Walnut Bowl played host to a Youth Bowler Roundup on Saturday afternoon, bringing in several young bowlers to enjoy free cosmic bowl and hot dogs while also learning more about available youth bowling leagues.
The event was for all kindergarten through high school bowlers entering their senior year.
“We’ve had a youth program here in Great Bend forever,” Walnut Bowl youth director Cathy Vonfeldt said. “I’ve worked with the youth program myself probably close to 25 years. With the high school program, it’s really come a long way.
“It gives our youth in this town something else to do, so we’re giving our youth a chance to come out and try the sport. Maybe they’ve never done it before, and maybe it’s something that they’d like to do.”
There are several leagues forming. Walnut Bowl provides leagues for all age groups.
“We have bumper bowling for three- to six-year-olds,” Vonfeldt said. “It’s a drop-in program that we have here Saturdays at 11 o’clock. They have fun and bowl two games.
“Youth bowling is a little more competitive, you know, wins/losses. It’s handicapped. It doesn’t matter what average you have, you can still compete. High school bowling is, of course, scratch.”
There is a new league forming this year.
“We have a league forming on Thursdays,” Vonfeldt said. “We have a new league called Eight-For-Eight. You bowl for eight weeks, $8 per week. You get a free bowling ball at the end of the eight weeks. Your sanctioning is also paid so you can join another league at the end of the eight weeks.
“It’s a yearly fee that’s charged. With a lot of sports, you have to pay a yearly fee to belong to an organization.”