Cyber Report #943

E-dition No. 943 • Thursday, March 16, 2017

Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)

 

Brunswick Brings Bowling to a Truck Stop

In an industry first, Brunswick is bringing bowling to a new setting. Much more than a typical truck stop, the new Petro Stopping Center in Columbia, S.C., features Beltline Lanes and Gaming, with 16 Brunswick bowling lanes and a wide variety of amenities for professional truck drivers, travelers, college students and area residents alike.

“A few years ago, our executive group met to discuss what entertainment offerings would resonate with our core guests while attracting new customers, and how we wanted to differentiate our travel centers in the future,” said John Ponczoch, Senior Vice President of Food Operations for TravelCenters of America. “We wanted to provide drivers with options for entertainment with us during their downtime. We looked at a number of options and decided bowling would be a great fit.”

Ponczoch said he talked with bowling equipment suppliers and visited several bowling centers as part of his research process before ultimately deciding on Brunswick to equip the center.

The travel center will run Brunswick’s Sync scoring and management system. “Sync will integrate with other systems we’re going to be using, allowing us to easily create marketing, advertising, and clear direction to our guests for the multiple options in this center,” said Ponczoch.

“We’re always trying to do something a little out of the ordinary at our centers,” he added. “Beltline Lanes and Gaming will provide open play and league bowling, Cosmic Bowling, parties, and a pro bowling manager who is available to help anyone improve their game. The facility also features a Quaker Steak & Lube restaurant, Starbucks, and 80-plus games for kids and adults. We’ll host outdoor events including live music, car shows, bike rallies and more.”

For links to reports from the local CBS affiliate and Truckers News, as well as a photo of the facility, click here: https://bcmmag.com/2017/03/16/truck-stop-bowling-center-opens-in-columbia-s-c/.

Beltline Lanes is in the process of organizing leagues for college students and area residents, and is taking party reservations.

 

23 Bowling Telecasts Set for CBS Sports Network

Professional, collegiate and youth bowling tournaments once again will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network as part of its agreement with the United States Bowling Congress.

The 23-event national television package features live coverage of the U.S. Open, a major event on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour, and live or same-day coverage of the four major tournaments on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour — the USBC Queens, Go Bowling PWBA Championship, U.S. Women’s Open and PWBA Tour Championships.

“We are thrilled to showcase the sport of bowling on CBS Sports Network through this extensive national television package,” USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy said. “From May to September, bowling will be appointment watching nearly every Tuesday in prime time for a national audience.”

The schedule kicks off May 2 with the Intercollegiate Singles Championships, and CBS Sports Network will televise at least one bowling show each week through the PWBA Tour Championships on Sept. 6.

In between, there will be 13 shows from the PWBA Tour, the finals of the Intercollegiate Team Championships, and the title matches of the Junior Gold Championships Presented by the Brands of Ebonite International, and the USA Bowling National Championships Presented by Sixlets.

The schedule will conclude with the live stepladder finals of the U.S. Open on Nov. 1.

The PWBA Tour, U.S. Open and youth events are collaboratively funded with the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America.

“We will have 23 weeks of shows for bowling, which is an opportunity to promote the sport and our partners to a national television audience,” said BPAA Executive Director Frank DeSocio. “The chance to keep bowling top of mind every week with a consistent schedule delivers a great benefit for the entire bowling industry.”

Most events will be televised on Tuesdays in prime time, as 20 of the 23 shows will start between 7 and 8:30 p.m. Eastern and 15 of the shows will start at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The PWBA Tour portion of the schedule kicks off with the live stepladder finals of the USBC Queens from the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday, May 23 at 10 p.m. Eastern. Finals of the regular-season PWBA events will be taped on location at the major event sites.

For the complete CBS Sports Network television schedule, go to: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/cbs-sports-network-to-air-23-bowling-events/.

 

7 Added to Team USA Coaching Staff

Team USA has experienced tremendous success in international competition, and to ensure future teams have the highest level of training, the United States Bowling Congress has added seven coaches to the Team USA program.

Joining Team USA head coach Rod Ross and Junior Team USA head coach Bryan O’Keefe on the coaching staff are:

• Mark Baker, Yorba Linda, Calif.

• Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas

• Andy Diercks, Marion, Iowa

• Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J.

• Mike Shady, Girard, Pa.

• Bill Spigner, BJI’s “Pro Approach” columnist, Vernon Hills, Ill.

• Del Warren, Lake Wales, Fla.

The seven assistant coaches will work with the athletes at training camps and be available to work with the teams in international competitions, as needed. Each coach is an independent contractor for Team USA and not an employee of USBC.

“These coaches bring a wealth of experience to the Team USA program, and the athletes will benefit from the knowledge and experience of this group,” USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy said. “Having the coaches work training camps will help build the coach/athlete relationships. Much like the player selection process for international competitions, we also will make coaching selections for competitions.”

To read mini-bios of the coaches, go to: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/seven-elite-coaches-join-team-usa-staff/.

 

JAT Director Selected for Kerm Helmer Horizon Award

David Yamauchi of La Palma, Calif., the executive director of the Junior Amateur Tour in Southern California, has been selected by the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee to receive the Kerm Helmer Horizon Award.

The award recognizes leaders in the sport of bowling who have displayed courage, determination and the ability to develop far-reaching programs that provide fun and exciting opportunities for collegiate and/or youth bowlers. The award is named in honor of Kerm Helmer, the longtime bowling coach at Erie Community College who also served as a board member, vice president and president of the Young American Bowling Alliance.

“I’m honored to be recognized and flattered someone would even take the time to notice what I do,” Yamauchi said. “Honestly, it’s a true labor of love to be able to provide fun and competitive events for generations of youth bowlers here in Southern California. I’m thankful to USBC for recognizing myself, but more importantly for recognizing the Junior Amateur Tour and what the organization means to the youth in my area.”

The JAT was introduced to Southern California by Mickey Colletti in the 1970s, and many stars have come up through the organization’s ranks over the years, including PBA Hall of Famer and ESPN color analyst, Randy Pedersen. More recent graduates include the 2011 USBC Queens champion, Missy Parkin; three-time PBA Tour champion, Scott Norton; and current Wichita State standout, Wesley Low.

Yamauchi comes from a family of league and avid bowlers. He started bowling at an early age and said having great youth directors helped him hone his skills to the point he could take part in the Junior Amateur Tour Farm Club.

He put together a summer youth scratch league — “basically, so we all could have another excuse to get together” — and after joining the adult ranks, he continued to help at JAT events, which provided premier events for youth bowlers in Southern California.

He would become one of two assistant directors for the JAT under the guidance of Mary Smith, mother of pro bowler Robert Smith, after Smith succeeded Colletti in the director’s chair. A few years later, Mary Smith had to take a leave and asked Yamauchi if he could “watch things for her. That led to him taking the role as executive director when she decided not to return.

He now has been involved with JAT, as a bowler and administrator, for 31 years.

For more comments from Yamauchi, go to: http://www.bowlersjournal.com/california-junior-tour-director-to-receive-kerm-helmer-horizon-award/.

 

Michigan Center Selected for County Business Award

Michigan’s Monroe County Chamber annually awards its Eagle Trophy, emblematic of the Small Business of the Year Award. This week it was announced that the award for 2016 went to Forest View Recreation Bar & Grill in Bedford, Mich.

Criteria include that a nominee be an independent, for-profit, small business that has been in existence for at least five years. Two key factors weighed in the application are accountability and heavy community involvement. Once turned into the Monroe County Chamber, the applications are sent out to three other chambers, two of which are out of state, to provide an unbiased vote.

Forest View’s extensive involvement in community service, ability to overcome business threats, and applied innovation into operations all had an influence on the judge’s decision.

Forest View has 20 bowling lanes, two state-of-the art golf simulators, arcade games, and 11 outdoor volleyball courts, along with a full-service bar and grill and outdoor bar and patio.

The center is open year-round for open bowling, parties and corporate events, and is home to more than 20 leagues. The bar and grill serves 50-plus menu items, soft drinks, and more than 100 beer selections, 50 wine options and 150 types of spirits.

 

Business Briefs…

• Neither a bowling center nor a children’s activity museum could make a go of it in Rodeo City, Wash. But now a plan has been put forth to combine the two businesses and add a putt-putt course, pool hall and — to attract tourists — an immersive art center. The Kittitas County Commission would have final approval on the proposal.

• “Pizza and policy at the bowling alley” meetings are catching on at the White House, NPR reports. Read about how President Donald Trump is embracing his weekday home’s unusual recreational amenity here: http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/trump-bowling-at-home/.

• Veteran bowling center operator Rudy Hinojosa is working to put together an investment group that would fund the re-opening of a bowling center in Seymour, Ind. Hinojosa was the general manager of the center when it was known as Starlite Lanes. Its owners changed the name to Kingpins Bowl and brought in a new manager, but it closed down last summer. Since then, local bowlers have been urging Hinojosa to help revive the facility. “Seymour and the surrounding areas deserve a new, safe, clean entertainment facility for the families, friends and co-workers,” Hinojosa told The Tribune newspaper. “There is no reason why people should be driving to Columbus or Scottsburg or Franklin to bowl. This community needs more than a movie theater for their entertainment.” Read more here: http://www.tribtown.com/2017/03/15/bowling-alley-looking-to-reopen/.

• San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood is getting a new “bowling center” — a three-lane facility called The Fifth Arrow, which will be the downstairs partner of a new music venue to be called August Hall. The partners in the project are Nate Valentine, Chad Donnelly and Scott Murphy, and the facility will replace a nightclub known as Ruby Skye. For more, go to: http://hoodline.com/2017/03/ruby-skye-slide-nightclub-to-close-become-music-hall-bowling-alley.

• The Texas community of Stephenville next year will welcome a 30,000-sq.-ft., 28-lane bowling facility, part of a 100,000-sq.-ft. retail and business development. Ernie and Geneva Brooks are the owners, and Rick Heim of Cornerstone Consulting is working on the design, according to this report: http://www.yourstephenvilletx.com/news/20170307/stephenville-to-get-new-28-lane-bowling-alley. Stephenville is located about 100 miles southwest of Dallas.

 

Other News You Can Use…

• The PBA has announced it is now accepting applications for the 2017 PBA Billy Welu Scholarship Award, which recognizes exemplary qualities in male or female college students who compete in the sport of bowling. To be eligible, candidates must be amateur bowlers who are currently in college (preceding the application date) and maintaining at least a 2.5/4.0 GPA or equivalent. Applications must be postmarked by June 15. Additional information and the application can be retrieved here: http://www.pba.com/Corporate/Scholarships.

• Hurricane Matthew’s arrival in south Florida last October forced postponement of the PBA’s inaugural Xtra Frame Reality Check Classic, but the delay turned into good news for Sawgrass Lanes and the Tamarac area. In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, the tournament has been re-scheduled for this weekend (March 17-19) as the kickoff event for a new eight-event Storm Cup Xtra Frame Tour series in 2017. In addition to competing for prize money and a PBA Tour title in Tamarac, all PBA members will compete for points toward $50,000 in end-of-season Storm Cup bonus money. As part of the series, the Reality Check Classic will be live-streamed around the world on the organization’s online, subscription-based bowling channel. Bowling fans can watch the entire event for as little as $3.99 for a three-day subscription. Visit xtraframe.tv for details.

• The guest this week on Phantom Radio is the High Roller organization’s director of promotions, Wendy Macpherson — who just happens to also be one of the greatest bowlers of all-time. To listen to the interview, go to: http://www.kegel.net/phantomblog/2017/3/15/wendy-macpherson-phantom-radio.

* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit http://www.bowlersjournal.com/?cat=6.