Why is everyone so depressingly agreeable?

[Andrew S.]

I think option 2 is unworkable. An increase of .25 cents a game a year (and this is every year) plus say .10 cents for increased centre running costs would raise prices to the extent that the average bowler will in all probability either drop one of his leagues, or else look for the nearest unregistered centre where the prices are more reasonable.
This is going to hurt the small centres badly which ever way it goes.....
Interesting move by TBA though, getting the Centres to do their job for them.......

 

[RobbieB]

Andrew, is there an option for people who do not bowl or bowl in a non-registered centre to join TBA? We have several people here who don't bowl but are members so that they can coach or be chaperones etc for teams. Also, no silver memberships?

 

[jimcross]

Arguments and discussions fun eh Jim? Who woulda thought. So much mediocrity these days, little to get excited about it seems.

Welcome back, bluey. Always enjoyed your posts.

 

[Andrew S.]

Don't know Rob.....a bigger question would be how will the Centres recoup their money if they elect to pay the Lane levy lump sum ?
Its been suggested that at the start of the year they bill the bowlers the approximate membership fee based on previous years, but what if the bowlers refuse to pay...........

 

[JIMBOB]

We are a 12 lane country centre and for us it will cost $6600 for option 1 or nearly $4000 for option 2. What happens if the bowlers walk because they don't want to pay an increase? Compared to what we pay the TBA now it is 20-25 times higher. They reckon AMF is on board with this?? I would like to know their discount rate if any?

 

[Mistagear]

You only need to look at the 2014 National Titles to see there is a huge problem with TBA business model. (open grade participants only and virtually no lower grade entries)
TBA derive their membership income from thousands of medium to lower average bowlers who will never partake in any service TBA currently provides in return for membership.
So TBA ask 3rd parties (Bowling Centres) to convince bowlers to join and then collect these membership dues, yet in doing this selling and collecting for TBA, it in fact makes selling the bowling centre's own product more difficult . In return for this extaordinarily benevelent action of selling something which is detremental to their own business product, TBA offer a service which 95% of these members do not need in order to participate in the sport.
If you asked any other business group in this country to participate in this sort of crazy behaviour, you would be laughed out of existence.
I'll give an example.
I/We are starting a group called "Hamburger Eaters Aust"
We ask every McDonalds restaurant and independent burger joints across Australia to pay us a fee for every burger they sell to groups bookings, or alternatively to pay a fixed fee per table in their restaurant, annually .
In return for selling our membership and collecting the money for us, we will sanction every table that it meets World Burger Standard and will conduct the Australian Hamburger Championships, Seniors Burger Ch'shps , Junior Burger eaters etc etc.
We will create a "Pathway to Excellence" for exceptional burger eaters and will affiliate with the World Burger Eaters Titles and the Pro Burger Eaters Tour.
We will even make statements along the lines, "You have to support us because, if burger eaters dont support us, we'll go broke"

Please tell me how many restaurants do you think, will comply with my requests for money ?

PS: Please know this, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST TBA. I'm merely trying to point out why TBA will eventually no longer exist. If you have no product or service to offer that people want, you will eventually go broke, despite Government handouts

 

[Roysa]

Where do i sign up to this burger thing Pete....?

 

[Mistagear]

Where do i sign up to this burger thing Pete....?

LMFAO You made my day, Thanks Roy

 

[John_Velo]

Pete,

for a moment i thought you were talking about the Local Council or State government. Either one could be done without.

 

[Mistagear]

Pete,

for a moment i thought you were talking about the Local Council or State government. Either one could be done without.

Seriously, not the same. Both Council and State provide services and neither use 3rd party collectors

 

[ratty133]

We are a 12 lane country centre and for us it will cost $6600 for option 1 or nearly $4000 for option 2. What happens if the bowlers walk because they don't want to pay an increase? Compared to what we pay the TBA now it is 20-25 times higher. They reckon AMF is on board with this?? I would like to know their discount rate if any?

What does the sanctioning of the Centre entail? besides obviously making sure the lanes are within legality (of which the people actually measuring them get a whole $25 per lane), how can they justify charging the other $6000 odd dollars (based on a 12 lane centre)?

 

[Wal B]

As has been said either of these proposals will rip the heart out of league bowling. There were very few low average bowlers at the Nationals like in the 'good old days' and why was that. Well one reason is that very few of those bowlers had any clue the event was on or that they in fact were eligible to bowl. How many times must we say it. The TBA does absolutely nothing for these bowlers let alone keep them informed. Put up their costs and leagues and the Bowling Centres will be the losers! More centre owners will be forced to drop their affiliation with the TBA and that will benefit nobody.

 

[Roysa]

What's the solution then?

 

[Mistagear]

This thread seems the correct forum for out of the box concepts.. here goes

Ability based graded competition at entry level onward.
Competition structure at every level, run by bowler groups. Bowler grading, equipment eligibility and matters pertaining to the bowling competitions to be performed by the bowler group.
Divisional based structure of advancement and relegation for league comps.
Creation of culture within the sport where people will desire to advance to higher skill levels. Bowlers would be prevented from competing outside their current level (neither lower or higher grade).

With a sport which is structured in this way, as most other sports have done since their existence, you have created a governing body which governs and is a necessary and desirable part of the equation.
You also have a sport which fosters a sustainable culture where participants have desire to advance and continue within their sport. They become accepted in a more exclusive group each time they are re-graded higher.
You have also created a sport which commands respect as a genuine sport by participants and general community.

This would be a hard ask but not impossible, however the alternative is for the sport to continue the 40yr decline and eventually bowling sport may disappear into recreation only passtime.
There is no way centres would risk their current customer base by enforcing a completely new system, so an alternative product needs to be promoted by the bowler group, so that some current participants convert and eventually the new system would become the "norm" as new entrants to the sport are placed into the new system when they first apply to join.

 

[dockers]

Part of the solution for low entries into the Nationals is cut out the $7 expense fee for each entry. The Rachuig, Seniors and Restricted Teams having to draft bowlers especially with the Teams in the home State not able to have enough nominations is so disappointing and I wonder how much longer these three State Teams will survive. Maybe Prize funds should be introduced and do away with Medals. The major problem is COST and being held in the same State continually. Dockers

 

[Mistagear]

Part of the solution for low entries into the Nationals is cut out the $7 expense fee for each entry. The Rachuig, Seniors and Restricted Teams having to draft bowlers especially with the Teams in the home State not able to have enough nominations is so disappointing and I wonder how much longer these three State Teams will survive. Maybe Prize funds should be introduced and do away with Medals. The major problem is COST and being held in the same State continually. Dockers

I dont think $7 is the problem and without promotion and sponsorship, any prizefund must be paid for by bowlers which will increase entry costs.
There has to be 10 times the number of lower grade members of TBA than open grade. If cost of entry was a problem, the ratio of lower to higher participants would not be disproportionate as has happened.
I wonder how many eligible lower grade members live in Sydney ?
Did TBA inform any of these members or do anything to promote the event and the sport ?
TBA can not continue to sit on their backsides and expect people to support the organization.

 

[RobbieB]

lol about the $7.00. Here is the entry fee breakdown:
If it wasn't for the teams events and Master/Cups, nobody would bother.

STANDARD ENTRY FEE PER PERSON PER EVENT
BOWLING FEE $19.50
PRIZE MONEY AND TROPHY FUND $6.50
TOURNAMENT EXPENSES $9.00
TOTAL (INCLUSIVE OF GST) $35.00

 

[dockers]

Even worse NINE DOLLARS EXPENSE FEE. What a rip off what does it pay for. Dockers

 

[Wal B]

The TBA has to regain some sort of profile in bowling centres. With this so called technical Information Age it is apparently assumed that league bowlers know of the TBA website and spend time checking it out. I'm here to tell you most of the lower average bowlers have no idea the website exists. When those of us who do know about it login we find a mine field to negotiate . The Nationals on line were a disaster. It's no good to say we were using anew system. It just didn't work!

We used to have centre delegates, local organisations, Pin Action, the TBA newspaper etc etc. Now we have virtually nothing. I get so frustrated when I tell my bowling mates that a National Team is competing overseas they more often than not have no idea what I'm talking about let alone who is in the team!

If it was not for Jason Belmonte the average bowler would have not a clue what was happening in international bowling. Some how we must get the average league bowler more involved in our sport or we are in big trouble.

 

[magpi17]

I agree with Wal here, at our small centre the people just want to come and bowl their league. Unless they play in Country Challenge or other tournaments they don't know or care about TBA. What right do the TBA have to demand that all bowlers pay a fee to bowl in a centre when they are not going to use the facilities that the TBA have. I have been told that if our centre does not pay up that even if I am a member of the TBA as a silver member that my registration will not be recognised, where is the logic and common sense. I can see the closer of centres and many current TBA members disadvantaged. Not all centres have hundreds of bowlers small country centres are doing it tough enough without this type of bullying as that is all it is TBA being a big couldn't care less Bully!!