I have two grandchildren who have been bowling now for three years. The girl (13 years old) is currently averaging 134 and the boy (11 years old) is averaging 125. When I first got them interested in joining a junior bowling program, I did it with the purpose in mind of getting together with them on a regular basis and, with the idea that we (my daughter and me) were not going to force them to like the sport. I had taken them bowling and aside from teaching them some basic fundamentals and safety pointers, I did no coaching whatsoever.

When they bowl in their junior programs, there are volunteer coaches so I stay out of the way and play the typical grandparent cheering them on. My coaching is done when I take them to open bowling; but, even at that, it's very basic things such as how to adjust/aim for spares and reminding them to keep their approach and follow-through steady.

As they started to show an interest in wanting to bowl more, it was time to get their own bowling balls. Fortunately, the bowling center started a league during the summer season where the prizes were that everyone got a plastic bowling ball and a bowling bag at the end. (It cost a little more for us adults but we got a high-end reactive resin bowling ball.)

Overall, they have progressed very nicely on their own. Both of them are serving as league officers within their own divisions, have won tournaments in their age groups so they are building scholarship funds, and are developing a sense of maturity beyond their years. Both of them make excellent grades in school - honor roll, principal's list, and National Junior Honor Society.

Junior Bowling has done a lot for them and I hope it will continue to do a lot for them in the future. Whether they stick with the sport or not, however, is totally up to them. I feel that their progress is due in great part because of their participation in an organized program. I would encourage anyone with young children to take them down to a local bowling center and have them join the junior bowlers.

I would also encourage you to just sit back, relax, and let them make up their own minds if bowling is for them. I think that if I had pushed and pressured my grandkids, they would not have developed a liking for the game and may very well have quit instead of continuing on as they have. Most importantly, they truly enjoy going bowling.

A Hui Hou! (See You Again!)