I am assigned to run a "team" route which takes me out of state with another driver. During these extended drives, the opportunity comes up to learn a little bit about each other. Well, this guys passion is bowling (at one time he was ranked #4 in California as a youth bowler). He also takes time to help coach bowling when he gets the opportunity.

The topic of youth coaching hit all the buttons on me and I went into everything I could share. Gradually I saw him warming up to what I was saying and he got so excited, at one point I thought that he was going to explode as we exchanged ideas.

He admitted to me that he knew that I coached and (through the grapevine) he knew he would get the "live audible" version of soccer, and how great it is to coach and be a part of, if we rode together. What he didn't know, though, was that the methodology you have struck on applies to more than just soccer. (Let me guess, I'm not telling you anything new).

Anyway, I shared with him some "fundamental" principles (repetition, success, letting the "game" be the teacher, and using "buzzwords") and we came up with some activities for the young bowlers to do while they were waiting for the lanes to open up.

I will share just one game for the young bowlers and you can see some similarities in methodology.

This game is used to teach and reinforce "the 4 step approach/release."

The game is set up with two bowlers opposite if each other (roughly 10 ft.). They warm up buy simply tossing a "hackysack" back and forth to each other. They must use the 4 step approach to get to the foul line. The "buzzwords" they use on each approach step are as follows:

"Lead"- Lead with the ball by extending your arms and letting the pendulum of the ball help start your forward motion.

"Level"- Keep your posture upright and level. Let the ball pendulum on a LIMP arm. Keep knees bent.

"Launch"- LUNGE forward to the foul line with your body with the ball trailing.

"Lock"- Lock your forward leg from your toe to your hip, let the ball swing through and toward your "mark."

They warm up by trying to toss their "ball" onto their "mark" (A masking tape square on the floor.) The partner/opponent is standing behind so he can use the "ball" for his turn.

They try to see how many times they can do it and track their personal best.

They progress to a game called "King of the lanes" ( Imagine a figure eight set up side by side across one of the banquet room floors), where they compete against their opponent in a "best of ten" series. The winner advances one lane closer to the "King" lane and the loser regresses one lane backward to the novice lane. After a certain number of rounds the player that has been in the "Kings" lane the most times, is the "King of the lanes".

Anyway, when we finished laying out this game, he was busting at the seams and trying to apply the same approach to other aspects of bowling. He then admitted that when I first started suggesting some things he could probably use with his young bowlers. He thought there was no way any "soccer" coaching methods could ever apply to bowling. In the end, there was a convert to "FUNdamental" coaching. Have you ever thought of cross marketing Karl??

Your devoted FUNdamental coaching instructor,