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| International Bowling Campus comes to Arlington |
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| Written by Andrew Plock, The Shorthorn staff | ||||
| Wednesday, 03 February 2010 05:27 PM | ||||
 The International Bowling Congress opened in Arlington on Jan. 25, showcasing an array of equipment, Egyptian bowling reliefs and memorabilia in its museum. The IBC also houses its own International Training and Research Center, which uses the latest technology to break down and measure things like the bowler’s positioning, the force behind the throw and speed of the ball. (The Shorthorn: Rasy Ran) Arlington’s entertainment district houses myriad destinations, from the Dallas Cowboys to Six Flags Over Texas, and now they can add one more attraction to the map — “Bowling Capital of the World.” It opened last month on Six Flags Drive. The 100,000 square foot center houses every major facet of the sport. It contains the past, present and future of the bowling world with the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, the sports’ national organizations and media offices and the state-of-the-art International Training and Research Center. The United States Bowling Congress approved the transfer of the title when the center moved its headquarters from Milwaukee, Wis. to Arlington. With mummified bowlers, early settlers and a few beer leagues, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame takes viewers on an interactive tour detailing bowling’s history, from its conception to the greats highlighted in its Hall of Fame. Beginning nearly 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, the game has now captured six continents, and with its 95 million patrons, it is deemed the number one participatory sport in the world, according to the facility’s Web site. International Bowling Museum and Hall of FameWhere: 621 Six Flags Drive Arlington, TX 76011Contact: (817) 649-5105 MUSEUM TIMES: 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday With the latest in research equipment, the ITRC uses technology to break down the game to a science, from ball to bowler and everything in between. “The technology in bowling has lagged, and this is where science meets bowling,” said Randy Little, a United States Bowling Congress employee. “That’s why we have the Olympic rings on the building.” Those Olympic rings refer to the facility hosting the U.S. Olympic bowling team, allowing the athletes to perfect their game through body mapping software and high-speed cameras dictating the bowler’s every move. The ITRC also allows trainers to take bowlers through strength and conditioning programs in its gym and help dictate workout regimes to optimize an individual bowler’s traits. The ITRC isn’t just exclusive to Olympic athletes but is available to anyone looking to up their game. From collegiate to high school teams, even a recreational bowler can receive the same training if they so desire. Team USA Head Coach Rod Ross works with the ITRC and said the same principles the professionals work on can be applied to anyone looking to get better. “A lot of people are self-taught,” Ross said, “and our goal is to create educational programs to teach.” The ITRC even has a separate research facility where new products and machinery for the sport are tested thoroughly. Anything bowling-related goes through this facility and kept in restricted access rooms and experimented on until released. Currently the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America is urging UTA to pioneer a women’s bowling team as the sport has been recently accepted as a women’s collegiate sport under the NCAA. BPAA Vice President of Marketing Henry Lewczyk said he would like to see the university take on the sport, which rival Southland conference schools Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University have already adopted. Views: 301 | E-mail
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 February 2010 05:33 PM ) | ||||
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