Crisis averted for high school bowlers

Updated: January 5, 2012 5:46PM

A few weeks ago, parents of young area bowlers were in a panic.

Do they allow their children to participate in United States Bowling Congress-sanctioned tournaments and possibly earn college scholarship money, or do they forgo the scholarship opportunities and instead participate with their high school teams?

Thankfully, the choice will not have to be made.

Jeff Bailey, the manager at Town & Country Lanes who oversees local youth leagues and is coach of the Plainfield South boys, who won the IHSA state championship in 2010, is familiar with the issue from all angles — what happened, what was feared and the apparent end result. He provided an explanation.

The United States Bowling Congress’ SMART (Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins) Fund was established several years ago with the intention that young bowlers, beginning as early as age 10, could participate in sanctioned tournaments and earn college scholarship money that would be put into individual accounts for whatever college he or she eventually attends. Since the money would not be used except for tuition when the bowler arrived at the college of choice, amateur status was not affected.

But something happened to spoil a good thing.

“Evidently, the SMART Fund has loopholes where some students, and some parents, were taking advantage of the system and using the money for sources other than college,” Bailey said. “For instance, for bowling lessons with a local pro, or to purchase bowling equipment.

“Specific instances must have been leaked to the IHSA, and the IHSA felt that ruined the kids’ amateur status, that they basically were receiving cash. So the IHSA made the ruling that what was being done by some was affecting everyone, and anyone receiving any of this scholarship money would no longer be eligible to participate for their high school team.”

Bailey said parents statewide “probably melted the IHSA phone lines” when they heard of the ruling. To their credit, IHSA and USBC officials met and worked out an agreement that restores high school bowlers’ eligibility.

“The initial fear three weeks ago was that all these kids who participated in high school the last three years now were ineligible,” said Bailey, who noted this high school season begins in two weeks. “But the IHSA and USBC came to an agreement to modify USBC rules on how the scholarship money can be distributed.

“It must be held by them until you put in writing to them that you are in college and what college you are attending. The money then goes directly from them to that college for that student’s tuition — the student never touches the money.”

When the IHSA published its initial decision, Bailey’s reaction was “disappointment.” He has a freshman daughter who is a bowler.

“I thought, ‘How can the IHSA tell a bowler what he or she can’t do outside the high school season?’ My daughter is going to college four years from now and I will need all the resources I can get. She should have the right to earn these scholarships. It costs $18,000 a year now to attend college — imagine what it will be four years from now.”

Softening the tuition blow is noble. Bailey estimated “95 percent” of the parents and bowlers were using the money the way it was intended.

“But a handful were finding loopholes to use it for other things,” he said. “That’s where it came to a head, where some were abusing the system.

“Maybe they did not even know they were abusing it. For instance, if a kid receives a full ride to college for other reasons, he would think he was within his rights to spend the (bowling scholarship) money rather than lose it.”

The good news is, the USBC and IHSA can coexist and fix a problem. “Kudos to the USBC and IHSA for talking to resolve their differences,” Bailey said. “They have a good relationship, and each year they get a better understanding between them of what can and can’t be allowed. Bowling is only better today because of the way they have tried to work together and work out their differences to keep high school and other bowling in the country strong and keep it growing.”

Had the original IHSA ruling remained in place, imagine the scenario.

“If this would have stuck, it could have had a very negative effect with the IHSA,” Bailey said. “Competitive bowlers would have walked away from high school. So in effect, if a college scout wanted to find a kid, he wouldn’t go to a high school event anymore, only to the USBC tournaments.”

Yet there are two sides here as well.

“On the other hand,” Bailey continued, “without the top bowlers competing in high school, that would have brought IHSA competition back to a ‘normal’ level. It may have opened the door for some kids less fortunate, who are not able to afford a personal coach.

“It has gotten pretty competitive in high school bowling the last two-three years. Of course, that also brought excitement to the sport. It has put high school bowling on the map where you can come out and see the top young bowlers in the state.”

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