billf

Stories from youth league

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billf
, 09-30-2012 at 11:44 PM (9517 Views)
I started coaching the local youth league this season. It's been interesting, fun and at times, frustrating. Here I will post the details of that weekends events.

As I'm making my way around the lanes watching as closely as I can, keeping an eye on those that have asked for help while watching those who haven't, for when they do.
There is a 12 year old boy named Josh. Quite the bowler really. He is small, naturally, but has a huge back swing a la Fagan with good speed and revs. Being a young male of this generation he talks trash. His tormentor this week was a 12 year old girl named Morgan. Morgan is a tall, thin blonde with a very good attitude (that will change as she ages). Her starting stance could be better but she gets some good ball reaction and is getting more accurate every week. Morgan had a 140 after the 8th frame with a spare in the ninth. Josh was a pair of lanes over and just finished a 180 game. He starts jawing at Morgan as I'm walking past her lane. I look up at the scoreboard. She walks up, frowning and just taking his crap. I spoke up, " Morgan, do you realize that if you strike out you will tie Josh?"
"Oh, that's all" she says sarcastically.
"Three quality shots. I've seen you do it before. The tenth frame isn't any different than the third or fourth. It's the bowler who makes the tenth frame a big deal. The ball and pins are the same, no difference. Three quality shots."
She smiles at me and grabs her ball. Four steps, release and STRIKE. She turns around and has a huge smile on her face. Again she grabs her ball, sets, takes a deep breath, four steps and the release....STRIKE. With this one she still has a big smile but also a little first pump as she turns around. I see her filling with confidence each week, each shot. Her ball comes up the return. Quickly she grabs it, wipes it, gets set. Deep breath, four steps, the release and...........stone 9 pin for a 179.
Morgan immediately walked over to Josh, put her hand out and said, "good game."
I talked to her before the next game started. I told her how proud I was of how she handled the situation. The three quality shots under pressure. The keeping her composure when she didn't strike. Being a real sportsman and shaking her tormentor's hand.
Morgan's second game was a milestone for her. 223, all new high game. She was focused the entire time and told me later that she just kept thinking, it's just another frame, just make a quality shot. Her third game wasn't nearly as good. The boys were taunting her real bad and she was having trouble focusing. I sat between the boys and Morgan. I could see Josh listening intently. "Do you think you're a good bowler?" "Yes" she said. "Do you think Josh is a better bowler than you?" "Yes" she said.
"Any athlete can be beat on any given day. So even though I don't think Josh is better than you, it doesn't matter. What matters is what you believe. These boys have psyched you out because you don't think you're good enough to shoot better than them. I know you're good enough but me knowing it doesn't help you. Knowing you are or at the least, can be on any given day, is what's keeping you from bowling at the level I know you can. I believe in you. Now start believing in yourself."

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  1. billf's Avatar
    This week was fairly calm. Being homecoming tonight the teens all went out partying last night. Most were a little late and the girls all came with wet hair. The scores showed it too. I was once again getting on the captain's, high school team players, to play different lines. To be effective they need to learn how to control their rev rate and speed to be able to attack patterns from different angles. Nobody's 'A' game will work every match and it's hard to go to you're 'B' game if you don't have one. One of the sixth graders asked if I could show him what I meant when league was done. So I held a mini-clinic on how I practice targeting. I explained that I don't care about scores during practice. Then I started with a very aggressive ball to use for game one. I started playing straight up the one board. Then the five. Then swing from ten to five and so on all the way to a lay down at the 40. Then I went to a medium oil ball and did the same thing for the second game. For the third game I went with urethane and really shocked them by doing the same thing. They expected that ball to react well right of the twenty but not to the left of it and react it did. I explained each shot the whole time to the kids that stayed to watch and learn. What my intended lay down, target and break point were, what speed I was trying for and how I was going to manipulate the axis rotation and rev rate to achieve the desired result. I bowled great too. It came at a good time. I know practice scores don't matter but it does help to get the kids to listen. I also didn't miss a spare attempt and used the strike ball to go straight as needed to pick them up.
    Next week the bumper league bowls after this league. Yes, I am coaching that one too and hope it's just as much fun.
  2. billf's Avatar
    This week was fun. I worked with two of the girls (13 & 15) on improving their stance and finish positions. They both throw good looking balls but lack the desired consistency. The younger one looks kind of funny when she sets up. She bends at the waist but not at all in the knees so her butt sticks way out. They both average in the 140s. The older one just wants to be able to bowl varsity at least one year while in school.
    I also had a good conversation with a young boy named Blaine. He is your typical stubborn 11 year old. He has done the whole bowling camp and seminars route and still isn't very good. It's because he doesn't use what he's learned. One day it will all click for him. He is a real small kid and said he likes bowling because he can't get run over.
    The bumper league was the usual. I did work with a 9 year old after on a one step approach. She is old enough and big enough to be able to release correctly and not just fling the ball. What was strange this weekend was seeing how many of the kids have parents or grandparents who bowl in leagues but have no clue how to show their kids, not that the kids would listen anyway.