While I know that lineage is necessary income for bowling centres, I've always been of the opinion that major tournaments are really showcases for the sport - they are a form of advertising to attract people into the centres, as social bowlers, league bowlers and spectators, which is where the profits would be made. NOT from tournaments.
Tournament bowlers very rarely just happen. You don't get someone just come along, pick up a ball and bam, become a tournament level bowler. They come through the ranks, usually starting to bowl socially, get interested, join a league then progress.
So tournaments, especially majors, are like advertising for the sport - a bill board that yells, 'Look at where tenpin bowling can take you.' After the Commonwealth Games, when Cara and the rest of the team performed so well, I believe that bowling in Australia got a much needed shot in the arm but we didn't keep it up. We didn't do what we had to to keep competitive bowling's profile at the forefront.
Everyone knows Cara's face, and so they should - she's a wonderful ambassador for bowling. But she's not the ONLY one, nor would she want to be. All sports have to have heros but we're chopping a good many of our potential ones off at the knees because they can't afford to compete.
When tournaments fail because of the rising costs, people are looking at us saying 'What sort of future is there in tenpin bowling?' and walking away in droves. The average person isn't even encouraged to start bowling in the first place.
Again I'm sticking my neck out by saying that hitting tournament bowlers with higher games costs etc is like killing the goose that laid the golden egg. The idea that 'we're getting less customers so we've got to raise the price' makes no sense to me, but then, I'm no business man.
I just think that, if we made tournament games games costs just enough to cover the absolutely essential overheads, we'd encourage more entries and also increase prize funds. Tournaments would get back some of the prestige that they used to have. We'd also get more spectators into the centre which would help increase cafe revenue, helping to balance out the lower game prices.
As I said, I'm only speaking from my point of view and proprietors may have a totally different slant. However, nothing will change my belief that tournaments are the best showcase for both the sport and industry and we've got to do what's necessary to raise their profile.
A major tournament only takes two or three days in a whole year and surely the benefits to be gained for bowling as a whole far outweigh any lower game price.
