, the WIBC acquired the rights to the tour and in January 2005, the USBC claimed those rights as the ABC, WIBC, YABA, and USA Bowling all merged into one organization. That brings us to now where we still have no news of a regenerated tour. But that still doesn't get us to Liz Johnson.

With the demise of the PWBA, the PBA opened its doors to allow women to compete. Several women took advantage of the opportunity by competing in regional events all over the country and by competing in the TQR (Tour Qualifying Round) events. The TQR events are held weekly before each tournament stop giving non-exempt players a chance to win one of five spots into that week's tournament. Liz Johnson made history by becoming the first woman to qualify from a TQR and make the round of 64. During this particular instance, Liz qualified as an amateur because she had yet to obtain a PBA card. During the round of 64 at the PBA Uniroyal Tire Classic, she faced long time friend and top ranked professional Brad Angelo. While Liz did lose to Brad, she made it an interesting contest taking the best-of-seven match to six games. Liz finished the tournament in 47 th place. After Liz came Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. Carolyn got her 'bid' in the PBA tournament by slightly different means; she applied for the Commissioner's Exemption and was awarded a spot in the PBA Dallas Open. Carolyn got an automatic spot in the round of 64. However, the PBA modified the format for the second part of the tour swing. Instead of having head-to-head match play in the round of 64, the top 64 bowlers competed in exempt qualifying rounds; two rounds and 14 games and then a cut to the top 32. The top 32 then compete in the bracket style head-to-head match play format. Carolyn finished 41 st after the 14 games of qualifying.

Now we go back to Liz. Liz competed in the TQR for the PBA Banquet Open and finished 4 th , this time as a professional having obtained her PBA card. During the exempt qualifying rounds, Liz finished 11 th earning her a spot in the round of 32 bracket. During her first match, she faced Chris Barnes. Chris shot a 290 and a 300 but that did not stop Liz After six games and a roll-off, Liz persevered and emerged victorious thus moving into the round of 16. In her next match, she faced Mike DeVaney. This proved to be another tiring bout as the match went to seven games. Liz however, did not falter and once again plowed ahead; this time to the round of 8. During the round of 8, Liz faced Richard Wolfe. Richard threw a 299 game and the competition once again went to seven games, but Liz once again triumphed and became the first woman to make it to the televised finals. Once on TV, Liz defeated Wes Malott in the semi-final match. After that she faced Tommy Jones. Liz lost to Tommy Jones who subsequently had a stellar year and is in the running for Player of the Year honors.

That brings us to today and Liz Johnson's history making run on the PBA tour.

Liz made a huge mark for women's bowling and for bowling in general. Knowing that she was going to be on TV, more people tuned in to the show to see how she would fare against the 'top dogs'. Liz generated more publicity for bowling and, in my opinion, any publicity is better than no publicity. She may not have won, but she made a more than valiant effort and she left us all thinking 'who will be next'.

With the likes of other top women professional bowlers such as Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Kendra Gaines, Michelle Feldman, Leanne Barrette, and of course Liz Johnson and top women amateur bowlers like Diandra Asbaty and Shannon Pluhowsky running in the ranks of PBA tournaments, we are certain to see more women competing against the men.

I said it before but I'll say it again, I think the USBC has missed their window of opportunity on the PWBA tour. It has been almost two years and there is no inkling of a tour to be found. I fear it has been gone too long and the USBC will be unable to rejuvenate it; not because they don't have the right business plan, not because they don't have good sponsorship, not because they don't have good marketing but simply because the interest has diminished. The women who were top ranked two years ago are moving into new phases of their lives; they have adjusted to not having a ladies only professional tour. If the tour is revived, would they even be willing to come back to compete. After all, when their tour 'went under', they were competing for diminished prize funds that barely covered their tour expenses and the tour itself was fighting for entrants to even compete in the tournaments. My question is why would they want to come back if they can compete in the PBA for bigger prize funds?

Ladies bowling may not be around as we used to know it, but it is still alive and kicking. Liz Johnson's performance gave it the jolt of life it needed to get it back on track. Hopefully, other women will follow in her footsteps. The PBA Tour trials are set to begin at the end of May. There are some women who plan on competing for a spot on the exempt tour. Maybe one of them will be successful and make another giant leap for women's bowling.

But for now I guess we watch and we wait; we wait to see what will happen with the USBC and the PWBA, we watch to see when more history will be written and we watch to see who will make that history.

The PWBA: Where Are They Now?

Brandy Padilla — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 14:01:25 GMT

NOTE: These opinions stated by the Editor do not necessarily reflect those of The Foundation or those of The Kegel Company.

The Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) has long become a memory to most since it ceased operation in September 2003. For many of the top women professionals, this meant the end of a career and the beginning of a new adventure.

Now, nearly two years later, the bowling world is still without a women's tour of any kind. There are no ladies bowling on TV; there are no regional events; there is nothing; not even a website to update us on the current 'PWBA' news. So, you may ask, what happened? And, more importantly, what is going to happen? Here's my ten cents.

The PWBA ceased operation in September 2003 because of 'a lack of operating funds'. We'll just say that there was no money to support the tour despite the presence of such national sponsors as the Women's International Bowling Congress (WIBC), Pepsi, Miller Brewing, and BowlersParadise.com. As a result, the remaining tour stops for the 2003 - 2004 season were cancelled. At that point, no one really knew what would happen. PWBA Founder and Chairman John Sommer would pursue new investors and all of the options in preparation for a 2004 tour.

In October 2003, Steve Sanders of Pinnacle Events jumped into the picture. His thought was to have a combined women's and senior's tour. He realized, however, that women would be more appealing to a TV audience so he knew that a full - blown women/senior tour would not be feasible. So he had the idea that there would be a large number of women's tournaments with a handful of combined tournaments. Sanders failed to reach an agreement with ESPN for television time, so Sanders backed out of the tour altogether.

The thought of a women's tour looked even more bleak. Then, WIBC jumped on board and acquired the full rights to the PWBA in July 2004. Having the WIBC market and promote the PWBA seems like the right thing. After all, the WIBC is responsible for marketing women's bowling in general so why not let them market and promote the women's tour. Now, with the merger of ABC, WIBC, YABA, and USAB into the USBC as of January 2005, the USBC owns the rights to the PWBA.

Unfortunately, there has been no news of the future of a women's professional tour. However, the PBA has extended its membership to allow women to bowl. In fact, in the PBA qualifier last year, several women participated in hopes of earning one of the remaining few spots available on the all - exempt PBA tour. Unfortunately, no women made the exemption. But that did not stop them. Several of our favorite professionals have been participating in PBA regional events and have been performing quite well. If you keep up with the PBA and the regional events, you may have seen the likes of Kendra Gaines, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Kelly Kulick, Cathy Dorin-Lizzi, Michelle Feldman, and of course Liz Johnson, who was the first woman to qualify for the round of 64. She qualified as the top amateur during the tour qualifying round (TQR) at the PBA Uniroyal Tire Classic. She was subsequently eliminated during the first round of match play as she took on long time friend and top seed Brad Angelo. Johnson did not defeat easily though as she took the best - of - seven match to six games.

Amateur women have also been seen at 'Major' events such as the Masters and the US Open. In fact, top amateur Diandra Asbaty has made quite a showing at these events. She was the highest finishing woman at the Masters event, finishing 25 th . She also made the first round of cuts at the US Open and subsequently finished in 86 th.

But alas, the fact remains that there is still no women's tour. And as time goes on, the thought of a tour seems farther and farther away. The USBC does have the rights to the PWBA but there have been no announcements of any further progress. I would guess that means that there is nothing promising in the works. One could hope, however, that the lack of news would mean that we may have something to which we can look forward. In other words, the old adage about 'no news is good news' would perhaps indicate that the horizon may hold a regenerated women's tour.

Many of the previously 'professional' women bowlers (can you really call them professional bowlers if there is no professional women's bowling association) have moved on to other things in their lives. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Cara Honeychurch both took the opportunity to add new 'titles' to their already impressive resumes. Both recently added new additions to their families when they gave birth to little girls. Cara is home in Australia and is still involved with bowling. She has partnered with AMF Australia to help promote tenpin bowling by doing coaching and seminars. Carolyn is home in Texas and also remains involved in bowling. She has bowled several PBA regional events as well as several TQR and remains active as the spokeswoman for high school bowling. Kendra Gaines and husband John are living in Florida and own two pro shops in the Orlando area. Kendra stays active with bowling offering lessons and assists the collegiate women's bowling team at the University of Central Florida . Kendra has also bowled some PBA regional events.

I recently spoke to Kendra after an article appeared in Bowlers Journal International regarding the fate of the women's tour. She spoke candidly about the tour and hoped that there would in fact be another tour. And, you would think that as a former touring professional, she might be 'in the loop' with some current news. She laughed and said "If you hear anything about the tour, give me a call."

I wish I was optimistic about the coming of a revitalized tour, but I am afraid that I am not. I think the women's tour has already been gone for too long. While I do miss the tour and I hope that I am wrong, I think that the WIBC, nay the USBC, may have missed their window of opportunity. It has been nearly two years without a professional women's tour. I fear it may be forgotten entity.

I personally think the USBC should shift their focus towards promoting the women in a combined Professional Bowler's Tour with the men. The PWBA had been struggling before their demise so why try to revive the dead. Tournament entries were in a steady decline; tournament prize funds were getting smaller and smaller somewhat due to the decrease in entries; top level amateur women were and are not interested in turning professional; the thought of actually making a living on tour was only a reality for an elite few. When you consider some of this, it seems only natural that the USBC should take a radical approach. If women entries into the tournaments increased and it became warranted, perhaps a few years down the road, the USBC could reconsider an all-women professional tour.

The PBA has welcomed women into their events and some women have been somewhat successful in their venture. I think with a few changes to the PBA, there could be a permanent (or semi-permanent) home for the women and some added appeal to the professional tour in general. After all, there are a lot of male bowlers and it could attract more viewers to the weekly telecast. And at this point, let's face it; any publicity is better than no publicity.

The Ultimate Bowling Controversy: The 900

Brandy Padilla — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 13:59:59 GMT

NOTE: These opinions stated by the Editor do not necessarily reflect those of The Foundation or those of The Kegel Company.

Everyone in the bowling world knows what 900 means; you may call it the 'Triple Crown', maybe a 'Trifecta', perhaps a 'Three-peat', maybe even 'triple perfection'. Call it what you will; what it amounts to is the ultimate in bowling perfection . There is no greater feat in bowling than the 900 series. It's a feat that many will strive to reach but only a limited few will attain. In fact, there have only been seven ABC approved 900 series'; that's right, I said seven .

The first approved 900 series was rolled by Jeremy Sonnenfeld of Lincoln , Nebraska . A college student and collegiate bowling star at the time, Jeremy rolled his perfection on February 2, 1997 and became the first person ever to roll an approved 900 series. But he wasn't the first 900 ever. In the wake of his perfection is a story we probably all know to well. In case you don't know the story, keep reading.

It was league night on Thursday, July 1, 1982 and Glenn Allison was ready for a big night of bowling. During his first shift, a mixed handicap league, he was trying a new ball and managed to shoot a whopping 578. Feeling that his new ball was hooking entirely too much, he pulled out his Yellow Dot for the second shift, semi-scratch league. For him, that was a fateful decision. Approximately two hours later, Glenn Allison had made bowling history. He became the first person in the 87-year history of the ABC to shoot 900 in sanctioned league play.

The ABC decided not to honor Glenn Allison's 900 series. From my understanding, his 900 was not approved because the lanes were not inspected prior to his shooting 900. The lanes were inspected after his bowling and they were found to be out of specifications. At the time, it was considered an impossible feat and it was believed that no one would ever achieve such a fantastic accomplishment. But Glenn did it and there were many witnesses. But that isn't really my point.

As I mentioned earlier, there are now seven approved 900 series and none of them belong to Glenn Allison. After Jeremy Sonnenfeld, there was more than a full year before another perfecto was rolled. This time it was Tony Rovetini throwing the ball. On November 9, 1998, Tony achieved his ultimate perfection in Milwaukee , Wisconsin . About one year later, Vince Wood shoots 900 number 3 in Moreno Valley , California . In 2000, Robby Portalatin rolled the fourth 900 series. Number five was shot in Salem , Oregon in May, 2001 by James Hylton. Number six came recently by another college student in New Castle , Pennsylvania on June 12, 2004. Jeff Campbell II found himself in the midst of the 900 controversy as the ABC scrutinized his perfecto for weeks before honoring his accomplishment. The latest 900 series came on December 9, 2004. It was rolled by Darin Pomije of New Prague, Minnesota.

The first of these perfectos came some 15 years after Glenn Allison's. And each of these perfectos has seen their own bits of controversy, though none have seen the controversy of the true first.

Glenn Allison shot his 900 when lane conditions and bowling balls were different. There was no 'particle technology' when Allison achieved perfection. In fact, there were only rubber, plastic, and urethane bowling balls. Lane conditions were not the 'walled-up' house shots that we see today. Lanes were still 'dressed' and cleaned by hand. I guess you could, or should, call his 900 pure . Don't take this the wrong way, any 900 is great; but why approve seven and not approve the first one ever?

I recently caught a message board on a popular industry web site that had a topic going about the latest 900 series. Many of the people who posted seemed to feel the same way that I do regarding Glenn Allison's achievement: APPROVE IT. After all, he was the first and he deserves it.

But I was surprised to see how many people were sort-of bashing the other 900 bowlers. There were some comments that basically said none of them should count unless Allison's is counted. There were also some who said the lane conditions must be too easy and of course there was talk of bowling a ' real ' 900 on a sport pattern. There were even jokes about sanctioning cosmic or no-tap bowling so that those scores would count. To all of those people I say WAKE UP. You are missing the boat. I don't care if the shot is the 'Great Wall of China'; I don't care if you are a righty or a lefty; I don't care if you own the center, if you're the lane man, or if you're just a regular league bowler; I don't care if you have 2 boards of area or 20 boards of area. It takes accuracy, consistency, mental and physical ability (and okay, a little luck too) to throw 36 strikes in a row. All of those individuals deserve kudos from everyone. You have to know your game, know the conditions, know your equipment, know how to make adjustments, know how to execute, know how to put it all together and keep it all together. There have only been eight 900 series' in the 110 year history of the ABC. Thirty-six strikes in a row is an amazing accomplishment.

Glenn Allison's 900 may not have been approved, but we all know the story and he knows he did it (along with the hundred or so witnesses who saw him shoot it on that fateful night). No one can take that away. Maybe someday, the governing body of bowling will see the error of their ways and approve this much-deserved award.

It took 87 years (of ABC history) for someone to roll the first 900. Now we've seen seven in eight years. Will we see more? Will 900 become more common? Will the ever-coveted ultimate perfection become commonplace like the 300? Lane conditions are getting easier. After all, bowlers want to see high scores and bowling centers are all too happy to comply. I really don't know if we'll see more and I guess only time will tell. I think we may see more; but I also think this subject will long remain bowling's ultimate controversy.