Last question, I promise.

I want to join a practice league at my local bowling alley, but I'm finding it hard to convince 3 other people around me to shell out $15 a week to join.

Forgive me if I'm a total n00b.

Years ago, when I got back into bowling I just walked into my local bowling alley with my ball and shoes and asked if anyone needed a guy. I was hooked up with a team, and I'm still with them today.
There is almost always some team that needs a bowler. Just go in and ask.

Most of the time, even if there is not a team that is missing someone you can usually sub for a missing bowler. I'm in the same boat myself. Most of the people that I use to bowl with are either not bowling anymore or have moved away.

I did that when I got out of college and moved out of my folks house to Chicago. It got my foot in the door. Just go in with a good attitude, you should be fine.

When I was in college, I was the only guy I knew that liked to bowl. I called one of the local centers to see if a team needed a bowler, and I was placed on a team. The guys I was placed with were a great group of guys, and we bowled together for the last two years I was at that college.

Like GP said, if you go in with a good attitude, you should be ok. If you find yourself bowling with people you don't get along with, well, that happens. You'll just have to grin and bear it. Use the time bowling against other people to "feel them out" if you find that you might want to switch teams.

I got on my first league by just going in on opening night for the season and seeing who was short a teamate. Second league I got on because I was subbing, and subbed about 3 weeks in a row for the same team then they asked me to join them.

I've joined most of the leagues I've been on by myself, which has been about 8-10 now. I think there was only one time that I didn't and it was still just me and 1 other guy. Anyhow, I've never been turned down. Just ask for the league president or maybe the secretary and ask if anyone needs another body.

If there are individual openings in a league, and they cannot be filled by the team, there is usually a waiting list at the front desk.

I joined 1 league that way, and had a new bowler added to my team last year.

The disadvantage is not knowing the personalities you will spend a few hours a week with. Sometimes you just don't mesh. It may be a risk.

There are usually teams that needs a player or two. Just call your local bowling alley and find out which league would fit you and which may need some players. That's how I got on my current team. I sat in on the league meeting and a team asked if I wanted to join them since they were short a player. There was also another team that had asked me to join them, but I had already committed to the first group that had asked me. Things turned out real well and our team is one of the top teams in the league. I was fortunate that I didn't join the second team that had asked, because it turns out they are a real bunch of characters.

I seen a lot of bowler do that come in and join a league. I think front desk does have list of team and leagues that have openings. I seen a couple join out league last week because two memeber of one of our teams in our league droped out. They showed up looking to bowl and it happened they had openings.

the two places i bowl in usually have a sign up sheet taped to the desk that list what leagues are coming up, how many are needed per team, and a spot to 'sign' in if you're willing to bowl, but have no team mates. if nothing else, ask at the desk what's coming up, and who to contact about getting involved.