Five Reasons You Should Join a League

Maybe you’ve knocked over some pins in your time, maybe the closest you’ve ever come to a strike is a union meeting. Either way, there’s lots to love about joining a bowling league team at your local ZONE venue. Whether it’s just you, or you have up to five friends also keen to hit the lanes, any number is perfect for league bowling. Recruit more, and you could split into two even groups for some serious rivalry. So why not start the year off right, get fit, make some friends and get bowling.

First, some history…

Did you know, the first evidence of primitive bowling was found in the grave of an Egyptian boy from the Protodynastic Period, around 3200BC? That makes it a whopping 5000 years old – older than Ancient Greek pursuits of wrestling and discus throw.

Fun with a capital ZONE

Whether you sign up to keep active, find something to do on a Wednesday night, or just meet some new people, joining a ZONE BOWLING league is guaranteed fun. Join the bowling community and turn your weekly sport into an opportunity to catch up with friends – hopefully while improving that handicap!

Bringing it home

ZONE is the home of league bowling. With 43 locations and a growing group of modern and refurbished centres, if you’re keen on knocking over some pins, ZONE is the place to do it. The New Year is a particularly good time to do so and tick off those resolutions – get fit, be more social, achieve better work/life balance – in one fell swoop. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned bowler or a complete newbie. As Sean Murphy, League Champion NSW North region says, “Everyone can do it – every skill level has the opportunity to play. People shouldn’t be too intimidated or think they’re not good enough for league bowling. No matter the skill level, there’s great competition.”

Lower stress

In a review from the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity in 2013, Federation University found that team-based or club-based sport, more so than individual than individual forms of physical activity, was linked with improved wellbeing, decreased stress and better health outcomes[A1] . Which all adds up to some serious benefits flowing from signing up to a league.

Help your heart

Studies show that loneliness can be linked to a whole host of health issues, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and depression[A2] . In fact, those who are socially isolated have an up to 50 per cent increased risk of early death[A3] . The simple way to dodge a lonely life: join a bowling league.

Murphy joined when he was just 12 years old and champions the social aspect of the sport, which people of any ability can participate in. “Obviously it’s a very widely participated sport,” he says. “Anyone can do it. We have kids bowling in leagues; we see 180 disability bowlers on Saturday mornings, plus of course adult leagues in the evenings.”

So getting fit, making friends and living longer – do you need another reason? Sign up today!