Bowling is not a Team sport

[GeorgeF]

By definition

team (tm)
n.
1. Sports & Games A group on the same side, as in a game.
2. A group organized to work together: a team of engineers.
3. a. Two or more draft animals used to pull a vehicle or farm implement.
b. A vehicle along with the animal or animals harnessed to it.
4. A group of animals exhibited or performing together, as horses at an equestrian show.
5. A brood or flock.
6. Obsolete Offspring; lineage.
v. teamed, team·ing, teams
v.tr.
1. To harness or join together so as to form a team.
2. To transport or haul with a draft team.

As we enter into Nationals and a lot of focus placed on team bowling it got me thinking about bowling and how it is different to most sports. It is not like Football, Cricket, Basketball which rely on a team of players in different positions to contribute to a single result. Bowling (unless in baker format) is really a team of individuals who bowl their own game, and then just add the scores up in the end.

In other sports you can have a team of champions and fail over a Champion Team but I think bowling represents the exemption to this rule. History has proven the best teams are the ones with the best players. It is very rare that an unknown makes 'all stars' and the underdogs actually win. Food for thought

Whats your viewpoint, excluding a baker format, is bowling a team sport?

 

[GoTheCell]

What about when the person bowling last needs a certain pinfall to win the "team" points?

What about where a bowler has a bad game and the rest of the "team" bowls well and makes up for it?

I would say that when bowling in a team then it is a "team" sport.

 

[da_cowman]

Absolutely.

From my experience in Shield, Youth, Rachuig, Australian Teams and now Collegiate bowling, there is little doubt in my mind, that when in a team structure, the teams that work well as a team can often come out on top. Every member on the team is equally important, and by working as a team, with lane play, encouragement and communication, a team becomes much more then the sum of it's parts.

It one of the aspects which actually has a very heavy focus here in Wichita, granted we are in a team environment in all but one event, but still the team play is something that is pushed on us by the coaches. We are encouraged heavily to communicate and work together.

So to answer your question George. In the right environment and competition. Absolutely Yes.

 

[CT]

"Team" bowling is best summed up as a bunch of indviduals bowling for a common goal. Bowling is not a team sport in the true sense of the word, as there is no way for your team to assist you to better your outcome. It could be argued that your team mates could help you line up or with adjustments (similar to a coaches role), but again, i don't think this really defines it as a team sport.

 

[Easy Tiger]

Well isn't that really the same as a sport such as cricket?

Individuals score runs and take wickets, not teams (granted fielders have to take catches for many dismissals). Individual scores (plus extras) are added up to make a team total. Bowlers take wickets, and the sum affects the team outcome.

I don't see a lot of difference.

 

[bowlrig]

–verb (used without object).. to drive a team.
.. to gather or join in a or as a team, a band, or a cooperative effort (usually fol. by up, together, etc.).

–adjective .. of, pertaining to, or performed by a team: a team sport; team effort.

I think the above verb and adjective meanings help explain a team a little better.

Personally I would prefer to bowl in a champion team rather than a team of champions. With the latter, ego is a dirty word and can have detrimental affects.
Each team needs its champions but as with Rachuig each team needs its workers. As a team if someone is down, then the rest need to pull it together for the overall.

Rob

 

[Bigsy]

I wonder if perhaps you were to join a 4 man league and throw gutterballs all night, whether you would win. I am sure the rest of your TEAM would be pretty pissed about that.

Bigsy...

 

[Jase]

I think some people miss the point about TEAM sports...

A champion team is a team that works together regardless of the ability of each and every other player in that team...

I am not disputing your theory of having 5 GREAT bowlers in your team is stronger than having a team of not quite so GREAT bowlers...or a team with individually less talented bowlers...

BUT my question to you is this...

Do you think if both teams have a bowler or two struggling in the head to head matchplay, or struggling to read the pattern, what team do you think will end up on top...

 

[mannah]

After just coming back from the ATBSO Nationals it was quite clear to me that "Teams" is definitely a strong part of bowling. It was so important that if you were having a bad game then your teammates encouraged you to keep going and get as many as possible and to keep in mind the "Team points" for the overall win even if you lost your individual point.

If your whole team is having a great game together (it does happen occasionally!) the highs you experience as part of the team help raise your individual game and gives you such great enthusiasm for our sport.

You celebrate your wins and console each other for lost opportunities but this is what a team is all about. I enjoy team bowling so much more than bowling as an individual.

 

[Captain Obvious]

I like where it says "To harness or join together so as to form a team".

If individuals come together to join or make up a "team" then it is a "team" sport.

Let's stop beating around the bush and look at the point George is really making. That point being George is not in the "QLD" Rachuig team and he thinks he really should be in that "team".

Correct me if I am wrong, George?

 

[gwhiting]

Bowling is a unique sport that has an individual component and a team component.

Some of the best bowling that I have witnessed has been in a team environment. Certainly the emotions appear to be higher.

So to answer the question bowling is certainly a great team sport.

 

[$$Pricey$$]

I like where it says "To harness or join together so as to form a team".

If individuals come together to join or make up a "team" then it is a "team" sport.

Let's stop beating around the bush and look at the point George is really making. That point being George is not in the "QLD" Rachuig team and he thinks he really should be in that "team".

Correct me if I am wrong, George?

my thoughts exactly as i was reading the original post.

 

[Hippy??]

Hi George......maybe you need a TEAM of people to get on here and support your thoughts on teams......Maybe some of the QLD Rachig team might want to help you out?????????ROFLMAO

 

[AdrianS]

Like i said before, there is such a thing as 'team bowling' (example, how some of the good teams at USBC plan how to break their pair down for better scores) But no such thing as a team bowler. There always has to be a little selfishness out there, there might not be an 'i' in team but theres no team without 'me'. Keep that in control and those people will more than likely take the win.

 

[PeterB]

my thoughts exactly as i was reading the original post.

I had the same impression.

 

[jason_doust]

Team bowling is a different sport to individual bowling. Probably a better one, in some respects (which is quite a departure from my thinking of old.)

A team can break a pair down nicely. Lead bowlers can report on whether a move worked, a ball checked early, a lane carried down or a shot was just missed to players down the line, giving them better information to work on. The team can really make things happen for each other.

They can also make life hard for their opponents in the odd case. You should see what happens when your opposition all throw it straight and your team plays on their line with plastic! A practice session can become an offense game in that case!

The only thing that's different in bowling to other sports is that when you miss, your team mates can't fix it for you (as much as they'd like to!)

Cheers,
Jason

 

[da_cowman]

Like i said before, there is such a thing as 'team bowling' (example, how some of the good teams at USBC plan how to break their pair down for better scores) But no such thing as a team bowler. There always has to be a little selfishness out there, there might not be an 'i' in team but theres no team without 'me'. Keep that in control and those people will more than likely take the win.

I couldn't disagree more.

If there isn't a team bowler, then there isn't a team Football player, or a team League player, or a team Cricket player. The best bowling teams have bowlers who understand one thing. My adjustment, which may lead to split, may well lead to a turkey for my teammates. Sacrifice my 10 pins, to gain 50 for the team. A team bowler is someone who, when they get pulled out of a team realizes that their job isn't over, it has simply changed. A team bowler will throw a shot on the gutter to see if there is something out there, or make a giant step left for the same reason, understanding that whether they washout or strike the TEAM has gained from it. A team bowler understand that each shot of their 5 man team game makes up at most 2% of the TEAMS game. And that their 2% isn't as important as the TEAMS 100%. Bowlers want to score well in bowling because it's the aim of the game, for the same reason Cricketer Bowlers never want to stop bowling, that's their job. The difference between a good team bowler and a bad one, is the good ones never stop for the team. Throwing balls or not, in Rachuig for example, you can only ever throw 20% of your teams balls, so what you do to help with the other 80% is invaluably more important. And for most people, the number is higher then 80%.

There is selfishness in every game, but that doesn't mean there is no such thing as a team player in every game.

Cow

 

[bluey]

What about when the person bowling last needs a certain pinfall to win the "team" points?

What about where a bowler has a bad game and the rest of the "team" bowls well and makes up for it?

I would say that when bowling in a team then it is a "team" sport.

#1 Team points are won by adding together all individual scores.
#2 Why does someone have to be bowling bad for everyone else to try and do their best?
Many people have thrown cricket in as an example in some way or another. A cricket bowler has do work with fielders/keeper to acheive an outcome of taking wickets, (together) a batsman runs with a team mate to score runs. (together) When l bowl my ball down the lane, my teammates have no influence on the delivery and resulting pinfall. They may certainly encourage me and assist in lane reading, but so can a coach. Some individuals are certainly more pleasing to be with and can create a marvelous environment while others can be egotistical and downright rude. For the 20 or so seconds that l am on the approach, no one is with me holding my hand, no one is half way down nudging the wide delivery away from the gutter, and no one is there to smack the damn 7 pin over when l throw a great shot. A team score sure, a team sport not so sure.

 

[tonx]

Although it's quite laughable that bowling and golf are often compared (I say that because tiger just passed 1b in earnings, where WRW jnr hasnt even reached 5mill), because the only person in control of the direct result is the player making the shot.

If one watches the Presidents Cup in golf, one gets to appreciate how an individual sport is turned into a team sport when done correctly. Players not only help their TEAM-MATES line up puts, but great shots take pressure off your TEAM-MATES, allowing the TEAM to gather momentum very quickly.

It might help to have a higher quality of player in the side to help reach the common goal, but it certainly takes a higher quality of personality to be a great TEAM player, regardless the task(s) at hand.

Given equal ability, I would take a player that treated team bowling like a team sport over someone who took team bowling as a chance for personal glory.

 

[nomore4s]

It is not like Football, Cricket, Basketball which rely on a team of players in different positions to contribute to a single result. Bowling (unless in baker format) is really a team of individuals who bowl their own game, and then just add the scores up in the end.

Isn't team bowling also made up of players in different positions contributing to a single result? IE - Winning as many points as possible from the game.

Any team sport is made up of individual players of varying abilities all playing their own game, and the team that has the most players that win their positions end up winning the game. No different to team bowling imo.

In other sports you can have a team of champions and fail over a Champion Team but I think bowling represents the exemption to this rule.

While this may be true to a certain point, every great team in every sport has had champions in it. But any team is only as good as the weakest players and this is no different in bowling, if your weakest bowlers bowl well you go a long way to winning the tournament.

IMO this is where someone might be a good "team bowler", by understanding how to get the best out of the other bowlers in the team and therefore making the team perform above what is expected.

History has proven the best teams are the ones with the best players. It is very rare that an unknown makes 'all stars' and the underdogs actually win. Food for thought

In nearly every sport history shows the teams with the best players in it generally win more then they lose, I can't really think of any teams that have dominated their sport without a number of champion players in it.
I'm sure there have been times teams with lesser known bowlers have won Rachuig upsetting more faniced teams.