Damn Team Drama 101

[Sin City Hammer]

When I joined the league(which has been around for 29 years, and 9 of the teams have been around since the beginning) I was hoping not to use some people from the team I was on during the summer league, but had no choice but to so I could have a full 5 people in this mixed league. The league now is 14 teams.

I knew there would be drama followed by excuses and even some lies in there somewhere, but figured that they would deal with it and we would be competitive. We started off strong and for the first 3-4 weeks in first place making over 1000+ score each game over that time, since then it's just gone down hill, and we fell into 6 place as of last night when ONCE AGAIN the rest of the team didn't show up for the 2nd week in a row, and this time didnt even bother calling either the league officials/the front desk/or myself.

Last night was week #10 if I remember correctly, and we already had the makeup games from last week to deal with. But, leading up to the past few weeks, I've had to deal with lack of being competitive because they got fathead.com thinking we as a team would take 3of 4 easy enough.

Which at that time maybe we could, since we had a 235 average bowler/a 190+ bowler/a 145+ bowler/a 130+ bowler (myself)/and a 109 average bowler. But then without notice, the 235 guy said that he would be gone for 2 weeks, but then never came back and didn't give any reason or notice of it either.

Which pissed me off highly, because of not being told why, but figured it was because of the anchor guy and some of the crap that was going around with him, but guess I'll never know. Then between all that happening, they start bring their family drama to the league with them, and granted I've known them all for about 5-6 years, I told them before the league starts to keep the family drama outside the bowling alley, because I'm here to be competitive/win some games/and increase my average from the summer league (which was my first league in over 7 years being in).

Anyway, during all this the husband and wife was getting behind in making their league fees, and 3 weeks ago when the sweeper trip to CA was taking place, they was already 3 weeks behind and I had been telling them that they need to get that caught up quickly since there was a 2 week rule within the league that if your more than 2 weeks, you don't bowl period.

Well, they bowled the sweepers and still didnt catch up on the league fees, I didn't go to the sweepers at all, because they wanted to bring the 2 year old pepsi addict and the 5-6 month old who is much better acting than the other one by far, and I didnt want to go 4+ hours in a car with all that crying going on.

Then last 2 weeks, and they don't even show up or call, so the league put me on a new team last night which is only in 8th place, and lost 3 people from it last night, and the sub that we had said he would join the team and bring in 2 other people for a full team.

My family is suprised I wasn't drinking during all this.

[Rowdy]

Wheeeeee!!!!!! Ain't teams fun? And everyone wonders why I have to be carried kicking and screaming to a team league. It's not me I'm worried about,it's all those other pinheads that think they're either A)Good enough to roll and get pissed when I'm 100 pins ahead by the 5th frame,or 2)Think they can go 36 weeks without watching "American Idol" or whatever drivel is on the tube that night. Give me a singles league anytime. And the USBC can't figure out why team bowling is going down the porcelin throne.

[Stampy79]

You know, this is just my opinion, but the USBC frowns very much on people dropping out of leagues for no reason and no advanced notice. It has been done a few times here in the last 2 years, but you can have them banned from USBC competition if you file a complaint. They are required to give at least 2 weeks notice and are responsible for the funds for those two weeks ! Up to you, but many in our area are real tired of it !

[Rowdy]

Stampy you can't make someone bowl. So you file with the USBC,big deal. The person will still get a card the next season. If someone is unhappy,I don't want them or their problems on my team. This is why I hate team bowling unless I KNOW all the other bowlers. People you don't know bring too damn much baggage with them in the form of expectations on what they want the league to be. I have seen a woman pitch a fit on the approach at the whole league because of some percieved slight against a member of her family WHO DIDN'T BOWL. Give me a break. People come into a league and want to change things because "That's the way we did it up north",Well,I-95 is right over there and make sure you use the right ramp to go back to where you came from,Dude. 150 bowlers want it one way,but ONE guy holds everything up because he's not happy. Boo-freakin'-Hoo. Either bowl or go home.

[Sin City Hammer]

I brought it up with the president and treasurer last night, and they will be recieving a letter in the mail from them telling them that they have in fact been kicked out of the league and that until all the league fees have been paid in full, that they can't even bowl in any other league. Because the hubby bowls at sam's town casino, and is someone who knows everything.

And same will go for the other person who left without even saying anything to anyone. The real suckass thing, is that this crap makes me look bad because I'm the one who found this great league and make all the effort to contact the people in charge so I could bowl in it.

And because of the closeness of the people in the league or the original 8-9 teams, they all know about what's going on, and in turn I have been left out so to say. It's already tough to try and fit in as a new person to the league as it is, but when you add this kind of crap to it, and being the captain not by choice as well, it's just that much more difficult.

I have some people asking me what's going on with my team, and I tell them the truth since I have no reason to lie or try to hide the truth from them. And because of how bad it has been from the start with all their family/personal issues, it has taken the fun from the league for me until last night.

The real crappy thing is that the league itself would be out of the money that the rest of the team owes (except for one person who's caught up except for the last 2 weeks they didn't show up) if the team was to fold.

Like I told the league people, I'd like to get away from that team and stay with the one I bowled with last night even though it's 2 places down from where my original team is for the moment, and try to help them get the money that is owed to them from at least the hubby/wife since that the worst part of it.

And I did plan on bowling without them next season anyway because of this drama crap.

With them my average was a 127 with constant distractions and other crap, without them I had a 157/175/156 and best series for this league, besides actually having alot of fun for once as well.

[TenPinSniper]

Team drama sucks, when you find good team mates it worth the fight to keep the team together. Kinda know the feeling... had a guy pay his league fees but miss because of injuries and not wanting to show. tried to blame more of it on the injuries when we brought it up. But once you make it to bowling 3 times in a month after surgery then you shouldn't be missing every other week after that, you made a commitent. I could go on here but whats the point.

My current team is pretty good, we have fun most of the time.

[Rowdy]

Hey Sin,it's not your fault that those people bailed on the league. You've been upfront with everyone and explained whats going on,so I don't see a
where you should have a problem with them. Since they put you with another team tells me that they don't want you to leave,take that as a positive sign of your standing with them. The fact that your scores have gone up now that you're free of the team drama should make you feel better about the direction you're headed. Now you can concentrate on your bowling and leave the team headaches to someone else.

[steelr43]

to your problem Sin. My Friday night league is finished after this year. People either don't show up, don't roll off. Or if they do show up, they don't pay thier dues, but still drink in the bar. They know the rule about getting too far behind (2 weeks) in dues. But when I suggest that we make the league mixed just to have enough people to have a league, people are against it. So, what I told them was that if someone else wants to run the league next year, they can have the headache. I ran this league last year for the first time and it was smooth going. This year, everyone is acting like they are in Kindergarten. My brother is going to bowl in regionals next year to get more serious, so he's gone. I am bowling in a more serious men's league and am taking 2-3 others with me. I only bowl in this league because it fits in with my work schedule, but next year I'll figure something out. Counting down the weeks until the season's over, and the headache goes away.