I went bowling today...

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

...for the first time since December, 2002. Bowling and woodworking are the only things I've really ever been good at, and I used to do a lot of both. But after years of 3-4 times a week, I was basically sick of it. Gonna start again this fall and I'd planned to just walk in there 'cold'...but I figured I owed it to the people on the team to try to get back 'in shape' first...and perhaps equally important, to make sure I didn't embarrass myself.

The getting back in shape thing was a good idea, because a whole lot of me hurts that's not supposed to. But I'm not worried about embarrassing myself anymore. It really is like riding a bike.

KC

[Lee DeRaud]

...for the first time since December, 2002. Bowling and woodworking are the only things I've really ever been good at, and I used to do a lot of both. But after years of 3-4 times a week, I was basically sick of it. Gonna start again this fall and I'd planned to just walk in there 'cold'...but I figured I owed it to the people on the team to try to get back 'in shape' first...and perhaps equally important, to make sure I didn't embarrass myself.

The getting back in shape thing was a good idea, because a whole lot of me hurts that's not supposed to. But I'm not worried about embarrassing myself anymore. It really is like riding a bike.

No kidding. I stopped about a year before you did, combination of shoulder problems and a league that was bleeding members. Might try it again after I retire, but no more 'scratch' leagues...takes all the fun out of it.

[Karl Laustrup]

Wow! I haven't bowled in about.........well, I don't know how long. Going on 10 years I would guess. I was average, I guess, usually carried a mid 170's avg. Bowled in a lot of different leagues, but as Lee says:

but no more 'scratch' leagues...takes all the fun out of it.

Only bowled in scratch league and mens league for a couple of years. Took all the fun out of it. Really enjoyed the mixed leagues. Had fun, had a few beers and enjoyed the friendly competition for a couple of hours. Like it should be.

Karl

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Hmmm. One of the things that got me turned off was that it was hard to find a serious, competetive league. Handicap leagues are fine, as long as they come with some kind of entering average requirement.

What I saw when they opened up the ABC membership to women was a whole lot of 125 average wives wanting to bowl in the 'money' leagues with their husbands...and no league leadership with the cajones to say NO.

Nuthin' against women...I'm married to one who could beat most men when she was on her game...but when she fell off and couldn't maintain, I didn't want her out there either. Maybe I take it too seriously.

[Lee DeRaud]

Only bowled in scratch league and mens league for a couple of years. Took all the fun out of it. Really enjoyed the mixed leagues. Had fun, had a few beers and enjoyed the friendly competition for a couple of hours. Like it should be.

Bowling in a scratch league made me bowl better, to the tune of about 6-8 pins average. But the atmosphere was making it difficult for them to maintain enough bowlers on the roster: pretty much everybody below about 195 (and several above 200) decided it wasn't worth the hassle.