While I'm currently spending the weekend in Lancaster, Pennsylvania watching my younger brother bowl in the Eastern PA Regional Championships like I did two years ago, it really hit me that a lot of people don't consider bowling to be a sport. Boy, are they wrong.
I can say from personal experience that bowling is probably the most challenging sport I have ever participated in. Along with bowling, I have played baseball and tennis. Nothing stacks up next to the challenges that bowling throws at you.
When people talk about sports you never hear the conversation about bowling come up. It's always about football, baseball, soccer, basketball or hockey just to name a few. Believe it or not, bowling is just as much of a sport as the aforementioned.
Bowling may not be as physical of a sport as football, but rather more of a mental one. Everyone seems to think it's as easy as just picking up any random ball off of the rack. I wish it were that easy, but there's more to it than just that. There are many factors that need to be taken into consideration. What are the lane conditions like? What equipment should I be using?
The lane condition can be one of, if not, the hardest aspect of the game. There are all types of lane conditions you can be faced with. The most common is your house shot, which is mostly used in leagues and your high school bowling matches.The house shot is 40' of oil. To change things up and make it a little more difficult, or for your more advanced bowlers, we get into sport shot. Sport shot is usually used in your tournaments and can be anywhere from 32' to 52' of oil. It can be heavy on the inside or outside of the lane.
Besides the lane conditions, your next biggest battle is deciding what equipment you should be using. Every ball is made differently. Bowling balls all have different surfaces. The three main ones are resin, urethane and polished. The covers on the ball all determine how they will react. Some will hook more and others will not. Your choice of a ball is usually determined by what the oil on the lanes is like.
These are just a few of the reasons why I would consider bowling to be just as much of a sport as anything else. It's not as easy as everyone makes it out to be. I can tell you from experience that it takes a lot of time, hard work and practice to be a good bowler. After being part of a team that has brought home two regional championships, I can't even begin to tell you how many countless hours we spent at the bowling alley practicing.
So the next time you have some free time or are looking for something to do, head to your local bowling alley and throw a game or two. Find out what it's all about. Who knows, you might find a new sport that you like!
