The decline of bowling in Vic..

[ThEOnE]

I agree
Where I bowl to my knowledge there is only two qualified coaches.
One is extremely busy with the juniors.
The other has a lot on his plate being our TBA rep and on the board of management and on the Vic tenpins board
IMO there should be more handicap events

If you are talking about Morwell, there is in fact alot more than two.
I know that about 3 coach juniours on voluteer basis. I also know that Patrick Birtig held a course a few years ago how to teach new coaches (which I attended). Like alot of others with a full time job, a business and more that one sporting commitment i also dont have time to work with any juniours or even with average joe bowlers.
At Morwell when Bobby H was running the show the juniors were thriving because russell would be down on the lanes wandering around helping out as a STAFF member. Shouldnt the proprietors be wanting to get the juniors into bowling to help sustain there income from strengthening the future of the sport? Maybe my business ethics are wrong?

 

[nev25]

If you are talking about Morwell, there is in fact alot more than two.
I know that about 3 coach juniours on voluteer basis. I also know that Patrick Birtig held a course a few years ago how to teach new coaches (which I attended). Like alot of others with a full time job, a business and more that one sporting commitment i also dont have time to work with any juniours or even with average joe bowlers.
At Morwell when Bobby H was running the show the juniors were thriving because russell would be down on the lanes wandering around helping out as a STAFF member. Shouldnt the proprietors be wanting to get the juniors into bowling to help sustain there income from strengthening the future of the sport? Maybe my business ethics are wrong?

Yes I was referring to Morwell
I didn't know there where more coaches (but just thought of another).
My point is why aren't they coaching-
OK some are but if the average adult bowler wants coaching where do they go?
It certainly isn't documented (the coaches in the area).
There used to be signs up every if you want coaching ask at the counter -Are they still there?

IMO there simply need to be more coaches in the system That are willing it spend more time requiting. encouraging and spending more time with future and current adult league bowlers.

Yes the current Juniors are the future but without the present is there a future?
How many Juniors go on to bowl in senior league?
Some do yes but a lot don't.

It has always been a problem here in the Valley with all Junior/Youth orientated organizations the kids move to Melbourne for Work,Uni etc
How many leagues have disappeared, WHY?

The current league I bowl in had 18 teams of 4 bowlers a few years ago this season has 8X4 man teams.
Other leagues have decreased the numbers of members per team or simply couldn't continue.

Even the league I first bowled in at Narrie the year it opened doesn't exist anymore.
One has to ask why (That was the original question wasn't it )
Or more what too do about it.

Recruit more adult league bowlers?

As I said a previous post
If you where to ask a social bowler at any center why they don't bowl in a league I guarantee they will say they are not good enough.
Well make them good enough
Give them coaching

 

[wchester]

Considering that each league bowler is worth approximately $500 per year to the bowl, I think hiring a full-time coach makes good business sense...

Not only will your open play beginner bowlers end up enjoying the game more, but they'll be much more likely to join in a league and become a bowler for life. The intermediate bowlers, who encompass the majority of your league business will find themselves being pulled in by the lure of steady improvement and quite possibly join a second league.

 

[nev25]

Considering that each league bowler is worth approximately $500 per year to the bowl, I think hiring a full-time coach makes good business sense...
Not only will your open play beginner bowlers end up enjoying the game more, but they'll be much more likely to join in a league and become a bowler for life. The intermediate bowlers, who encompass the majority of your league business will find themselves being pulled in by the lure of steady improvement and quite possibly join a second league.

Yeah I agree
I am sure that there is people around that will coach for the love of the sport (IE for nothing)
There is (I'm told) an insurance issue with this but I'm sure it could be worked around.
But there is as stated a lack of coaches
So IMO more coaching courses are needed

 

[grumpie]

IMO there is to much emphasis on the top ranked bowlers and the juniors
If there was more tournaments and coaching for the middle range of bowlers there would be more interest.

Watch for the Holt Challange tournies to come to city and country centres.
These tournies are for your average every day bowler they are handicaped and we try to keep them to a budget price.
The first one is in Wodonga on the 5th of July the next possibly Bowlarama Geelong

 

[grumpie]

Yes I was referring to Morwell
I didn't know there where more coaches (but just thought of another).
My point is why aren't they coaching-
OK some are but if the average adult bowler wants coaching where do they go?
It certainly isn't documented (the coaches in the area).

The only reason they are not documented is that they are no longer registered with TBA and that includes myself. I couldn't get enough hours to stay registered and other criteria.

Gunther

 

[Coach Garvin]

I would like to add that at present the number of qualified coaches in Victoria are low. I had arranged to run two Level 1 Coaching courses in April / May this year at Frankston and Sunshine as there were and hopefully still, about 15 interested participants.

This has been put on hold until TBA approve the Level 1 Course. Not sure when TBA or Victenpins will make this announcement. When it is announced, then it will depend on timing to when a course will be run and in what format.

I too understand the importance of teaching beginner league bowlers from day one regardless if they are junior or adult. I have a two hour program called Tenpin Connect that I wrote four years ago to be available for all bowling centres. I advertised it in a direct mailout along with other coaching information to all the Centre Managers in Victoria at the time and no one was interested in it.

I personally coach for a fee most times and would dearly love to make this my full time employment so I can work with more Centres and bowlers improving their skill. I have even put my hand up to a Centre near me that I would run a four year coaching program free of charge aimed directly at all their junior bowlers to improve their skill from basics to Junior Shield level and beyond.

I offered this in September last year, followed up on it for several months afterwards along with meetings and yet they still not have arranged to contact the juniors in the Centre to take up this free coaching. So now my offer is off the table and I wonder if they are really interested in providing coaching resources to their juniors. They had around 18 juniors average 100 or more within their whole junior database for the Centre.

There is a breakdown within this sport I believe across many levels. This post is providing awareness to this growing and continual problem which I would like to be part of the solution.

I do not know why some Centres and managers are not getting behind these programs whether they cost or they are for free. Are we not providing them a revenue stream of increased league participation rate along with league retention?

I would love to hear from Centre Managers to what programs they will support and help drive. I would immediately formulate a program based on their wishes with the resources that I have.

Sometimes us Coaches hit our heads against the wall at the blockers put up to us. I can clearly understand why a few Coaches lose interest and drop out of the coaching system and at times out of the sport all together.

There are a handful of Coaches out there today probably at their maximum limits in providing their spare time to this sport and simply cannot give more time. We do need more Coaches and we do need more support from the tenpin stakeholders towards existing and new Coaches.

Training staff as Level 1 coaches is usually a bandaid to the solution as they have many hats to wear on a given working day and then to teach bowlers as well at the end of it.

Coaches need to be skilled and the more that it is their full time employment, the better the quality of any local or state program will be.

Is anyone interested in joining a working party to put forward all the ideas and problems together to work towards a solution? This should include coaches, Centre staff and managers, TBA rep's and Tenpin Associations. We all have an integral stake in this sport and we should all be represented to work towards a common purpose.

Regards
Coach Garvin

 

[ThEOnE]

Rob if your reading this post can you give the people here some kind of idea how you run your junior programs, staff coaching(if any) and if you find this particular problem at your center seeing as you have some of the best youngins in the state (or is it just what Lisa puts on the table at home!)
Your views would be welcome i am sure.
Jason Motta

 

[dynamo]

As a mother of a young bowler I feel that it is not only a lack of coaches but the attitude of coaches towards young bowlers that makes them not want to learn to bowl but not bowl anymore as well.
It was only a year ago when my son was on the verge of giving up completely because he was told by his then coach that he was not as good as anyone else or even up to their skill level. Is this a way to encourage our bowlers to keep going, I think not.
When he made the decision to leave this coach he was told that he would go no further with his bowling as no other coach was going to be able to take him any further than where he was.
Well he has a new coach and he has improved alot more than he had last year.
So not only do we need more coaches available to teach they need to know how to teach properly. Calling yourself a high performance coach doesn't mean you can actually coach.

 

[Hack]

I work on the counter at a bowling centre in Melbourne's north, which now has 2 leagues bowling on a Sunday night. Recently an adult/junior league started on a Sunday night - we have several children approximately 5-7 years old bowling in this league with their parents. When I get the chance I go down and help the kids out. Quite often, the first "tip" will be something as simple as showing them how to hold a ball correctly. If the centre is quiet I will often spend some time on the lanes with kids who have come in to practice - just the basics like bowling over an arrow. Unfortunately, it is not something that I can regularly do. Fortunately, my centre also has some great league bowlers who will also help the kids along. My two cents worth is that the kids should at least know how to roll/release the ball and have a basic idea of how to pick up a spare (even if they cant exactly put it into practice each time they bowl), before they get coaching. That way the kids actually have a bit of confidence when they start. I also think that the Centre should be able to recommend (and have the contact information available) to hand to anyone who asks.

 

[renta]

As a mother of a young bowler I feel that it is not only a lack of coaches but the attitude of coaches towards young bowlers that makes them not want to learn to bowl but not bowl anymore as well.
It was only a year ago when my son was on the verge of giving up completely because he was told by his then coach that he was not as good as anyone else or even up to their skill level. Is this a way to encourage our bowlers to keep going, I think not.
When he made the decision to leave this coach he was told that he would go no further with his bowling as no other coach was going to be able to take him any further than where he was.
Well he has a new coach and he has improved alot more than he had last year.
So not only do we need more coaches available to teach they need to know how to teach properly. Calling yourself a high performance coach doesn't mean you can actually coach.

I have seen your boy improve without a doubt since moving coaches.The trust un his shot is & his keen desire to his game is great !!! keep it going...
Next year I dont think you will have as much hcp...

 

[renta]

I would like to thank Wayne Parlby for taking the the time to speak to me about some changes that may be heading the kids way in the future ...

 

[alexnjudy]

Here here Mick. Wayne, you're a Legend mate. This guy deserve some sort of Victorian medal for all his afford and sacrifice for our game. I personally have watched him give some much of his time and energy to coach these kids to see them improve their game. I am sure there are so many testimonies from our young people. I admire this man's vision and mission to see our game move forward. As we know it cost Money and Time and Sacrifice to do this nowadays. It's so easy to give this up.
He travels week after week to different centers to coach these kids and it amazes me how cool and calm he is when things go wrong.
This is a guy who is a born leader and we are lucky to have him in our state!! He got a vision to see our kids succeed and to see our kids and state do well.
He continues to nature, engineer and build an army of kids with talent to bring glory and pride to the state of Victoria. After all these kids are the future of our game.
He is also a very humble guy and he's got great sense of humour. We can approach him at anytime to get some advise to improve our game .... but he's not a good TAB tipper bugger lol. If you guys don't look after him....he's thinking of moving to Rosebud
Good on ya Wayne Parlby.
Alex