Scott,
These schools have had participating teams and or approved to have programs by the principal now and the past:
Rockwall HS-Active 2011
Rowlett HS--Active 2011
Naaman Forest HS- Inactive
Wylie HS-Active 2011
Sachse HS-Active 2011
Garland HS-Inactive
N. Garland HS-Active 2011
S. Garland HS-Active 2011
Frisco HS-Inactive
Plano Sr HS-Inactive
Richardson HS-Inactive
Berkner HS-Inactive
JJ Pearce HS-Inactive
Lakeview HS- Approved with players participating on another school team
Wylie East HS- Approved no teams formed due to interest and or no sponsor
Rockwall-Heath HS- Approved no teams formed due to interest and or no sponsor
Utley Freshmen Center- Now part of Rockwall HS
Allen HS- Approved no teams formed yet due to no sponsor.
Plano Williams HS 9th-10th- Have student participating this year.
Several factors have slowed the program down the last few years.
1) Other leagues (Pool 300 -Mon., BCA -Thu) have moved in our only approved place to play at AMF Richardson Lanes. Mon. and Tuesday nights were our nights we competed. We tried to avoid Wed. nights. They removed 3 tables in room to make more room for players in other league. We went from 11 tables to 8. We used to run three matches a night. Last year we we could only run 2.
2) Prior teacher/sponsors are overworked now and have no time or are no longer teaching there. I have had great teachers. Lost contact with some of them. I usually started contacting the schools Sep. through Oct. If the sponsors did not get back with me I did not pursue them because I only could fill so many schools.
3) I maxed out personally with schools I could handle. Personal reasons I found it harder to train 5 days a week. One year I maxed out with 10 high schools competing. We were operating out of two bowling centers plus one school had 3 nine foot tables. I was training Monday-Wed 4pm-6pm at one location then drive to other location from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Then a few schools on Thu at one location 6:30pm-8:30pm then one school on Friday. I tried to keep the schools apart due to club/team sizes. Some had 50 players in their club. Competition season we ran Mon. and Tue. night. Extremely crowded (60-90 people maybe) with 6 teams of players, teachers, parents, families, and friends.
4) Economy and distance traveled to the host facility AMF made it more difficult for students when gas hit $4 a gallon and teams were traveling 30-40 min to get there. Money like everything is a factor.
5) And honestly I hate to say this, but I just burned out. Personal reasons such as divorce etc put me in coast mode for a while satisfied with just 4-8 teams. Where I was living I was driving over an hour out and it became hard. I had other projects going. Was focused for a while on the BEF with helping them.
6) Lost industry support. BCA league went away. We were sanctioned by the BCA and they gave awards to the players. Several Rooms closed down here in Dallas which catered to the youth, several retail stores who used to contribute- gone.
Solutions:
1)From my perspective PORTABLE Tables MUST be put in the schools. Most places (pool rooms) are not really recommended to bring high school students. This will solve several issues such as interest/exposure of students and getting and maintaining teacher sponsors. It is very difficult to ask teachers to work all day then go out at 6pm-9pm to volunteer for something. It would be easier at school to train and compete.
2) Have more BEF trained program directors with maximum of 10 schools per division. Have PBIA instructors take a more active role in training youth players. I had great support from several BCA instructors until the BCA no longer required the 12 student feedback forms per year. I suggest PBIA bring it back.
3) BEF taking a more active role in sanctioning, governing, training, and awarding players, programs, and instructors. Currently they CANNOT do it because they only have ONE person working the BEF.
I am the volunteer Chair person for the BEF Education committee. I have put my recommendations out but MONEY seems to be the issue. I have volunteered hundreds of hours with the BEF helping them to build a website, writing a program directors guide, going to fundraisers, being the tournament director for the last six years, etc. It's strange for the last 12 years I have been trying to help build an infrastructure above my own program so that my program has more credibility with the schools by me pointing to the BEF.
We lost Laura Smith who worked with the BEF for 6 years and worked VERY hard to keep the BEF going. The problem there again is ONLY one person operating the BEF which is Samm Diep-Vidal. Samm is energized and very capable and smart but I personally feel sorry for her because she will be inundated with everything Laura had PLUS she is NOW responsible to raise money for the BEF. The BEF has walked two steps back because of MONEY. The solution is for league players and the industry to realize we NEED the BEF and to contribute if ONLY just $1 per player per year. The BEF needs to GROW!
Sorry for the long response but THIS is where we are CURRENTLY at with a local school program of 12 years here in Dallas and where we are AT going nationally with school programs and the problems and some solutions.
Earl Munson
These schools have had participating teams and or approved to have programs by the principal now and the past:
Rockwall HS-Active 2011
Rowlett HS--Active 2011
Naaman Forest HS- Inactive
Wylie HS-Active 2011
Sachse HS-Active 2011
Garland HS-Inactive
N. Garland HS-Active 2011
S. Garland HS-Active 2011
Frisco HS-Inactive
Plano Sr HS-Inactive
Richardson HS-Inactive
Berkner HS-Inactive
JJ Pearce HS-Inactive
Lakeview HS- Approved with players participating on another school team
Wylie East HS- Approved no teams formed due to interest and or no sponsor
Rockwall-Heath HS- Approved no teams formed due to interest and or no sponsor
Utley Freshmen Center- Now part of Rockwall HS
Allen HS- Approved no teams formed yet due to no sponsor.
Plano Williams HS 9th-10th- Have student participating this year.
Several factors have slowed the program down the last few years.
1) Other leagues (Pool 300 -Mon., BCA -Thu) have moved in our only approved place to play at AMF Richardson Lanes. Mon. and Tuesday nights were our nights we competed. We tried to avoid Wed. nights. They removed 3 tables in room to make more room for players in other league. We went from 11 tables to 8. We used to run three matches a night. Last year we we could only run 2.
2) Prior teacher/sponsors are overworked now and have no time or are no longer teaching there. I have had great teachers. Lost contact with some of them. I usually started contacting the schools Sep. through Oct. If the sponsors did not get back with me I did not pursue them because I only could fill so many schools.
3) I maxed out personally with schools I could handle. Personal reasons I found it harder to train 5 days a week. One year I maxed out with 10 high schools competing. We were operating out of two bowling centers plus one school had 3 nine foot tables. I was training Monday-Wed 4pm-6pm at one location then drive to other location from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Then a few schools on Thu at one location 6:30pm-8:30pm then one school on Friday. I tried to keep the schools apart due to club/team sizes. Some had 50 players in their club. Competition season we ran Mon. and Tue. night. Extremely crowded (60-90 people maybe) with 6 teams of players, teachers, parents, families, and friends.
4) Economy and distance traveled to the host facility AMF made it more difficult for students when gas hit $4 a gallon and teams were traveling 30-40 min to get there. Money like everything is a factor.
5) And honestly I hate to say this, but I just burned out. Personal reasons such as divorce etc put me in coast mode for a while satisfied with just 4-8 teams. Where I was living I was driving over an hour out and it became hard. I had other projects going. Was focused for a while on the BEF with helping them.
6) Lost industry support. BCA league went away. We were sanctioned by the BCA and they gave awards to the players. Several Rooms closed down here in Dallas which catered to the youth, several retail stores who used to contribute- gone.
Solutions:
1)From my perspective PORTABLE Tables MUST be put in the schools. Most places (pool rooms) are not really recommended to bring high school students. This will solve several issues such as interest/exposure of students and getting and maintaining teacher sponsors. It is very difficult to ask teachers to work all day then go out at 6pm-9pm to volunteer for something. It would be easier at school to train and compete.
2) Have more BEF trained program directors with maximum of 10 schools per division. Have PBIA instructors take a more active role in training youth players. I had great support from several BCA instructors until the BCA no longer required the 12 student feedback forms per year. I suggest PBIA bring it back.
3) BEF taking a more active role in sanctioning, governing, training, and awarding players, programs, and instructors. Currently they CANNOT do it because they only have ONE person working the BEF.
I am the volunteer Chair person for the BEF Education committee. I have put my recommendations out but MONEY seems to be the issue. I have volunteered hundreds of hours with the BEF helping them to build a website, writing a program directors guide, going to fundraisers, being the tournament director for the last six years, etc. It's strange for the last 12 years I have been trying to help build an infrastructure above my own program so that my program has more credibility with the schools by me pointing to the BEF.
We lost Laura Smith who worked with the BEF for 6 years and worked VERY hard to keep the BEF going. The problem there again is ONLY one person operating the BEF which is Samm Diep-Vidal. Samm is energized and very capable and smart but I personally feel sorry for her because she will be inundated with everything Laura had PLUS she is NOW responsible to raise money for the BEF. The BEF has walked two steps back because of MONEY. The solution is for league players and the industry to realize we NEED the BEF and to contribute if ONLY just $1 per player per year. The BEF needs to GROW!
Sorry for the long response but THIS is where we are CURRENTLY at with a local school program of 12 years here in Dallas and where we are AT going nationally with school programs and the problems and some solutions.
Earl Munson
