humm i know how you feel about leagues. i joined my first one this year. the fall really. i had a 140 avg when i started out but now i hold a 180 to 190 avg without handicap. i now hold first in my league and am bowling a lot better than when i first started out. we have a lot of good people in my league and i think i'm going to stay in this one for a long time. i want to be in more but i cant because of the way i work. if you can get into one that fits the way you live and way you bowl than thats a good league. money comes in some leagues. we play again other leagues at the end of the year for 10,000$$$ for first. but i get 100$$ just for showing up. so it still anit bad. i pay in more but at least i get something. so yeah join when you can and have fun. it does help and you will find some good people out there.

I generally have only played in leagues my entire life. I started when I was 19. I never bowled before and a team at a club where my father bowled needed 2 bowlers so I committed. I averaged 107 that year. The biggest thing to joining a league is to understand what you are getting in to. Let the team know what kind of bowler you are. As for me I always take on new bowlers. This year I took my neice's boyfreind and he averaged 88 this season. To me I didn't care because he showed up every week. That is what I look for in a bowler. Somebody who is dependable and has a good attitude about our sport. I want to win as much as the next person does but i never pass up a player just because he hasn't played before. This year a competing team brought in a new player. This guy supposedly averages 222 at a local bowling establishment. He was an embarrasment to our league and I have told the captain that he was not allowed back. At the end of one match he was so upset with his score that he began thowing his bowling bag around and kicking chairs over and this was occuring while there were still bolwers finishing their set. Then at the championship match after throwing 2 decent games he got a solid 10 after a nice pocket hit in the first frame on the last game, he missed the pin and I could see what was about to happen, the next frame he threw in high and got a split, the third frame he throws 30 MPH and misses right, then he starts going off on how horrible the conditions are. I say to him you just bowled a 175 and a 190, your average is 177 the lanes didn't magically break down that much. By the fifth frame he is all open and kicking stuff and banging lockers. "He then tells his team who are now tied for the championship match that "its over....We lost" then everytime the opposing team would get a lucky break he would screams " theres another gift from the heavens". His entire team collapsed around him and they threw back the 80 pin lead they had going into the last game plus another 100.
In my neighborhood 2 lanes in social clubs were and still are the thing. we have bowlers of all ages, and race. We have some very good bowlers, and some not so good bowlers, but the one thing I will not tolerate in our league is somebody that ruins the game for everyone. If you are that bowler then I would say never is a good time to join a league.

I have always bowled in leagues, it seems. I started in Junior bowling probably when I was 8-9 on Saturday mornings. Went to High School and was on the School team. When I got out of High School, I bowled in College, and started in a mixed league on Saturday Night. That was a dumb move, being of dating age. I missed quite a few nights. From there on, It was men's leagues, and competitive travel teams.

I always bowled extra for practice. But, to me, practice had a purpose, and was not just for fun.

So, I guess, I never really bowled recreationally, unless there was a pot of money on the table.

There really isn't any better time to join a league over another. You join what you feel comfortable with. If it is Social, Men's or Women's only, or competitive, you have options. Pick the one that best fits, and join.

Join a fall league. As others have said, form your own team with friends or just show up and be put on a team. You will be able to pick up tips from others just by watching. You will get better as the league goes along. Don't worry about the high rollers, just enjoy yourself. But by all means, know the rules of the league.............both written and unwritten.

jump in like i did. had only bowled a few times prior, then bowled 3 games with friends, joined the team, and the next season we won the league!

it starts out as fun, then you learn the game, then it's work, then you start to use what you learned about the game, and it's fun again!

plus you meet sooooo many people, get out there and bowl!

I started bowling "leagues" in college when my friends were also in it. The way it was set up was that the best two teams from each league would face each other at the end of the season in scratch games. Needless to say, it was hard for our team (beginners) to compete against teams that were more experienced, but we did come in second one season.

Then shortly after that, my coworker in my part time job needed another bowler and I happily joined. It was the best experience of my life. I met a lot of great people and a lot of good bowlers.

After my few years hiatus from bowling, I signed up league at work. It has a mix of bowlers from people that never bowled before to experienced veterans. Needless to say, it wasn't too competitive but it got me back into bowling shape.

Now after joining the summer league in my local bowling alley, I signed up for the winter and learning as I go.

The ultimate question that you have to ask yourself is if you are willing to dedicate yourself every week. Joining a league is a commitment and if you cannot guarantee that you can do it, you better find some friends that might be able to sub in for you from time to time.

A good attitude is the best way to go as Tonyj mentioned in his story. You will be surprise how fast the team morale drops and instead of leading by a lot, you find yourself in a hole and trying to play catch up.

Try talking to the operators in your bowling establishment and see what they recommend.

Good luck!

My advice is, join a league when you're ready to pay the fee and show up every week. Fall leagues usually run 36 weeks, so that's a fairly significant commitment.

Leagues are (generally) organized by the house, so head down to your local bowling centre and ask what they offer. They'll probably even know which leagues have spots open.

Whenever you want or feel ready. Honestly, bowling is about one thing (and if say your average here, you should be punched), fun. It is just like any other sport, you have to have fun first. The cool thing about leagues is that you'll more often than not have fun but end up in a league with some pretty good bowlers that can help your game.

If your question is how do you know when to join a more competitive league? Again that's up to you and if you think you can handle the competitive pressure. Regardless you should still have fun.

I hate to say it but the average thing is so overrated.

You can basically join most league except for the competitive one that may or may not have a current average that you must have to join the league.

For starter. You should join a fun league because its easy to know people and nobody care too much about your average or what you are bowling. Most fun leagues are not sanction which means it does not require you to purchase a bowling membership to bowl. Its for fun and does not count toward anything to be record for tournament play or having a establish average in the book.

If you're a competitive person. Then a competitive league will do you fine and you can learn as you go to improve but if you invest your money later on in the season or during the following summer into coaching or a ball or shoes. It can be rewarding for a beginner. Most competitive leagues are sanction which you are require to paid for a membership fee to keep record of your average and verify that you are not cheating yourself or others with an average that you are capable of bowling. In other words, its just a bragging right in my opinion.

If you are concerns about your score or your average then you're not ready to join a league.

If you are excited, pump, interest, open mind to going bowling once a week at the same time, same place and paying the same money for 35 weeks. Then you are ready to join a league.

By the way, average is one thing but bowling well and having a good time thru the ups and downs is more entertaining then being focus on a number.

Enjoy the season.

I started bowling in a league when I was about 8 years old, doing youth bowling. When the house I bowled at closed down, I found another youth league at another house. I gave it up when I was about 16, after being on the high school team for one year. Other commitments at school (ahem, marching band) became too much, and something had to give.

I just signed up for my first league since then, and it starts next week. I haven't league bowled in 10 years. I'm certainly not going to be spectacular. But I don't care. Would I like to win??? Sure. But, more importantly, I have a place I can go once a week, hang out with a friend of mine, meet some new people, and bowl a few games. For me, that is what it's about. Have a beer, have some laughs, and roll some balls. Anything else would be icing on the cake.