USBC Answers Award Questions

After decades of providing emblems/patches for special achievements, why did USBC switch to magnets?

"Each year USBC purchases over 3 million awards to send out to its members for their achievements. Over a year and a half ago, we were curious to see if bowlers were actually using our awards so we surveyed bowlers and found that only a very few adult members were displaying their emblems/patches or pins."

"It would make sense, when emblems were introduced; bowlers wore the same shirt every week to league and would add their emblems/patches to those shirts. Today this (sic) no long the norm, as you see very few team shirts across the country and bowlers no longer sew on their emblems. In fact, our research showed a majority of these awards were put in the bowlers bowling bags, put in the trash can or stashed in a drawer at home."

"Our goal was to remedy this problem by providing bowlers an award that they could easily display in their home or office, while also cutting down on award cost for USBC. A magnet seemed like a perfect solution because achievements could be displayed on refrigerators or desks and they cost one third of what an emblem cost. In addition, the magnets are made in here (sic) in the U.S. while the emblems were made in China."

"As always, it is our goal to recognize the bowler for their achievement and provide the bowlers with an award they will display, to remind the bowler that they are a USBC member and show off their accomplishments to friends and family. Then the sport of bowling and USBC benefit from the recognition as teh item generates additional interest in our great game."

Why were the Pins over Average, Triplicate, Big Four, 7-10, Dutch 200, and All Spare special achievement awards eliminated?

"Pins over Average Game: The majority of members who shot a game big enough to earn Pins over Average award were also earning a High Game award in the same game. It was our decision that we shouldn't give duplicate awards for the same game bowled."

"Triplicate Series: Many bowlers that receive this award had to get less than a strike on their last ball or even for multiple frames and thus the award motivates bowlers to shoot for less than their best. While this certainly was not always the case, USBC, as the governing body for our sport, should not be recognizing or motivating this kind of effort with an award."

"The Big Four & 7-10: A large majority of these spares are just luck and therefore not really a skill based achievement. Many bowlers never even see these spares as they have already started back to the settee when the lucky bounce occurs."

Editor's Note: Presume the same philosophy as the Triplicate Series applies to the All-Spare game and Dutch 200 game. The USBC does offer printable certificates for Triplicate, I Beat My Coach, Dutch 200, All-Spare Game, 7-10, Big Four, and 100 Pins Over Average on the Bowl.com website. A certificate maker is available here