Deja Vu Comes to Bowling - new program for sanctioned bowlers - Brief Article

Bowling Digest, June, 2000 by Lydia Rypcinski

ABC AND WIBC OFFICIALS unveiled a "new" program for sanctioned bowlers that proves how everything comes full circle if given enough time.

"Sport Bowling: Step Up to the Challenge" is a program of elite-level test leagues being implemented in the United States in response to claims that scoring credibility has gone out the window. Thirteen leagues in nine cities, encompassing more than 700 bowlers, compete on ABC/WIBC mandated lane conditions ranging from moderate to difficult. Scores and lane dressing patterns are monitored weekly, and bowler reaction and feedback is actively solicited, in an attempt to establish playing parameters for those who want to test their skills on more demanding conditions and be recognized for that effort.

"When we established the System of Bowling, we tried to frame a universe in which `one size fit all,'" says ABC executive director Roger Dalkin. "We made our decisions based on the best information we had at hand at the time. But with the unforeseen changes in ball technology, lane dressings, and other technical elements, it became apparent that our original assumptions were no longer valid.

"Now we're trying to introduce a subset into that universe. We don't want to change the playing environment for everyone. We just want to create an option for players who want to hit from the championship tees, to borrow a metaphor from golf. We also need to find ways to recognize their achievements on a more difficult condition, and to reconcile averages that are established on two distinct playing conditions for tournaments."

Cities currently experimenting with sport leagues are Milwaukee; Detroit; Las Vegas; Buffalo; Fort Worth; Kenosha, Wis.; Dayton; Midland, Mich.; and Shelbyville, Ind. The goal is to have a fully operational Sport Bowling program available to sanctioned bowlers by the 2001-02 season. Bowlers interested in starting a test Sport Bowling league are urged to contact Bowling Inc. vice president Jeff Henry at (414) 421-6400 in Greendale, Wis.