I still find it hard to believe that there still exists an argument that bowling is not really a sport.

Of course, it is a sport.

If not for the simple fact of thinking it through that leads you to the conclusion, then just look at the Professional Bowling Association. Or the fact that many high schools and middle schools have bowling teams that are sanctioned within competition. Or the fact that there are college-level bowling teams that compete within the NCAA.

But still the argument is out there.

“What’s so hard about throwing a ball down the lane?”

Actually, a lot, considering if you take the time to try to get a strike or pick up a spare.

Bowling is more than just a leisure activity. Many people take this sport seriously.

Bowling is nearly a complete mental game that needs the embrace of proper mechanics as well.

When bowling on a team or by yourself in competition, there is no one else and seldom anything to blame a bad shot on. It falls directly on the bowler.

Bowling may not be a punishing activity like football or have its athletes constantly moving like soccer does, but it still requires skill. And the mental stress can be more than it looks like. Yeah, it sounds like a joke, but there really is more to it when it comes down to competition play. Pick up the 10-pin to win the game, or miss it and lose. Suddenly the whip it down the lane excuse is dumb.

The best argument for it not being considered a sport would have to be the beer cliche that follows it around. The argument goes something to the sound of, “If you can eat nachos and drink beer, it’s not a sport.” Yeah, and you can’t drink beer when you play football outside with some friends? I wouldn’t recommend it by any means, but you could do it. That argument only really works with leisure bowling. It’s not as though the PBA allows bowlers to drink alcohol while they bowl, and I’ve never seen a bowler eat waiting for their next turn.

Anyways, drinking while bowling will potentially break your focus if you were really trying to do well. Breaking a score of 100 is nothing to get giddy about when you are competing against professional or talented bowlers.

The better argument to make may be is bowling really all that popular or need a professional league?

The popularity of the sport is not at a professional level, yet the sport has been increasing with popularity in the younger ages.

There are many youth bowling leagues that are sponsored by Youth Alliance Bowling Association (YABA). Some leagues start kids as young as 5 or 6-years old.

But it is also still fairly popular with people just going to bowl like the local lanes of Charleston Lanes. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, there is dollar bowling night, which has games and shoe rentals at a dollar each. A move that is more than likely to try to get people interested in bowling to later join leagues.

Bowling and the PBA may not have the same popularity that it held in the 1980s, yet it still is broadcasted on television channels such as ESPN and ESPN 2.

That fact alone should give it a pretty good backing as a sport.

Besides, the definition of what a sport exactly is still not clear. There is no exact definition what makes an activity a sport. But with or without a definition, bowling is still clearly a sport. And one that I believe still deserves to have a professional league.