Pictured Is: The new B3 Performance And Training Center Of Tempe, AZ.
Photo Courtesy Of Brandi Calderon.
B3 Performance is owned locally by Mike and Brandi Calderon. They also own Bowl 300 Pro Shop which has been in business since 2008, and is now located inside the B3 Performance training facility. (They have moved from their old location that was next to AMF Tempe Village Lanes in Tempe). They were hoping to get the new facility opened shortly after the first of this year, but a thing called Covid-19 got in the way to delay the opening of the facility.
Below is a Q and A with Brandi Calderon of how B3 finally came into being.
1. What kind of year where you having business wise in 2020, before Covid-19 hit.
Before COVID-19, our pro shop was tracking a little busier than the same time frame in prior years. There were lots of leagues and tournaments going on, and the manufacturers were releasing new products regularly. Things in the bowling industry were humming along nicely.
2. How hard was it for you to accept the fact this was going on, and how did you deal with it.
Just like everyone, it was a pretty dramatic shock to our system. We were all in the same boat and working to understand "the new normal." We were obviously disappointed that we could not open on our target date of March 21, 2020. However, our primary concern was and still is the health and safety of our local and global communities, so postponing our grand opening was definitely the correct choice. We tried to remain as productive as possible during that time, and we worked very hard to complete many of the projects that we would not have otherwise been able to get done before we opened.
3. How hard has it been on your family by not being able to bowl the last month and a half.
Mike and I didn't often have the chance to bowl because we were always open later than league start times, and on Saturdays and Sundays (so tournaments were difficult to bowl, as well). However, we definitely missed seeing all of our family, friends and customers at the pro shop. That was the hardest part!
4. What have you been able to do, to stay busy.
We spent all of our time working at the new facility on many different projects....sometimes 13 or 14 hours a day. Even still, there will always be something that needs to be done! But, we used the time to put all of the behind-the-scenes infrastructure in place, including fiber optic internet, phone system, scheduling systems, etc., and to complete many other projects that help our facility stand out.
5. When did you start construction on the training center. How long did it take you from start to finish to complete.We began construction on the facility in May 2019. As with any construction project, we certainly faced our fair share of hurdles and roadblocks along the way. This caused some delays and put us a little further behind schedule than we would have liked. The building construction was complete at the end of February 2020. After that, it was up to us to finalize all of the details and make the training facility come to life.
6. Who did the installation of the lanes and the pinsetters. What brand of pinsetters do you have installed.
We used All American Bowling Equipment to handle the install of our lanes and pinsetters. They were awesome and did an incredible job!
We chose to install S.E.S. String Pinsetters in our facility. With string pins, there is far less maintenance than free fall pinsetters, and they are very energy efficient. Additionally, they are quieter than free fall pinsetters because there are no constantly moving parts. One of the best features about the pinsetters is the ability to set up any spare directly from the scoring console. They also have the capability to set full racks only, which is particularly helpful when utilizing certain features in Specto Bowling.
We have received some questions about the pin carry with string pins. It is reasonably similar to free fall pins, but it does force bowlers to get their bowling balls to shape correctly on the lane. You won't get away with some of the less desirable shots that may carry on free fall pins. For training purposes, that can only be a positive thing. Our primary focus at the training facility is to concentrate on what is happening on the approach, and the 60 feet between the foul line and the head pin; the pin carry shouldn't be of much concern anyway. It is sort of like hitting golf balls on a driving range or into a simulator screen, except much better, because you are bowling on a regulation lane with real oil patterns, exactly as you would in league or tournaments.
7. Who will be maintaining the lanes and pinsetters for you.
At this time, we are handling maintenance of the lanes and pinsetters ourselves. The pinsetters are very low maintenance and do not require a specially trained mechanic (just someone who is not afraid of machines and computers). As far as the lanes and our Flex Walker lane machine are concerned, our whole team flew out to the Kegel Training Center in Florida together for an intensive training course to help us with the daily operations and maintenance routines.
8. What is the lane machine that you are using at the TC.
We have a brand new Kegel Flex Walker with all of the bells and whistles.
9. What does it mean to you, to have your own practice facility. And, not having to go anywhere to practice.
Certainly, there is a level of convenience when it comes to practicing. It sort of feels like we have lanes in our house. Hopefully, even after some really long work days, we will still be motivated to get on the lanes and do some bowling ourselves.
10. What does it mean to you, to own a training center in the western part of the country.
We are beyond excited to be able to bring a facility like this to the Western U.S. and to Arizona, specifically. The Phoenix-metro area is a fantastic destination with so much to do (especially if/when things like MLB Spring Training get back into full swing). The weather is great most of the year - particularly when it isn't so great in other parts of the country. Also, there are so many tournaments in this part of the country. We hope to become a part of the plans that people make then they travel this way for bowling.
11. Where do you hope to draw your business from, and what are your short and long term goals for it.
We would be thrilled to have people visit us from all over the world. We fought very hard to land the location that we are in - just 5 minutes from Sky Harbor Airport and very centrally located in the Phoenix Valley. In addition to the local bowlers and those from the closely surrounding states, we look forward to having visitors from anywhere and everywhere. We put up a huge world map in our facility so that our out-of-town guests can put a pin on the map from their home state or country.
12. What are you offering in terms of instruction, and what are the cost involved.
We will be offering everything from hourly lane rentals, one-on-one lessons, group lessons, clinics/camps, seminars, and a few other educational concepts we are developing. We have several training tools available, including Specto Bowling, Torch XL, Arrow, a three-camera motion analysis system, and a Kegel Flex Walker that can put down any pattern. Specto Bowling, in particular, is an amazing program that can be used and managed by the bowler on a personal device. It is a robust self-teaching tool that gives the bowler instant feedback in the form of hard data and numbers, which the bowler can analyze at a later date and use for comparison purposes over the course of time.
As far as pricing is concerned, a one hour/one lane rental is $40.00 for one person ($20.00 for each additional person on that lane). Specto is $15.00 per lane/per hour, and can be used by multiple people on the same lane. Custom lane pattern requests are an additional $20.00 per lane and must be requested 48 hours in advance. The pricing for lessons, clinics, seminars, etc. is still in the works and will likely vary depending on the particular situation. We are happy to answer any questions about that via phone or email.
13. How long have you been able to keep this under wraps, without spilling the beans.
It was never our specific intention to keep things a secret. However, we faced SO MANY hurdles and setbacks along the way, that it was becoming a little cumbersome to talk about it. We got to a point where we just stopped saying much about it until we got closer to an actual opening date.
14. Now that it is finally open, how does it feel to finally have it opened.
It is completely surreal! For a while, it felt like it was never going to happen. We have been planning for this for 12 years. Every business decision we made was directly related to our ultimate goal of opening this training facility. After being forced to postpone our opening because of COVID-19, we are quite happy to finally be seeing so many friendly faces again.
15. Where are you located, and do you feel you are in a good location.
We are located in Tempe, approximately 5 minutes from Sky Harbor Airport, and right in the center of the Valley. We fought tooth and nail to be able to go into the building we are in because we believe the location is unbeatable. For local patrons, it is perfectly central. For our out-of-town guests, it is right next to the airport. There are 3 hotels within walking distance and many more very close by, and we are practically a stone's throw from several of the restaurant/entertainment districts in the Valley.
16. Now that you are opened, how have things been going.
Things have been going quite well. We are using this time as things slowly start to ramp up to get all of our systems in place and work out the kinks. The bowling community in general seems eager to get back on the lanes and begin competing again. We are excited to be a part of that process and to continue to be able to offer the bowling community a true bowling training facility to perfect their games.
17. What is your ultimate goal for the training center.
Our ultimate goal is to become a world-renowned, international training facility, as well as a venue for manufacturers and industry leaders to interface with bowlers and pro shop operators, alike. With Mike's experience working as a PBA Tour Rep and an International Technical Advisor, he has met people from all over the world and had the opportunity to experience all facets of the bowling industry in many different countries. Everything from pro shop operations, clinics/seminars, competition, coaching, and even drilling bowling balls on site for tournament competitors. All of those experiences, plus owning and operating pro shops for 12 years, coalesced beautifully and allowed us to develop the specific blueprint for our facility.
18. What will it take to reach that goal.
Tenacity, innovation, and a tremendous amount of hard work!
19. How helpful was Cortez during your construction process, and what role will he have with B3.
We had several friends in the bowling community that were very helpful during the construction. Not only were they excellent sounding boards for all of our ideas, but they came and got their hands dirty with us on many occasions. There is a ton of sweat equity in our facility, and we are beyond grateful for all of their contributions during this whole process!
Going forward, we have been in discussions with Cortez Schenck about being one of the main instructors at the facility. He is an unparalleled talent with a tremendous bowling resume, and we would be lucky to have him on our team!
20. The PBA just added two women's teams to its PBA league. Since there is not a women's tour this year, what will this do for the popularity of women's bowling.
It is very exciting that the PBA League added two women's teams. The PWBA has gained real momentum over the last few years, and it is home to some of the fiercest competitors the sport of bowling has ever seen. We were all very heartbroken that the PWBA Tour events were cancelled this year, so this is a great opportunity to keep that momentum going strong and watch great players compete against each other. It is also very cool to have a Phoenix team in the mix!
Q and A was compiled by:
Michael 'Chip' Begg
Managing Editor - thetenpinexpress.com
Director Mesa Metro Association
Arizona Bowling News - June 30, 2020
B3 Performance
(Bowl 300 Pro Shop located inside)
1610 West 12th Place
Tempe, Arizona 85281
(480) 777-5895