Stereotypes Of Bowling

To most people, bowling would be considered an activity that families or groups of friends would participate in on a Friday evening for a fun night out. Many people, especially young children, tend to celebrate their birthdays by having their party at the local bowling alley. Other people, usually adults, may join a recreational league so they can sip a few alcoholic beverages while socializing with their friends. Then there are the competitive bowlers; they are constantly bogged down by the stereotype that bowling is nothing more than chucking the ball down the lane and having a good time with friends. Bowling is much more than that. . No matter how you engage yourself, bowling is absolutely considered a sport.
When a group has a discussion about sports, football, baseball, and basketball may be among the first few listed. Even the more underrated sports may be mentioned: swimming, golf, and even cross country and track. One sport that does not usually surface as the topic of discussion, although
Bowling is underrated; the physical and mental strength needed to succeed in the sport often goes unnoticed. Although it may not involve colliding with 250 pound men while trying to defend a simple ball, bowling has it’s own ways to express physical demand. Bowlers are often faced with the stereotype that they are “non athletes”, while in reality, this sport is just as, if not more than, demanding than many other popular sports and requires an ample amount of training. Bowlers can be classified as endurance athletes; bowling puts a lot of demand on strength and power. According to a certified personal trainer, “bowling at the professional level requires muscle control and muscular endurance [and] the ability to repeat the same movement over and over again without fatiguing” (Carlson). Finesse and precision in technique and form are the keys to success (Dolloson