E-dition No. 1,113 • Friday, June 12, 2020
Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)
Tiered Center Certification Postponed for a Year
The United States Bowling Congress is postponing implementation of its tiered center certification model until January 2023.
After reviewing the timeline for the program’s rollout and considering the business disruptions center operators have experienced due to the coronavirus pandemic, USBC decided to push back the implementation timeline by one year. Now, the inspection of centers will not begin until January 2023.
USBC said that it is continuing to collaborate with industry stakeholders to evaluate and build the model, with details to be announced no later than the 2022 USBC Convention.
Houston Is Out, Vegas Is in as USBC Open Host in 2022
The 2022 USBC Open Championships has been moved from Houston to Las Vegas.
The South Point Bowling Plaza will now serve as the host venue after development of a new facility that was to have hosted the event in Houston ground to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority and USBC recently determined that it is not feasible for Houston to host the event in 2022.
The Sports Authority planned to have a new building in a North Houston setting completed by January 2022. Plans had been approved and the project was reportedly on schedule until the economic disruption from the pandemic rendered the project timeline unworkable.
“The USBC is an incredible partner and we are disappointed that we will not be able to host this prestigious event,’’ said Sports Authority CEO Janis Burke. “Our organizations put in years of planning on the building and event, but we hope to have a chance to host the USBC Open Championships in the future.’’
USBC said that it plans to work with HCHSA to work toward a new agreement for Houston to host the Open Championships in the future. At present, the next available date is 2028. With the schedule change, the Open Championships will be conducted at the South Point Bowling Plaza in 2021 and 2022.
World Bowling Joins U.N.’s Climate-Focused Effort
World Bowling has signed the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework as part of its ongoing effort to promote bowling as one of the world’s most environmentally friendly sports.
The Sports for Climate Action initiative calls on sports organizations to acknowledge the contribution of the sports sector to climate change and its responsibility to strive toward climate neutrality for a safer planet.
By signing the Framework, which brings more than 100 organizations — including the International Olympic Committee — together, World Bowling has demonstrated its commitment to playing an important role to ensure the sports sector is on the path to a low-carbon future.
In line with the five core principles enshrined in the Framework, World Bowling will strive to:
* Promote greater environmental responsibility.
* Reduce the overall climate impact from sports.
* Use its platform to educate for climate action.
* Promote sustainable and responsible consumption.
* Advocate for climate action through its communications.
“Joining the U.N. Sports for Climate Action Framework is a big step forward that we are proud to take,” said World Bowling President Sheikh Talal Mohammed Al-Sabah. “This will provide a perfect opportunity for World Bowling to work closely with the U.N., IOC and other sports organizations to develop, implement and enhance the climate action agenda in sport.”
Added Julie Duffus, the IOC’s Olympic Movement Sustainability Senior Manager: “The IOC is proud to be working with World Bowling on the Sports for Climate Action Framework to tackle the climate emergency that we face today. Sport has a unique power to bring people together, and tackling the challenges posed by climate change requires large-scale collective effort.
“The Framework provides sport with the perfect opportunity to harness this power and help the world address these challenges. The IOC will work hand in hand with World Bowling and other sport organizations to define how sport will address, reduce and adapt to our ever-changing climate.”
Suspect Arrested in February Center Robbery, Fire
As we reported in Cyber Report No. 1,095, Maple Lanes in Waterloo, Iowa, was badly damaged on Feb. 6 in an early-morning fire set during an apparent burglary-gone-bad.
According to The Courier newspaper, a group of robbers held a bowling center maintenance worker captive, and set the building on fire while he was still inside.
Now, authorities have arrested a man on multiple charges connected to that incident.
Officials say they believe Kevin Cruz Soliveras, 29, is one of several people who forced their way into Maple Lanes and set the center ablaze after stealing money from vending machines, video games and an ATM. Police confirm that an overnight maintenance worker was robbed of his wallet.
Cruz has been charged with first-degree arson, second-degree robbery and second-degree burglary. He also is facing charges linked to other recent crimes in Waterloo.
Reopening Update: The South Carolina Guidelines
It seems as if every state has at least somewhat different guidelines that businesses must follow as they reopen after being closed for months due to the coronavirus.
For instance, in South Carolina, bowling centers have now been allowed to reopen, but with the following restrictions in place… and we quote:
* Bowlers should be spread out on the lanes to ensure that they are 6 feet or more apart. This can be accomplished by either limiting the number of people on one lane at a time and/or having an empty lane in between each active one.
* Request that customers bring their own bowling balls and shoes, if they have them.
* Clean and disinfect bowling balls and shoes between users.
* Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces (bathroom doors, sink handles, chairs, etc.) routinely throughout the day.
* Provide hand sanitizer at each lane.
* Make disinfectant available to customers who want to disinfect their ball and lane.
* Disable video games, jukeboxes, etc. OR clean and disinfect them between each user.
As has been the norm, the South Carolina guidelines display a lack of knowledge of how bowling centers actually operate.
For instance, regarding the second bullet point, we know that those who own their own bowling balls and shoes don’t need to be encouraged to use them.
Beyond that, providing hand sanitizer at each lane would be an expensive proposition, especially for larger centers.
And as for the next-to-last bullet point, the idea of bowlers being provided with chemicals to “disinfect their lane” would conjure scary images for any proprietor.
These are the types of challenges that proprietors across the country are facing as their state governments provide them with “guidance” for running their businesses.
The BJI Video Interview: TNBA President Dewann Clark
It has been said that there never was a person more qualified and prepared to be President of the United States than George H.W. Bush.
When it comes to the presidency of The National Bowling Association, the same could be said of Dewann Clark, who began his ascendancy to TNBA’s highest office when he was selected as one of just eight “youth leaders” to attend the association’s annual convention while still in school.
In the debut video edition of The Bowlers Journal Interview, Clark talks with BJI’s Bob Johnson about how bowling saved him from going down a calamitous path that so many of his friends took, how he was able to become the first African-American to join the Greater Los Angeles Junior All-Star Traveling League and later be named director of that prestigious league, a special bowling center that served as a beacon of light in the aftermath of the 1992 riots sparked by the acquittal of police officers in the Rodney King beating case, how TNBA serves as a model of civility amidst the present-day unrest ignited by the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis, and much more.
You’ll also want to hear Clark’s stories about three of the bowlers he coached in the GLAJAS Traveling League: Mark Baker, Randy Pedersen and George Branham III.
The interview is presented in two parts:
* Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsTl1TLNkao
* Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfzg9p_GaVI
The Bowlers Journal Podcast: Danielle McEwan
The PWBA Tour players who have appeared on The Bowlers Journal Podcast since COVID-19 forced the PWBA to go on hiatus all expressed hope that somehow, some way, it would be possible for the PWBA Tour to hold some events despite COVID-19.
Those hopes were dashed on June 3 when the pandemic forced the PWBA to make the difficult decision to cancel its 2020 season, including the USBC Queens and the U.S. Women’s Open.
Compounding that news for a bowler such as five-time champion Danielle McEwan, who routinely travels to bowl tournaments around the globe, is the uncertainty surrounding international travel.
So McEwan is a bowler who has had a lot to process of late, and she discusses those topics and much more on this episode. Listen to the conversation here: https://soundcloud.com/user-658733792/danielle060920final
Other News You Can Use…
* Here’s the latest podcast schedule from the International Bowling Campus. All times shown are Eastern, and all shows are available on demand on all listed platforms.
– Inside The OC: Bryan O’Keefe, June 11 at 2 p.m. on BowlTV, USBC Facebook and BowlTV on YouTube.
– Throwback Thursday Match: 2011 USBC Queens, Missy Parkin vs. Elysia Current, June 11 at 4 p.m. on BowlTV
– The Sport of Bowling Show with John and Jillian Martin, June 12 at 1 p.m. BowlTV, USBC Facebook and BowlTV on YouTube.
– The Gauntlet with Shannon Sellens and Maria José Rodriguez, June 12 at 4 p.m. on BowlTV
– The PWBA Podcast: Maria José Rodriguez, June 15 at 2 p.m. on BowlTV, USBC Facebook and BowlTV on YouTube.
– The Sport of Bowling Show Special Edition with Melissa McDaniel, June 16 at 1 p.m. BowlTV, USBC Facebook and BowlTV on YouTube.
* The guest this week on Phantom Radio is TAT Tournament Director Jamie McWilliams. To listen to the conversation, go to: https://kegel.squarespace.com/phantomblog/2020/6/10/jamie-mcwilliams-phantom-radio.
* CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit bcmmag.com or bowlersjournal.com, “Like” Bowling Center Management and Bowlers Journal International on Facebook, and follow BJI on Twitter (Twitter.com/BowlersJournal). BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com. Please remember that the Cyber Report is a B-to-B publication and not intended for consumers.
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