If you invest in bowling equipment, there are a few things you
will need to know about storage and cleaning. Such things as storage and
  cleaning. There are different steps for every piece of equipment. 

For bowling balls, a good cleaners is just plain rubbing alcohol.
Pour a small amount on a clean towel. Rub into bowling ball. The purpose of this
is to remove all the oil that has been gathered on the ball. All the lanes have
oil on them that will control the ball and the reaction of the ball when thrown
down the lane. You do not want too much oil on your ball because it will make it
slippery and slide off of your hand.

Shoes do not take much care. The only time they will need care
for if you step in something. When walking somewhere besides in the bowler area,
there are shoe covers you can purchase that are fairly reasonable. If you happen
to step in something, such as water, all you have to do is take a wire brush and
brush the spot until dry and smooth again. 

Where you should store equipment is always a question asked by
beginners. Never and I say NEVER leave bowling balls in your car. If the balls
get too hot or too cold they will crack. The inside of a bowling ball can expand
to beyond the outer core’s expandability. I have learned the hard way not to
leave any bowling balls in your car. I have heard it my whole life, but just
this last summer I experienced it for myself. I left my favorite ball in my car
for over half the summer. When I went to go bowl for the first time at the end
of the summer I was devastated.

My favorite bowling ball was cracked all the way around it. This
was ball was only about a year old. I was bowling great with it and it was drilled perfectly for my hand. I never had any problems with it. I knew all the consequences of not taking care of my equipment, but for some old reason I didn’t listen to myself.  

I recommend leaving your equipment at the bowling center in a locker or take out of your car every night after you finish bowling for the night.  The most important thing is take pride into your equipment and cherish as if it is your first born child. 

    You do not have to start bowling at a young age.  On my current league I have two new bowlers on my team. Their names are Cammi and Christina. They have only ever bowled for fun until this season.  Christina is full of energy and is
already too hard on herself. She practices more than anyone I know. When she first started, she bought one bowl, one bag, and one pair of beginner shoes. Christina started in September and currently owns three bowling balls with a three-ball bag and a pair of top of the line bowling shoes.  She takes beginner to a whole new level. She has a passion like no one I have ever seen in the game of bowling. I hope her charisma stays with her though out her bowling career. Cammi married a fellow bowler and friend of mine. So she kind of married into the bowling.  She is a lefty, just like me, and she is getting better every day.
    On that note, equipment is a very important part of this game. You have to find the perfect ball and shoes. Beginners need to start with something that they are comfortable with. For Example, Cammi started with a ten pound ball. We quickly found out this wasn’t the right size for her. She didn’t have control over it because it was too light.  She finally got
a new ball. This one is twelve pounds and we quickly noticed a difference. When picking out a bowling ball I would suggest trying a few house balls or bowling balls the bowling center has for everyone to use. Most of the time the finger
and thumb holes will not fit perfectly, yet this will give you an idea of what you can control and keep on the lane.  Most people will start with a ball around twelve pounds. With experience, comes strength. You will notice that your
ball is getting too light if you are just chunking the ball down the lane. This is when you need to invest in a heavier ball. Now don’t go outrageous. Only go up by a pound or two. Once again go back to the house ball method. 
    Shoes are the next important thing about bowling. These shoes are meant to be a little slick. If you have ever stepped foot into a pair of rental bowling shoes, (Which I am not comfortable with because I find it disgusting) you will notice that the bottom has no grip to them. On bowling shoes you can buy, you get a little more options. First of all they are way more comfortable then rental shoes. Beginner’s shoes will have both shoes are slick on the bottom. It would be like a brushed leather feeling. These types would be for left and right handed people. When you want to upgrade to a more professional level of shoe, you can chose different soles to put on the bottom with Velcro. The different soles make a different sliding effect. 

Cindy and Mark Ellis have been long time coaches of Durant High School bowling. This is completely voluntarily.  Cindy and Mark have two children, who were involved in the sport. The youngest just finished his senior year of being on the team,  The oldest and daughter was a pioneer of high school team in the area.  Though out the years, the Ellis' have maintained a winning record and numerous trips to state.  The whole family has been bowling for many years and competed in not only high school bowling, but also has individuals.

Youth bowling does not have to start at a young age.  Many people do not start until their teens.  One way to learn how to bowling is by joining a high school bowling. I know Oklahoma has high school bowling, but not sure about other states. The teams consist of boys, girls, and/or both.  
    Unlike other high school sports, bowling does not need to be separated by gender.  Teams have a maximum of seven members. Yet, five members participate per game. If there are enough students to make another team that is allowed as long as it is an all boys or all girls team. Since there are 10 frames in one game, that is two frames per bowler. Each player goes in order. For example, if the first bowler bowls the first frame, they will also bowl the sixth frame when the order starts over. The fifth bowler is called the anchor. They will bowl the fifth and tenth frames.  In reality, this is normally the best bowler on the team. 
     Competing works just like all other sports.  High school teams meet up to bowl against each other once a week. Teams bowl eight games per meeting. This may sound like a lot, but it really is not because each bowling only bowls two frames per game. That is only about a game and half per bowler. These small contests lead up to regional and state tournaments.
    Every team is involved in a regional competition. This is where the best teams win a trip to the state tournament.  Normally there is girl winner and boy winner. So all competition is fair. If the team is mixed, they are considered a boys team. Because in most cases there are more boys than girls on the team. 

    Welcome to Bowling with Brittani!  This blog  will give you insight to bowling 101. Through this blog I hope to provide a new interest in the sport of bowling. I have been bowling since I was about four. I have participated in several tournaments, including The National Bowling Tournament. I am still in the learning process, but I know a lot about the sport. 

    Though out my bowling career, I have bowled in several leagues.  It all started with peewee bowling.  This is bowling with bumpers. (This was close to 15 years ago, when bumpers were comparable to what looked like big long balloons to a four year old.)  They were made out of the same material as an air mattress and filled with air. This is the stage of learning when you just throw the ball down the lane.  The age range is about four to eight years. 
     When you are good enough, you can move up in the program.  When I was involved, it was totally different than it is today. Back in the good old days we had preps and majors after we finished peewees.  That has all changed today.  Today, the whole program is all one thing with no divisions. I will attempt to explain how it is now and also how it was back in the day. 
          The Preps division was a league for preteen. Bowling starts without bumpers and the focus was on keeping the ball in the lane.  This also begins the focus on footwork and handling the ball.  Majors was for the “big kids,” who were in their teens and  all the way up to the age of 21. This stage is where you know all of the fundamentals. Most bowlers do not bowl in youth until they are of age, and most move up to adult league as soon as they can after they turn 18.  
    The organization used to be called Y.A.B.A (Young American Bowling Association) now to is just called U.S.B.C (United States Bowling Congress) Youth.  The U.S.B.C is the organization that all American leagues are bowled under. If you bowl in a league at any bowling center you must have become a member and renew yearly to continue to bowl in any league. This is called the sanction fee. Most leagues consist of five team members that meet to compete once a week.  
     Just because you did not start with a youth league does not mean you cannot start right now.  This sport is so easy to learn and master; you will be amazed at how fun it will be. In the league I am currently on, we have 2 beginners, who have never bowled in a league a day in their life. We have been bowling since September and these two women have completely amazed me by how fast they have learned and picked up the skill. I will have more to talk about with them throughout the blog. They are my inspiration for writing this blog.