Alyice on June 26th, 2008

Sport Bowl Sioux Falls

Avoiding the heat and getting out of the rain is easy thanks to Sport Bowl in Sioux Falls. I must have passed by Sport Bowl a hundred times since my mother-in-law moved towards old downtown Sioux Falls but I never gave it a second thought until last week. The kids and I wanted to get out of the house. We wanted something different to do and we wanted it to be “cheap”. So we decided to give Sport Bowl a try.

Upon entering the facility there is a hint of cigarette smoke lingering in the air, but thanks to the ventilation it’s not enough to send my allergies into an attack. Off to the left is a Pro Shop where one can buy a beginner’s bowling kit for just $99.95—something I plan on getting if we decide to make this a regular habit as my fingers are too fat for the ten pound bowling balls—and on the immediate right are vending machines for drinks and candies. A few steps further has you choosing between the small diner on the right or the pool parlor on the left. Straight ahead are the bowling lanes.

On the first visit, we opted for bowling. The prices were pretty reasonable, too. $1.50 for shoe rentals—which my daughter firmly told me grossed her out and if we were to make this a regular thing, she’d need her own pair of shoes—and $2.50 per person, per game.

I must admit that I am a rather poor bowler. For starters, my fingers have always been on the chubby side (even when I weighed in at 120 pounds) so they don’t fit in bowling balls that I can actually lift with ease. Second, playing once a year doesn’t allow for improved skills. And third, I have a natural tendency to twist my arm as I throw the ball down the lane.

You should see me bowl. It’s quite comical. My form is poor and my balls seem to have a mind of their own. Sometimes my fingers get stuck in the ball causing me to fight for a release, other times the ball simply plops right out of my hand making a little thump sounds as it bounces a time or two before finally rolling down the lane, and then there are my gutter balls. I have more gutter balls than one person should be allowed. And yet, I have fun. I get really excited when I actually knock down more than two pins and my kids don’t seem too embarrassed by my little victory dance.

On our second visit, we opted for shooting pool and at just $5 per hour, per table, it was a steal! The pool tables and pool sticks did look a little beaten, but aside from looks they seemed in top shape.

Honestly, I’m no better at pool than I am at bowling. My son thought he was better off choosing me over his younger sister as a partner—boy was he mistaken! Not only did nearly every turn result in hitting the white ball into a pocket, but I cost us the game once by hitting in the eight ball. My daughter, my son, and my husband can “play them some pool” so it was no surprise that after the second game, I was asked to sit out so they could play “Cut Throat”. Honestly, I didn’t mind. It was fun just to be there as a family and I really did enjoy them succeeding at something I have yet to master—even got a kick out of their jump shots.

As for the arcade Sport Bowl touts…I’d pass. There are only a handful of games. You’re better off taking a drive to Dave & Buster’s in Omaha, Nebraska and making a day of it.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive family outing and can get out during the day—before the evening crowd of smokers and drinkers arrive—it’s worth the trip! They open at nine in the morning and close sometime after eleven in the evening. Visit Sport Bowl online (http://www.siouxfallssportbowl.com) for more information or drive to 1901 Burnside, Sioux Falls, SD or call 605-336-6063.

Until next time…

SD Transplant | Comment | Bookmark |

Comments (2)

Follow this Discussion: RSS Feed 2.0

Suzan Buckner says:
Ahhh..this post brings back memories: raising my child alone, she and I went bowling often. It was cheap and we had a load of fun!

Thank you for visiting my blog, and commenting! Hope you come back!
Suzan
Posted at 12:34 am June 27th, 2008
Alyice says:
Hey Suzan, definitely will be back to your blog. Have it bookmarked! My mom raised us alone, too. But she didn’t have time or money to take us bowling or things like that when we were younger. I remember as a young adult her playing on a tournament with her work every Thanksgiving season. If they got a Turkey (three strikes in a row) they got to take home a HUGE turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. I am so glad you could do it with your daughter when she was younger! These moments are just far too precious to not be able to.
Posted at 12:43 am June 27th, 2008