Why do people only bowl for money now?

[Andrew K]

Having see micheal s thread i've got a question for alot of the tournment bowlers out ther .

why do alot of you only bowl for prize money?

when we tried to start a low cost circuit at the start of the year with maybe $40 prize money for high game, series, and first second and third

nobody wanted to know about it, only the woodville bowlers turned up

then all of our supposed elitle bowlers supported youth circuit which was tripple the cost and nearly tripple the prize fund

what is wrong with bowler for the day and getting your money back and supporting something that in the long run will get people back in to tournment bowling. Most junior bowler and their parents don't want to go straight to a $60 or $100 per entry tournament they want the lower cost ones where people can get their feet wet without having to mortage the house. alot of youth bowlers are the same, If you want more elite tournament bowlers they have to start somewhere and at the moment there is no support from our elite tournament bowlers in the base of tournament bowling. you can't just expect people to turn up to sa cup without having ever bowled in a tournament

personally don't bowl the big money tournaments since i can't afford to donate to the prizefund but i can afford to bowl lower cost events but then there is no competition as the big name bowlers elite refuse to turn up

so i ask again

why do alot of you only bowl for prize money? is that all you care about or is there something else i'm not seeing

 

[Brenton_Davy]

Having see micheal s thread i've got a question for alot of the tournment bowlers out ther .
why do alot of you only bowl for prize money?
when we tried to start a low cost circuit at the start of the year with maybe $40 prize money for high game, series, and first second and third
nobody wanted to know about it, only the woodville bowlers turned up
then all of our supposed elitle bowlers supported youth circuit which was tripple the cost and nearly tripple the prize fund
what is wrong with bowler for the day and getting your money back and supporting something that in the long run will get people back in to tournment bowling. Most junior bowler and their parents don't want to go straight to a $60 or $100 per entry tournament they want the lower cost ones where people can get their feet wet without having to mortage the house. alot of youth bowlers are the same, If you want more elite tournament bowlers they have to start somewhere and at the moment there is no support from our elite tournament bowlers in the base of tournament bowling. you can't just expect people to turn up to sa cup without having ever bowled in a tournament
personally don't bowl the big money tournaments since i can't afford to donate to the prizefund but i can afford to bowl lower cost events but then there is no competition as the big name bowlers elite refuse to turn up
so i ask again
why do alot of you only bowl for prize money? is that all you care about or is there something else i'm not seeing

Because I have to look at what I think my time and effort is worth, and if that sounds elitist, then so be it.
In addition, I don't just bowl for prizemoney. Rachuig and FIQ has cost me a small fortune over the years for no financial return, and I have done so gladly. However as a result, I must now look at money tournaments in a more mercenary way, ie: Is it worth my while to bowl? If not then I won't. I have earned my dues and done my time. Reaching the elite level is about making sacrifices, financial and personal, so once you do, you have to consider how you spread yourself and making the time to spend with your family that you neglected over the years attempting to reach that level.

 

[_titties_]

Hey

because they would like to get there money back if they can

later Tristan

 

[KANAFA!]

Interesting call about 'Sacrifices' Brenton. Financial, personal etc etc, makes good sense. I was only thinking the other day how nice it would be to have an actual holiday, rather then using my annual leave to go bowling all the time. The things we do hey. I may not have been around for as long as you Brenton, but I too have spent a lot of money on bowling over an 11 year period. Unfortunately the way the world is today, you have to think about money, and if you dont think its worth while bowling in a tournament because of financial return, then I think that is fair enough.

Im not really answering your question Andrew and to be honest I dont know what the answer is, all I know is that it is an expensive sport, especially when you start travelling and I agree with Brentons post.

Matt

 

[Andrew K]

"Hey

because they would like to get there money back if they can

later Tristan"

tristan that makes no sense

let me explain this to youm you pay $25 with a 8 or 9 chances of getting $50 you've doubled your money instead of paying $60 with only 3 or 4 cashing personally i'd go the first option.

maybe you might want to check that idea o yours again.

Brenton, i can see where you are coming from and i respect that, but if there is no encouragement for the beginner to bowl in tournaments and no tourmanets for them to get any experince in short of paying $60 to $180 eventually the tournaments you bowl in to get the better prize money won't have enough entries to have a prize fund thats worthwhile or even run at all look at a couple of the tournaments last year. Really is bowling say one or two tournament every six or eight months that may encouage more people to bowl the big ones too much to ask i mean jesus could the rockway team make some of these tournaments training sessions for example? all i'm asking for is when we try and run something that people seem to keep asking for, is even the odd bowler be they ex rockway, shield, or anything else turn up for a mornings bowling and actually encourage some of our beginners to get into the sport of bowling not just the lesuire activity

breton you do a great deal for bowling but with bowling only being a small sport, if everyone has that attitude then eventually the sport as we know it will die, as once you are gone and all the current tournament bowlers are gone who is going to replace you? eventually we need to find the next generation of tournament bowlers and at the moment all we are getting offered is high cost tournaments that the same people cash in. and everytime we try a low cost there is no support from the sports bowling community as you could call it.



really isn't it better to take 10cents of 1000 people that $1 off 10

as for sacrifice at the moment i neglect my own bowling to try to help junior bowlers get to the next level and actually keep them in the first place so i know about making sacfrices for it.

now to some of you i may sound anti elitest or whatever you want to call it i'm not i respect the sacrifrices that people make to get to that level, but i am i'm sick and tired of people complaining there aren't enough entries in local tournaments and doing nothing to help fix that problem.

 

[xballs]

When did the best bowlers bowl for charity?

I have been bowling for about 22 years now & a can never remeber watching the elite/best bowlers not bowling for money. If fact bowling prize funds have gone down & the cost of bowling has gone way up - hence less value for money now.

Its getting harder & harder in world to survive the cost of living goes up & up, unless your a politican you dont get to give yourself a pay a big rise & unfortunatley there is no money in bowling. It's not on TV and there is no advertising anymore.

When all the kids grow up and start paying for bowling themselves (& start living in the real world) they leave the sport. All you have left is people who love the sport but only want to bowling if there is something to bowl for(money)

This sport will die if something is not done. This has to come from the people we pay our money to, TBA where are you? To The powers that run the sport, do something?

Dave k
now that was a big ramble hope it makes sense.

 

[Brenton_Davy]

i mean jesus could the rockway team make some of these tournaments training sessions for example? all i'm asking for is when we try and run something that people seem to keep asking for, is even the odd bowler be they ex rockway, shield, or anything else turn up for a mornings bowling and actually encourage some of our beginners to get into the sport of bowling not just the lesuire activity

The Rachuig team was at the Ebonite "Win A Ball" Tournament at Woodville on the weekend as a "Training Session". Call it competitive training and it was compulsory except for those who had to work or were injured. As a competitive training session it was a handy exercise.

So yes we do turn up for those types of events. We are also going to Berri as a promotional tour on the weekend of 21-22 July, largely at our own cost! We are required to do this as a way of promoting bowling in country areas and we do it willingly. I only have so many weekends free and I would like to think I have earned the right to spend some of those with my family along with fulfilling my Rachuig commitments and attending a few tournaments.

I was never given a free ride when I was coming through the ranks and there were not the coaching and learning facilities available then that are today. As I have said, there are times where you have to take your knocks and pay for the privilege. It makes you a better player in the long run.

 

[Andrew K]

okay i didn't ask for charity but if instead of just bowling 4 games the junior shielf team could bowl in one of these or rockway in an adult one that would be a start for getting some support for the tournaments out there. and since it is more expensive you'd think that having mroe popel bowling low cost tournaments would make more sense

say $10 + games for 100 people is still 1000 prize fund and we've got 500 and something bowlers just at woodville,

you can see if people actually supported these a bit it wouldn't be that hard to get one up and running which more people can afford to bowl in

 

[cruzer]

Mate will you PLEASE check your spelling before you post.

By the way...its RACHUIG not rockway.

Andrew you should try and support what is already established and not try and DRAG everything down thats not associated with Woodville.

Cheers

Paul K.

 

[emmtee83]

Andrew you should try and support what is already established and not try and DRAG everything down thats not associated with Woodville.
Cheers
Paul K.

Short, but to the point.

I can't even bowl these JYC events, but I'm there doing what I can to support what Dion has got off the ground for the JY divisions. I haven't seen you at any of the JYC events yet, it's only $45-50 to bowl for 6 games, against some quality opposition. What more could you want?

Let's start looking a little 'closer to home' before questioning other people's motives for wanting to bowl.

The proposal I plan on putting forward will be low cost, designed to bring bowlers back to a circuit much like the JYC. More details will be released when I have nutted out the proposal. The prize pool will be worth coming out for.

 

[simo]

andrew

you need to get off the fence you are sitting on these fringe bowlers need
to take the next step up in sted off tring to bring bowling backwards to them
tourni like salisbury singles classic has the entry for out 2 to 3 months early and offers a layby system for the entry fee off $170 how hard is it to to drop in and pay $20 a week ?

shall i put your name down get off the fence i will start your layby out off my pocket with $20 lets see if you are ready to commit to bowling your self

 

[yurac]

Andrew,

It may sound harsh, but in this as well as many other sports you have to pay you dues, so to speak.
Brenton says it all, alot of us over our bowling times have spent a lot of money & time getting to the stage were we can reap some rewards from bowling.
It can be very hard in the early stages but sacrifices must be made.
Agreed that a lot of us look at the return before bowling these days (some of us now look at what the fishing weather is like first), but you must remember a lot of us have also "been there, done that", sad yes, but try getting kicked a few times & your attitude changes.
I know of some of the younger bowlers I have spoken to have entered major events knowing they are going to struggle but have looked at it as experience, maybe an expensive one but bowling in events were the bowlers are better than you can show you were your game is at as well as teaching you were you have to improve to be able to compete in the future.
I only hope bowlers like yourself do not give up. Make a few of those sacrifices & make yourself into good bowlers & go somewhere in the sport, it can be very rewarding indeed.

Cheers
Colin

 

[emmtee83]

Well said Colin. Could only come from someone with a huge amount of experience.....

Besides, I can't think of too many people who have made a profit out of playing this sport.

 

[Dion A]

I can't even bowl these JYC events, but I'm there doing what I can to support what Dion has got off the ground for the JY divisions. I haven't seen you at any of the JYC events yet, it's only $45-50 to bowl for 6 games, against some quality opposition. What more could you want?
Let's start looking a little 'closer to home' before questioning other people's motives for wanting to bowl.
The proposal I plan on putting forward will be low cost, designed to bring bowlers back to a circuit much like the JYC. More details will be released when I have nutted out the proposal. The prize pool will be worth coming out for.

I thank you for your help Michael.

Secondly Andrew I'm not bagging your idea at all but this is the way I saw it, it was more of a league set-up not a tournament series. I have often been approached to see if we can get an adult section attached to the SAJYC and I have said it is too much work for my committee (currently with one member on it!!!) I am willing, however, to help set something up for adults as I would be interested in bowling in it and I wanna see this state prosper. I think topics like this attacking bowlers achieve nothing, they get a lot of talk sometimes even point fingers at people for not having their name down for a tournament, when what we should be doing is asking organisers of successful tournaments what they are doing and why they think their tournaments are so successful. Or even asking bowlers I didn't see your name down for this are you gonna be coming? Or you could even start a topic like Michael has done and ask for feedback, but lets not point fingers and accuse people for doing things for reasons. A simple hey I've got this idea, what do people think, or what makes you attend a tournament?? Much better ways to get the feedback you are looking for without having a go at people. I'm sure people have their reasons for bowling/ not bowling and are more than willing to share them.

I must say I'm with Brenton and Colin (not saying I have accomplished anywhere near what these two have may I add) in that I look at return, and go well what am I gonna get out of this? If the answer is not much then I think you know what the answers going to be, but if theres some quality opposition maybe a tough condition with a good format, you'll always get bowlers.

Anyways thats my 2 cents worth and really a plea that if we are to start to get things right, maybe we should ask things in a positive manner and work together as a state, not always be in competition.

Dion Alexander

 

[mannah]

I recently bowled my first open tournament. I entered knowing I would not cash but having just started getting serious about improving my bowling knew this would have to be my next step in gauging where I was at and what I needed to do to get to the next level. I set myself realistic goals for the day, got trampled in the process but achieved my own target on tough tournament conditions.

Unfortunately my personal experience was dampened by the attitude and behaviour by some of the other bowlers with temper displays, offensive language and gestures and what I consider to be general bad sportsmanship. I have since been told this is "normal" tournament behaviour and something I need to get used of.

I am now reassessing whether it is an environment in which I want to become involved or to step back into obscurity and simply enjoy my bowling and spending my time and money in another direction. Maybe this is what others also think but unfortunately the behaviour of a few spoil it for many others and those new to the tournament scene may think the same as I and decide its not worth it to spend $180 and spend the next few hours listening to abuse and watching moronic behaviour. The odd outburst is understandable but the prolonged rantings of someone who is bowling so much better than me....???.... Tournament officials seem reluctant to take action fearing a decrease in future entries from those at fault and their associates.

Can those with more experience than me advise whether such antics occur interstate and how to overcome being affected by this unsportsmanlike behaviour.