Spreading the Word - bowling

Bowling Digest, Oct, 2001 by Dick Denny

In an industry bereft of formal education and training programs, Gary Sparks and the Bowling Management school at Vincennes University are blazing a trail for bowlers

DEEP IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF INDIANA is a one-of-a-kind bowling treasure that Gary Sparks is striving to make as well known nationally as it is in the Midwest.

In July, Sparks rented a booth at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno to tell the entrants in the Junior Olympic Gold Youth Tournament about the Bowling Management school he heads at Vincennes University. In December of last year, Sparks made a presentation about the two-year program before the Bowling Inc., board of directors in Chicago.

"One of the things I stress wherever I go is that we are definitely one of the best-kept secrets in the bowling industry," says Sparks, whose title is assistant professor of bowling industry management and director of bowling operations, a position he's held since 1994.

"We've been going around the country for the last nine or 10 months trying to get some industry backing for the program," continues Sparks, who also coaches the Trailblazers men's and women's bowling teams that practice and compete in the school's 18-lane center. "We've been working with David Patrick of Bowling Inc., and the American Bowling Congress to make people more knowledgeable about the program."

Although enrollment in the 29-year-old program has gone down slightly over the past five or six years, Sparks thinks he can boost the number of students markedly with one simple plan: He intends to increase the profile of what is believed to be the only U.S. college with on-campus bowling facilities that also offers a degree in bowling management.

"Most of our school's marketing is geared toward in-state students," says Sparks, 44, a Bloomington, Ind., native who graduated from the Vincennes bowling program in 1978. (He joined the school's teaching staff in 1989 as a bowling instructor and added coaching duties in 1992.) "My program is just the opposite. I'm trying to reach students from all across the country. Sometimes we get left behind on the marketing end, but now the school is letting me do some marketing things that are helping."

Bowling centers have been key to Sparks' marketing efforts. "The school put out a poster on Vincennes bowling last season, and AMF and Brunswick placed it in their centers. I've distributed it, too. Our industry is in great need of some youthful ideas and talent in all areas--not just in running a center, but in marketing, sales, and production.

"Probably my biggest effort is to try and get our message to junior high and high school students. Our school is a very viable tool for the industry. If I had a big goal, it would be for the program to get involved directly with what's going on in the ABC and WIBC. With our facilities and students, it would be a great avenue to do a lot of testing with products and for us to be a showcase for the industry."

Since the school began offering its Bowling industry Management & Technology degree, nearly 500 students have completed the program. Sparks expects between 20 and 25 students to be in his classroom for the 2001-02 school year. First-year students go to class in the Bowling Laboratory on the bottom level of the Physical Education Complex on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; second-year students go to class on Tuesday and Thursday. All students fill their other days with core classes.

"The program is basically an overview of everything you will encounter while running a bowling center," Sparks says. "The first-year courses are in lane care, pinsetter mechanics, maintenance, and all of the other technical aspects of the business, including ball drilling. The second year of the program focuses on management strategies like hiring employees, operation, league development, and things like that."

Bowling became a part of the Vincennes curriculum in the late '60s, when owners of centers in southern Indiana needed mechanical help with the new pinsetters being introduced. The school began to offer a bowling equipment mechanical certificate.

"A management section was added in 1972 and a two-year degree was offered," Sparks says. "In 1974, the P.E. complex was built for basketball, swimming, racquetball, volleyball, tennis, and bowling." The bowling center has nine lanes with Brunswick pinsetters and nine lanes with AMF pinsetters, glow-in-the-dark bowling, five pool tables, video games, a compact disc player, and a snack bar. Jeff Newkirk--another graduate of the Vincennes bowling program--runs the center, which is open to students, faculty, and the public.

The Vincennes Bowling Laboratory opened in 1982. It houses four full-sized lanes, a classroom area, Sparks' office, and numerous trophies Vincennes teams have won: 11 men's National Junior College Athletic Association titles, one women's NJCAA title, one men's Intercollegiate Bowling Championship crown, and numerous individual titles.

"The bowling management program is a big asset to the school and the careers of the students who complete it," says Phillip Summers, who retired on June 30 after 21 years as president of Vincennes. "Gary Sparks is an excellent faculty member and coach. This program is a great example of many things coming together. First, you have bowling classes for any student to take to receive an associate degree in management. There are also the bowling lanes for recreation and bowling leagues that involve students and faculty. And our facilities enable us to have competitive bowling teams. Our teams compete against the beat in the country. I'm very proud of that. Some of our bowlers have gone on to professional careers."