Pictured is: SWFL Assn Mgr, Bobby Taylor. Mr. Taylor is second from right. He is presenting a veterans clinic in Cape Coral, a check from the funds they received from their BVL fund raising this past year. Photo courtesy of SWFUSBC.
Editors Note: Located in Southwest Florida's West Coast, Ft. Myers, Fl. Is a tourism hot spot. With all of the recreational activities that offers tourist, the game of bowling still thrives. With 10 bowling centers there, it continues to grow. The credit for its growth, goes to the SWFUSBC. We talked to them at the 18th Annual USBC Convention, in Las Vegas on April 27, to find out what keeps them growing. Here is our story below.
By Michael 'Chip' Begg
Managing Editor - thetenpinexpress.com
Director Mesa Metro Association
Las Vegas, NV. - - - There are not many of us in the game of bowling, who can say they have spent over 40 years devoted to helping one local bowling association succeed. In helping the game grow in numbers, and helping keep their association members informed as to what is going on in the sport.
But Bobby Taylor of Ft. Myers, Fl. has and still does help keep the game growing in Southwest Florida. And still does a great job in keeping his membership informed as to what is going on in the game of bowling also.
"I wanted to give back to a sport, that has given so much to me," he said, during a break on Thursday April 27. at the 18th Annual USBC Convention at the Southpoint Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. "I am here at the convention this week, out of my love for the sport."
Taylor, who first joined the Southwest Florida Bowling Association Board, as a director in 1983. Was elected association manager in 2021, after the passing of long time association manager Bob Peters, and his office manager Carolyn Trump. Bob passed away on April 21 of that year, and Carolyn on September 21 the year before. He knew he would have some extremely big shoes to fill, but to this day, is still taking it one step at a time.
"It was devastating to lose Bob. After he passed away, the plan was to have Carolyn take over as association manager for Bob," said Taylor, of the big losses. "Bob was extremely knowledgeable as to what was going on in bowling. If I had a question for him, I could always count on him to have an answer. Now, we don't have that anymore."
After he was elected as the new association manager, it was kind of a rough start for him. As he received very little training on what was involved in the day-to-day operations. But he found a way to get through this beginning, and is now comfortable in the role.
"We wanted to find our way, and get the board moving in the right direction," he said, of the beginning. "We wanted to know exactly where we were going. Today, I just listen to our bowlers, and keep my eyes and ears open. I listen to them, more than I talk to them. In the beginning I didn't feel the pressure in succeeding Bob, as much as I recognize the challenge that was ahead of me, and the consensus that we always did things this way. In 2023, doing things the old way, does not work anymore. We had to find another direction, for things to work."
He has the full support of the current board members and they are: President: Mike Wilson Vice Presidents: Daniel Higham. Krissy Stewart. Fred McFarland.
Directors: Walter Judd. Michael Boyd. Terry Wilson. Andrew (AJ) Meece. Tommy Rea, Jr; Eric Spivey; Karie Patz; Wayne Topolyn; Rhonda Heil; Matt Hodgman; Nyla Carr; Association Manager Bobby Taylor; and Asst Assoc. Manager Lori Taylor.
Now that he has been at the helm for the last couple of years, and feels everything is going in the right direction. He believes Bob and Carolyn would be happy with the job he has done. He also insists, that he could not have gotten as far as he has, without the assistance from his wife Lori.
"She is every bit as dedicated to our bowlers as I am and her attention to details and having correct information is priceless. I definitely couldn’t do this without her.," he said, of the assistance his wife gives him in the day-to-day operations. "I'd like to think Bob and Carolyn would be happy with what we have done. We have tried to approach everything with: transparency, honesty, and fairness. We have had some good feedback from our members."
He also believes that being: transparent, honest, and fair. Has helped with tournaments they run during the course of the year.
"Our tournaments are growing. The board is coming together and function together," the manager said, of his board of directors. "A lot of people on the board, want to see us grow even more."
A Little Bit Of History About Ft. Myers.
Ft. Myers is located on the West Coast of Southwest Florida, between Sarasota and Naples. It's in the business of tourism. Its famous residents were Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, who had winter homes on McGregor Boulevard. Today, both homes are tourist attractions. Mr. Edison once said: 'There is only one Ft. Myers, and 90 million people are going to discover it." Today, the number has probably jumped to 180 million.
As far as what is available recreational wise, golf and fishing seem to be the top choice of tourist. It is also the spring training home of two major league baseball teams. The Minnesota Twins, who have their facility at the Hammond Sports Complex. And the Boston Red Sox, who have their spring training facility at Jet Blue Park. Terry Park, a third spring training facility, once housed the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals. North Ft. Myers is also the home of Deion Sanders. The NFL HOF is now coach at the University of Colorado.
"I believe Lee County handles two teams better than anyone," he said of having the Red Sox and Twins hold spring training in Ft. Myers. "But I don't think adding a third team is a good idea. They need to stay focused on what they do well."
When the Red Sox began to talk to Lee County about a new spring training facility. Little did Bobby know at the time; he would be a project manager for development of the new facility.
"I worked 35 years with the Lee County government as a project manager for construction of the County-owned facilities. I was extremely fortunate that most of the projects I was assigned to were Parks & Recreation facilities, including the Boston Red Sox Spring Training Complex, and Jet Blue Park at Fenway South," he said, of being in charge of Jet Blue Park construction. "That project was the highlight of my career, costing 84 million. The Red Sox were fun to work with, and the biggest challenge was only having 18 months to: design, permit, and construct the stadium."
How do we know so much about Ft. Myers? We lived in the area from 1976-1993. We graduated from Edison Community College in 1981, and got our start in journalism. With the Ft. Myers Beach Observer in 1978. We went on to attend Florida Atlantic University from 1981-1983. And had internships with the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
Bowling Still Finds A Way To Grow. And Get Through The Tough Times.
In 2023, there are 10 bowling centers in the area. They are: Bowland Beacon Bowl. Bowland Cape Coral. Head Pinz Cape Coral. Bowland Port Charlotte. Lehigh Training Center. Head Pinz Naples. Gator Lanes. Head Pinz Ft. Myers. Lightning Strikes Bowl. And Treasure Lanes. Bowland Cape Coral, and Head Pinz Cape Coral, just got sold to Bowlero. When we lived in Ft. Myers, it was also home to: All-Start Lanes. Beach Bowl. Gold Crown Lanes. And Miracle Lanes.
Miracle Lanes was a 26-lane bowling center that was located across the street from the Edison Mall, in the Miracle Mile shopping center. Miracle Lanes meant a lot to the bowling community. Including to Bobby.
"I practically grew up in Miracle Lanes. That's where Lori and I met. I worked at the center part time for many years. Paul Swartz and his family owned the center and he and I went to high school together and were great friends," he said, of Miracle Lanes. "Everyone was treated like family and addressed by their first names when they came in the door. The Swartz family sold the center to an out of state owner who visited infrequently and failed to keep the center running smoothly. Its closing caused heart break to everyone who bowled there. Some left the sport and never bowled again."
The bowling community has had a lot of obstacles to overcome since the great recession of 2008-2012, and Covid-19 from 2020. But the bowling community is resilient and found a way to jump over both hurdles.
"We did not lose any bowlers during the recession, but we lost a few during Covid-19. In Florida, bowling was shut down for six weeks," said Bobby, of dealing with the two interruptions. "When bowling returned, bowlers had to wear face masks. Wash hands with hand sanitizers, and a team during league play, bowled on one lane. We lost 20 percent of our bowlers during Covid-19. Senior Citizens chose to stay away from the bowling centers because of the risk."
And in 2023?
"Our numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels," he said, with a sigh of relief. "We have 3,500 members, and we are down to nine bowling centers that have leagues. We have a 10th bowling center, Head Pinz Ft. Myers, that is an entertainment center and has no leagues."
With all of the recreational activities that Southwest Florida has, Bowling does not take a back seat. But keeps centers thriving.
"Being located in Florida, the centers offer a respite from the heat," he said, of how bowling still keeps on going. "During the daytime, the centers are filled with seniors looking for a cool place to join friends for fun and a cool beverage. The centers offer a variety of leagues to allow bowlers to find just the right fit for them. "The area continues to grow at an amazing rate and as the population grows, we hope the demand for bowling grows with it. There are plans for a new center or two floating around, and it would be great if they come to fruition."
SWFUSBC is also fortunate to have a bowling proprietors' group that works together to help grow the game. "A group of like-minded business people supporting each other can be impressive and do great things for the industry," he said, of the proprietors. The proprietors also hold an invitational event at the end of the season. "Hopefully they can stay on the same page and keep focused on the greater cause."
Weather Conditions. Is Just A Way Of Life While Living In Paradise.
September 28, 2022 will always be a day in Ft. Myers where folks will remember where they were and what they were doing. As Hurricane Ian paid the area a visit. And when Ian decided to leave the area, it left a lot of devastation in the area. Ft. Myers Beach, the City of Ft. Myers, and Sanibel Island, were unrecognizable. And the Sanibel Causeway, a bridge that linked the island to the mainland was totally wiped out. However, Govenor Ron Desantis (R), a likely 2024 presidential candidate, wasted no time in getting FEMA involved in the recovery efforts, and got the causeway rebuilt in three days.
"Having been a project manager, and knowing what a difficult hurdle permitting can be, it just shows what can happen what a no-nonsense politician can do, when necessary," he said, of how the causeway was rebuilt in three days. "I was amazed and impressed by what happened. The devastation will take years to overcome, but to see what has happened in just six months is awesome."
Bowling wise, Bowland Port Charlotte Bowl-A-Rama, and Treasure Lanes suffered the most damage. And just reopened recently. While the seven other centers in the area were still manageable.
Full Speed Ahead.
Recently, Bowland Cape Coral, and Head Pinz Cape Coral were sold to Bowlero. Bowlero just took over day-to-day operations, and Bobby is encouraged from the first meeting he had with them.
"Bowlero has just started operations, so any changes they plan on making haven't really happened yet. Lori and I met with the Area Manager for Bowlero, and our discussions were very positive," he said, of Bowleros presence in SWF. "They seem to be very open to working with us for USBC certified leagues and tournaments. How the bowlers in our area react remains to be seen, but I hope for a good relationship, and that our membership will not be affected."
During his 40 years of involvement in bowling in SWF, Bobby has been part of some big bowling moments.
"We have had a few things that stand out through the years. The local proprietors started an inviational tournament for the top bowlers in each center in the 1980s. For the first one, they brought the late great Dick Weber in town. They bought time on a local television station where Dick did the color commentating for the step-ladder finals," he said of the big things that have happened in SWF. "That was a big day for Southwest Florida bowling. The PBA and PBA 50 tournaments are fun. I bowled in one of the pro-am events and crossed with guys like: Jason Crouch and Bob Learn. They help keep the interst of bowling at a high level."
And last but not least, we can't forget about the youth bowlers. After all, the youth bowlers are the future of the sport. The youth bowlers are fortunate that today, they have a competitive high school bowling league. It has teams in the league that covers all of Lee County. The league was formed by USBC National Director Mike Cannington.
"High School bowling is only available in Lee County and it started about 10 years ago. Mike Cannington was instrumental in getting it going. We have about 300 youth in Southwest Florida," he said, of the league. "It hasn't really grown a lot over the last few years. I believe the national level hurt the youth program, but we are working hard to find the right people to build the fire and keep it going."