Coaching Clinics

Why are bowlers leaving the sport? Many reasons come to mind. Maybe it is the cost of bowling per season. Maybe the season is just too long. In my opinion, the reason that people leave has to do with the fact that they just don’t get any better.

The seminar I chose to report about is on Coaching Clinics. For us, the objective of the clinics are to educate bowlers and enhance the experience they are having. We want them to continue bowling, improve, and hopefully actively participate in the many tournaments that this city has to offer.

In the seminar, I learned in order to be successful in this venture, we must be creative toward the bowler. We have to offer something for every bowler. For example, for the beginners, offer classes on safety, etiquette, and spare shooting (who doesn’t need that practice).

These clinics don’t strictly need to be for the youth and beginner bowler. We can offer clinics for the more skilled bowlers as well. Possibly a clinic geared towards reading lane conditions, or good practice habits.

What I took away from this is that we, as coaches, have to work in partnership. Whether that be finding the right coaches for different types of clinics, or even working with other associations to create a different experience.

We need to communicate to our audience. We, as coaches, need to get the word out to the bowlers in many different ways. On our association website we have all of our clinics posted. Along with that, we also use word of mouth to bring the bowlers to us, that shows in our numbers. Every clinic that we have held has gone up in numbers, and hopefully that continues in future seasons.

Using coaching clinics, no matter for what age or skill level, is a vital tool in keeping interest in our game.

Partnership. Communication. Promotion. Creativity in our coaching clinics. All building blocks that help build “A Future For The Sport”

Submitted by Matt Jelsma