Paul Rideout knows his bowling. The program director of the Bowlerama Royale Youth League has been involved with the organization for more than 14 years, first as a coach, then as co-program director before taking over the reins as director. He’s also served as president of the GMDD bowling league on Tuesday nights for over 25 years.
The Bowlerama Royale Youth League currently consists of more than 75 bowlers ranging in age from 3 to 21. The league bowls on Saturday mornings each week, with a practice night on Mondays. Bowlers focus on sportsmanship, working together as a team, hand-eye coordination, balance, timing, and making adjustment decisions based on how the ball reacts on the lane.
“Many of our bowlers compete on the youth bowlers tour, which has tournaments throughout the season,” said Rideout. “We also have youth bowlers compete for the Ontario Provincial Team, and one of our bowlers is on the Canadian National Team and has competed in Panama and Puerto Rico.”
Rideout says the Youth League also offers scholarship money that bowlers can earn to help pay for school.
“As a league, we pay out over $3,000 in scholarships each year,” he said.
The long-time program director is always open to new faces in the league, and those interested, either as a youth bowler or as a coach, should contact Rideout or the bowling centre. Or head on out on a Saturday morning and check out the action.
Bowling is growing in popularity again, and Rideout believes the reasons are simple.
“Kids like bowling, it’s fun rolling the ball down the lane to see how many pins you can get to fall,” he said. “The kids like to watch their scores get higher each week as they learn new skills. It’s also a challenge to get better and raise your average, trying to get as many spares and strikes as you can.
Bowling, Rideout says, is a sport where it doesn’t matter what age you are or skill level. You can still have fun!
Story Submitted by Bowlerama Royale Youth League
