Sometimes people are surprised to hear that I coach bumper bowlers. Now, however, when I go on vacation or miss a week for a tournament, I feel guilty and can't wait to get back. I've been coaching bumpers for nearly a year now. I made my choice during a coaches meeting after leagues one weekend. Coaching isn't punishment, and unless a coach puts his heart into it, there is no reason to be there.
Some people look at coaching bumper kids as glorified babysitting.
And if that's what they think, I'm not going to argue otherwise. Mind you, there's very little need for hand position or single-board adjustments when you're coaching the little ones, but there's room for education all around. Sometimes just getting the ball off with the correct foot forward is the goal for the week. Other times, a child might miss all the pins on a spare shot, but they threw the ball down the lane without hitting the bumpers. Maybe I should start by telling them I averaged 107 when I was 18 years old.