Winter 2026 starts today!

Pindependent
Jan 11
6 min read

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF):

Winter 2026 starts tonight, Jan 11th
- try to be on the 6pm side of 6:15 this week to get set
We will not bowl 2/8/26 (Superb Owl Sunday)
Check on your teammates to be sure they're registered!
Let me know if you have thoughts on a reasonable mobile app for faster/easier communication with the league during the season.

Welcome bowlers, to Winter 2026 Pindependent Durham Bowling! We will start tonight! I think I have 10, maybe 11 teams, but that's dependent on whether your teammates are all registered. I have a couple of teams where expected members have still not registered, so talk to your teammates and make sure everyone is registered, or you might find yourself either as a free agent or with free agents on your team (which isn't the worst thing, obviously: more friends for you!)

If you are getting this email, it's because you have successfully registered for this season. This is the primary "how it works" email, so consider a) reading it all the way through and 2) saving it for when you have questions later in the season.

What will happen tonight (week 1):

Show up tonight on the 6pm side of 6:15 so that we can be sure team rosters and line ups are correct. I've sent the info to Bowlero, so it should be correct, but your bowling order may need to be adjusted/updated on scoresheets. Please include an M or F for gender (just this week) so that people don't end up on the wrong leaderboards.
We will bowl 3 games tonight, and since so many of our players are returning, we should already have averages in place. Given that most averages will carry over, we can use tonight's points for the season.
If you don't have an average in place, don't worry, it'll be set tonight.
- Note that if you have players with no set average, once it's set, that may change the outcome of tonight's matches.
If you've never played with us, please come introduce yourself.

How scoring/points work:

We'll play 3 competitive games each week, each game your team wins is worth one point.
Whichever team has the most total pins also gets another point (max 4 points each week).
Ties during the regular season are counted as half points.
At the end of the season, we'll have a bracket style playoff, where teams are seeded based on total points for the season. The number of teams in playoffs will be based on the total number of teams.

What to expect for the season:

We bowl Sundays at 6:15 pm. Each lane should have 10 minutes of practice, so we should all be ready to start practice by 6:20.
- Please do not start practice before 6:20 if the other team has not yet arrived. Wait until both teams are there, or until 6:20, whichever is later.
Please turn in score sheets to me at the end of each night, unless otherwise instructed.
We will NOT bowl on Sunday, February 8th.
If you have to miss a week, you may pre-bowl.
- In order to pre-bowl, let them know at the counter that you are pre-bowling and they should give you a scorecard. Date the scorecard with the date that you are bowling for. Send the scores to me and turn the card in at the front desk.
- You can pre-bowl at any time (there are no time restrictions) because these are games that we pay for (they are not free games). However, there is no guarantee of lane availability, nor is there a promise that you'll have the lights on or 2 lanes to play on if the bowling alley is busy.
- I cannot emphasize this enough: if your score card does not have the date you're bowling for, and if you don't send me the scores, it may not be used.
With your league membership you have access to discounts on soft drinks and snacks at the snack bar, as well as non-league bowing during the week. You also get 2 free practice games per week. This uses your cell phone number, so make sure I have that.
- Practice games can be used Mon-Thur until 7pm, Fri and Sat until 6pm or any time on Sunday, based on availability. There is no guaranteed availability for these games. Time restrictions do not apply to pre-bowling games (as we pay for these).

Something to think about, and send me your feedback:

I'd like to come up with an easier way to communicate with you as a league during the season. Right now, I'm using a marketing service to send out these emails, but it's a bit of a pain in the neck. I'm considering using a communication app, like Slack, Whatsapp or GroupMe. I'd like your thoughts as to what might work best for y'all. I'm going to preface this by letting you know I pretty much hate WhatsApp, I don't know much about how to use Slack, and I'm pretty familiar with GroupMe.
Either way, let me know if you have thoughts or suggestions for an easy (preferably free) mobile way to communicate with the group as needed, without making everyone crazy with millions of alerts/notifications.

Tips for a better season:

Swap contact info with your teammates and let them know if you plan to miss a week, or if you have to call out. This keeps us from all standing around, wondering if you're going to show up.
Be on time. League starts at 6:15, practice starts no later than 6:20 and competitive games should start no later than 6:30.
Have patience with the bowling alley when things break. I know it's frustrating and I wish I could fix the broken lanes, but I can't. I do give them your feedback when things break, but that feedback is also powerful coming from you.
Helpful appsthat you can download to help stay up to date with the league (note that these are not required):
- Leaguepals (www.leaguepals.com) is an app that will show you schedules, scores, leaderboards, etc., for our league.
- LaneTalk (www.lanetalk.com) allows you to track your games in real time by syncing up with Bowlero's software. It used to be awesome, but now the tracking as we used to use it is part of their "pro" app that costs money, so I'm a bit less enthusiastic about recommending it. You can still track your game as it happens, but the free app no longer saves your last 3 sessions. Boo. .
Read the periodic emails I'll send out. I won't send one every week, but when there are announcements or changes, I'll send something out. You can also follow us on FB or Instagram, as the email updates will also be shared as blog posts on the site and social media posts.
Have fun! Remember that this is a social league that's mostly about having fun and hanging out. Don't lose sight of that.

Bowling etiquette (we're almost done with this email, I promise!):

Be ready to bowl when it's your turn. No, seriously, don't be delaying play because you're messing around somewhere else. Being in line at the bar is one thing, but consistently having to be told it's your turn is annoying. Be considerate and ready when it's your turn.
Be aware of other bowlers: if 2 bowlers make the approach side by side, the bowler on the right has the right of way. LOOK AROUND. Make sure that when it's your turn, you're not bowling at the same time as the bowlers in the lanes next to you.
Once your turn is done, finish up and get out of the way. Again, we're trying to keep things moving, so once your roll is complete, do your happy dance and let the next bowler approach.
Wear bowling shoes. This should go without saying, but street shoes can damage the approach and lead to falls. Shoes are NOT included in the price of your season, so make sure to rent your shoes when you arrive if you need to.
Keep an eye on food and drink: don't spill near the approach, wet shoes cause falls (trust me on this one). If you're a sloppy eater, then eat at the table behind the benches on the lanes.
Don't be a jerk. No, seriously. We're all here to have fun. Don't be a jerk.