Levi L Lauck, one of the newest members of the USBC certified Level 1 bowling coach ranks. Upon completion of the Level 1 course provided by the United States Bowling Congress as a five hour online education experience, I have been certified as a Level 1 coach. This qualifies me to teach beginning and entry level bowlers to build a good foundation for years to come.
I started my bowling career at a relatively young age. My Grandmother had always enjoyed bowling quite a bit and when a new bowling center was built near our house my whole family joined in on the fun. My parents, my brother and myself all joined leaguesand began a lifelong journey that would change our lives.
At the time I was only 9 and I joined youth leagues and began learning how to bowl. Because I was a stubborn youth and had a pretty strong temper I would not allow anyone to teach me what I needed to know. Slowly I learned the basics by watching other athletes and was given a hand-me-down bowling ball to get fitted to my own hand. Over the years I began improving my game while making fast friends with others my age.
Eventually my mother began working for the bowling center and my brother, nine years older than myself, soon joined her. After that I was always there, I practically lived at the bowling center. As I got better at bowling I got more competitive and the more my temper came to the surface. By the time I was thirteen I had an aggressive style of playing and if I wasn't scoring well everyone knew it. My mother refused to bowl anymore adult youth leagues until I could control my temper while bowling. I was not allowing myself to have any fun with the sport and I quit soon after.
I had taken a three year hiatus and began bowling again at sixteen when I began working at the center near my house. The center that became such a facet in my childhood. I had changed a lot in three years and that was the most evident in my bowling game. I was less aggressive in my play style and I had virtually eliminated my temper, bowling was fun again! My mother became a youth director for the center and she was a very good coach for entry level bowlers.
My mother always tried to give me tips on bowling but I was always very stubborn and never really listened. She soon decided not to give me anymore tips, but because I had developed my game pretty well on my own she still used me as an example of good form for the young bowlers. Over the next three years and many leagues later I had finally established an average over two hundred. I had made many friends and I was more open to suggestions about bowling tips. I decided to move on to the adult world of bowling after a season in which I had won a major local tournament and placed second in two others.
Once I ventured into the world of adult bowling I had realized how close minded I really was. I bowled in tournaments in leagues where I wouldn't even place in the top ten and when I had finally travelled to bowl in the USBC Nationals tournament I realized once and for all that I was a very small fish in a gigantic ocean. My 208 average was just that, average. I began to get lessons from more qualified bowlers and got more competitive and the temper from my childhood returned.
Bowling was once again a competition and was not for fun anymore. Even though I had learned healthier ways to release my anger and control my temper I was still getting angry at small things. Bowling was not fun and it was getting expensive! I finally decided to take a break from bowling at the end of the 2005-2006 season.
Three years later and I am returning to the game again. I have completed a Level 1 certification to be a bowling coach and became a member of the coaches association. Not only do I want to join the world of bowling once again, but I want to share the value of what I have received through this sport.
The United States Bowling Congress has developed one of the most respectable programs with their coaching certification. They have four levels, Level 1 which is intended to coach beginning and entry level bowlers, Bronze which is intended to coach high school level athletes, Silver which is intended for Collegiate level athletes and Gold. Gold is the highest certification an individual can receive through the United States Bowling Congress.
Gold is my goal. There are currently 33 Gold certified coaches world wide and only one is in my home state of Utah. On August 21st, 2008 the United States Bowling Congress inducted Bill Monce to its most elite group of professional coaches, certifying him as a USBC Gold level coach. He became the 31st Gold coach in the world and also became the youngest to receive the prestigious title at the age of 35.
I will be turning 24 on April 16th and the week after I plan to attend a Bronze conference to be certified at the next level. Attaining the Gold level by the age of 30 is my goal and I wish to become the youngest individual to attain the Gold level at that time.
