It's Easter Time

For a lot of Canada, Easter is the bowling world can only mean one thing, time for some great bowling. While there always seems to be a lot of debate on rules, possible improvements and costs, it's always an opportunity to see some amazing bowling take place.

I'd like to take this time to wish every competitor good luck and good bowling this coming week, and to congratulate those who have already qualified for the National event held in Gatineau Quebec.

I would also like to point out some new features that the O5PBA has done this year for the Ontario Open. One big and exciting feature will be the addition of live streaming happening during the tournament, which will be found on the O5 site. This will be a great new feature for the Ontario Open and will allow a much bigger audience to watch some great bowlers play their way to Provincial champions.

A second great new feature deals with our youths. A big step has been taken in showing our youth bowlers out there exactly what level of bowling awaits to test their abilities in the future. The O5PBA is now allowing YBC bowlers free admission to the Open when they show their YBC card at the doors. For the YBC bowlers out there that have the time and opportunity to check out this event, I highly recommend that you do. I was lucky enough to grow up a couple of blocks from Sherwood, allowing me to watch, work and witness somme amazing bowling. There's no doubt that watching every Easter fueled a fire inside me, wanting me to make myself good enough to compete at the highest level.

In closing, I would like to once again wish all those competing luck, and may some great stories take place across the county. I would also like to stop and step back and say that while so many bowlers return year after year to compete, we should all be grateful in being able to bowl in this prestigious event. So many great athletes never get the chance to compete at a provincial showcase in their sport and I think that the accomplishment of doing so sometimes gets lost in the mix. Life takes us on some paths that might sometime limit the opportunities to do so, and we don't generally stop to think about what we're accomplishing until our time in the spotlight has ended. Good luck everyone.

Jeff Young