Now this would be a fun project Richard!

I've made a few sites to track my scores and WinBowl is the go to legacy app for it.

A web version would be useful!

I need to get back to WIP: 🔒https://github.com/AlexHedley/bowling-app/pull/1

I haven't built a Bowling League Database yet, but this would be an excellent project. Bowling is one of those subjects I know pretty well, too. I bowled in leagues from about age eight through high school, both league and recreationally, and then again as an adult. My son and I even bowled together in a men's league when he was in his 20s, and I was in my... uh... late 30s. LOL

I'm not bowling right now. I eventually reached the point where I hated the commitment of league bowling, even though I still love the game. Thursday night would roll around while I was relaxing in the pool or enjoying something else, and I'd think, "Damn it, I've got to go bowl tonight." Or it'd be the middle of winter up in Buffalo, and it's like, "I got to get all dressed up, clear the snow off the car, and trudge out to the bowling alley." No thanks. I got the same way with softball. When you're playing five or six nights a week all summer, you can eventually start resenting something you normally enjoy.

But this would definitely make a fun database project. You've got leagues, teams, bowlers, seasons, weeks, matches, games, handicaps, averages, standings, high games, high series, and all kinds of statistics to track. There's plenty there for a nice TechHelp series, so I'm adding a Bowling League Database to my project list... Which admittedly is insanely long, but I'm going to move this up toward the top because this would be a project I would probably really enjoy building. I can already envision some really good extended cuts too.

And speaking of bowling, I used to get into arguments with guys in the men's league because I'd call bowling a "game," and they'd insist, "It's not a game. It's a sport."

I have my own definition, and I'm sticking with it: to me, what makes something a sport is defense. One team's offense has to adjust to what the other team is doing defensively. Baseball is a sport. Football is a sport. Basketball is a sport. Hockey is a sport. Tennis is a sport because what your opponent does directly affects what you have to do next.

Bowling, to me, is a game. There's no defense. It's you against the pins. Golf is a game for the same reason. Sure, you're competing for a better score than everyone else, but nobody can actually defend against your shot. You're basically competing against yourself and comparing the result afterward.

Unless, of course, you're Happy Gilmore and somebody is standing there yelling, "Jackass!" while you're trying to make your putt. Then apparently golf has defense. Shooter McGavin probably wouldn't approve, but I might have to make an exception.

And I actually have a bowling story that proves how much outside interference can matter.

My son had a perfect 300 game going during one of our sanctioned men's league nights. He made it all the way to the 10th frame and got the first strike. If you've ever been in a bowling alley when somebody has a 300 going, you know what happens. Word spreads, everybody stops what they're doing, and suddenly the whole damn bowling alley gets quiet because everyone is watching. That alone is enough pressure.

He's getting ready for his second ball in the 10th. He's completely locked in. He starts his approach...

And some asshole comes over the bowling alley loudspeaker:

"The snack bar is closing in five minutes."

I watched my son do this tiny little stutter step. It was just enough to throw off his approach, and that was it. 7/10 split. Perfect game gone.

We were both pissed. This wasn't just screwing around on a Saturday afternoon, either. It was a sanctioned league. That concession-stand guy owes my son a 300 ring.

So maybe bowling does have defense after all. :)

Richard Would you consider Lawn Bowls a game or a sport?

You could record one today :-) 🎳

Bowling used to be one of my favorite games, right up until my ex-girlfriend dropped a ball and turned my poor pinky finger into puree. After that tragedy, I decided curling was way safer. :)

You could look at the League Secretary website <https://www.leaguesecretary.com/> to get some ideas on which way you would like to go with your database. I started the design process a couple years ago, but lost interest in it. Now for the past couple years I've been using the League Secretary app on my Android phone and it works flawlessly. For $10.00 a season it beats the heck out of racking my brain trying  to get all the queries and code right. Most bowling centers today use it. On my Tuesday league, our team splits the cost and I send them the pdf results after the bowling center publishes the standings Just my humble 2¢

Awesome, thanks for the tip!