The Rise (and Fall) of Senior Bowling

Largest Leagues
Senior bowling, especially in Huntsville, has the largest league in town. Bowling on Monday afternoon, it takes 32 lanes at Pin Palace. At the exact same time, 4 more teams are bowling down Memorial Parkway at Parkway Lanes. The only travel league in town is a senior league. Why does senior leagues flourish when all other leagues struggle for bowlers? You are left with your more serious bowlers. Senior bowlers have probably been bowling for 30-40 years. These are not the people who picked it up in their 30's and quit when the kids' activities started taking over. Senior leagues seem to be the perfect combination of competition and camaraderie. Pot luck luncheons on holidays with spirited roll-offs for league championships. My parents bowl in a large senior league at Imperial Lanes in Memphis on Friday afternoon. Any week-end trip to Huntsville to visit their son or grandchildren will not begin until league session is over.

Too Many Divisions
Does this excitement translate to senior tournaments? This depends on how you define a senior tournament. If you consider your association or state championship one tournament, it is probably defined a success. However, I define these tournaments as 8-9 small tournaments. That is because senior tournaments are done by age division. This is fine if you have the participation in each division. However, I'm seeing bowlers get prize money they were the only person in their age division bowling, or they beat the other guy. You can have a pretty good squad, but competing against only 3 people. This is the same issue I have with youth tournaments that use too many divisions for too few bowlers. This works well, probably, in the state tournament, but each association should look at their participation and rearrange the grouping; senior (55-59) and super-senior (60 plus) for example.

Divisions defined by age bring up qualification issues. What is a senior? USBC sanctioned tournaments define it at 55. The Senior All Star Bowling Association, a very popular senior scratch tour, defines eligibility at 50.

Anxious to Compete?
As I approach my mid-40's, I'm not in a hurry to bowl in SASBA events. My friends who were around 49 were rushing the calendar to compete. I think we all think we are still young, while 'those guys' are old and we dominate the competition. I am not thinking that way. I seem to remember that while I age, everyone else does too. The same people I am competing with now will be the same people I will compete against when I become a 'senior.' However, I feel pretty good about my age now. I exercise regularly; running and lifting weights. The fitness element may be a bigger variable with senior tournaments than regular open competition.

Old School vs. New School
I would exclude the young guns of today when I become senior eligible, but does it matter? Look at the top averages in the state. The majority of the better bowlers in Alabama are over 40. We bowled when 540 was a great league night. The only people who shot 700 were at least 190 average bowlers. Today, a 190-200 average bowler can have an 800 night. That 'old school' mindset is still with the middle age bowlers who started back in the 1970's and 1980's. I admit, those mental habits are falling away as I want an honor score with every league session.

The Potential Fall of Senior Bowling
As I mentioned, the large senior pool is around because of the large league base that existed in the 70's and 80's. However, look around. You can get an open lane most any night in most bowling centers. The number and size of leagues is dwindling. There will be less bowlers to be senior bowlers. This bow wave will move to the future. There may be large senior leagues because of the camaraderie. Unlike the regular league night, senior bowlers will come together to have the super league. It is too much fun with old friends and new friends.

Also, there is hardly any coverage of senior professional bowling. The senior PBA tour was a summer fixture. They also had their gimmicks. Watch this senior PBA telecast from ESPN. It features one of my favorite senior pros from the 90's, Gene Stus. He was recently elected to the USBC Hall of Fame. Notice all the fancy promotional things; outside, gold pins, The Villages.




South Alabama bowlers remember Avery Leblanc. I met him also when he was a Brunswick center manager at Bartlett Lanes in Tennessee. His style will never get old. Here is a 1997 match between him and Earl Anthony.


For the North Alabama bowlers, Huntsville's Jimmy Certain in a 1990 Senior PBA match against Dick Webber.


As far as now, I will be patient. I am in no rush to bowl in this somewhat exclusive club.