Salena Zito: Who in America Is Bowling Alone?

SOMERSET (PA) — Althea Shaw’s wide smile is the first thing that you will notice when you enter Terrace Lanes on Pennsylvania State Road 31. Customers, both first-timers and regulars, are made to feel welcome by her warm greeting.

“The Sleek Family opened up their doors in November of 1995,” Shaw shared his thoughts with me. “I started exactly one year later, and I have been here ever since. As far as I am concerned, it is the best job I could ever hope for. I get to meet new people all the time, see regulars almost every day, and a lot of the regulars started here with their parents when they were just 3 years old.”

It was noon on New year’s Eve and Terrace Lanes was quickly filling up. Local families piled in with small children, then a group of teens and finally a few young couples. A few small families started to walk in, including the Nobleman-Ridge families who claimed they arrived on a whim. 
“We are all up from Silver Springs, Maryland, for a family ski vacation at the Seven Springs resort 20 miles down the road,” Andrew Nobleman, a federal worker, explained. “We wanted to take the kids to do something different. We were going to bowl at the resort, but they only have three lanes, so we looked to see what was close and found this place.” 

“What was really fascinating to us is when we pulled up to Somerset and how vibrant it is,” He stated. “You read stories where small-town America is struggling, but honestly, they have everything we have back home, and it is way more affordable.”

Three orders of french fries with cheese on top, two pretzels with cheese on top, a nacho platter, and a whole pizza all cost $14. It’s delicious! 

Homer Sleek, owner, stated that he can’t recall a time in his entire life when he wasn’t bowling. 

“My father opened up the first Terrace Lanes in Jerome, Pennsylvania, in 1963,” He stated. “I was 4 years old. I grew up as a bowling alley rat or whatever you want to call it.” He moved from running around the bowling alley, to cleaning it up and dusting the floors. “Back then, it also meant cleaning the ashtrays out,” He said it, laughing.

His father eventually sold the business to Sleek in the late 1980s. Sleek took the business from Jerome (population 1,000) to the The in 1995. “big” Somerset, population 12,000. Robert Putnam, a Harvard professor, wrote the paper in that same year and published a book entitled “Bowling Alone,” A groundbreaking analysis of American life, which illustrated a culture that is not only in the throes if loneliness, but also turning further inward.

Putnam suggested that America’s “social fabric”, that is, the glue of aspiration and dependence that created communities in the country since Alexis de Tocqueville viewed it with wonder, had suffered significant damage. 

He was right. Americans aren’t as involved in certain organizations as they used to be. Fraternal organizations, such as the Lions Club and the Elks Club, don’t have the same level of strong membership as they did in the past. Nor do civic or faith-based groups, such as Knights of Columbus. 

Also, church attendance is falling. Putnam was only scratching the surface in 1995 of what was to follow with loneliness in America. Twenty-seven year later, it has become a serious epidemic in urban areas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 60% of Americans report that they spend less time with their friends, family, or anyone else.

Putnam was also not right 100% of the time. Residents in Somerset, a region that is still experiencing a decline in its population due to the loss of industry are less stuck today than five years ago. This is a slight change from their earlier beliefs that they had to move to achieve success. They are now more open to the idea that they can stay and build a community.

Sleek claimed that there was a moment when he felt the need to leave Somerset and seek out new surroundings. Sleek’s love for bowling and his skills as an alleyrat helped him get there.

“I bowled on the Professional Bowling Association tour in the early ’80s,” He said it to me. “As they say, you want to try to follow your dream to see how it goes. Well, I followed my dream, and I realized I was doing better at home than I was out there.”

Sleek stated that the Terrace Bowling Center is part of a growing industry that has seen bowling boom over the past five years. He currently has 15 adult leagues and a robust junior league for children aged 3-17. There are also birthday, anniversary, work and other parties planned all the time. The alley even hosted an elaborately staged proposal last year. 

“It was hilarious,” Sleek. “He’d come early, and we set everything up. We had to have red pins come down when he proposed to her, and it was pretty neat.” 

The Terrace Bowling Center’s facilities are impeccable, from the hundreds of bowling balls to thousands of different sizes of shoes to the floors and the beautiful flooring. Terrace Bowling Center is very family-friendly, with many staff members in their third generation. 

Many of their regulars bring their kids to bowl with them. Jeremy Rogers, a late-teenager, started bowling when he turned five. He then passed this tradition on to Brayden, who was five when Jeremy began. Brayden, now 14, is an accomplished bowler who was involved in the Terrace bowling league and took part in last year’s Youth No-Tap Tournament. 

Bowling is a sport that you can pick up at three, 33, or ninety-three years old. After joining a league, you’ll find new friends and a deeper sense of community. This will help you feel purposeful and less lonely. 

“Bowling remains the largest participation sport in the world,” Rogers. “Walk in here just about any hour of the day, and there are families. There’s friends always in here, bowling. If you don’t know a soul or even know how to bowl when you walk in, by the time you leave, you don’t ever have to be alone again.” 

In the United States, there are nearly 70 million bowlers. Nearly 1.2million of them participate regularly in league play which is accredited by the United States Bowling Congress. 

Bowlero Corporation, the largest bowling center owner and operator in the world, announced Monday that it has generated more than $1 billion in revenue. This is a record year due to strong demand. The company owns more than 325 bowling centres in North America and added 40 additional bowling facilities last year. 

Tom Maraffa, Youngstown State University geography professor emeritus, stated that Somerset and other small towns often are described in terms of the declining population as a result of industrial decline. It might be worthwhile to explore the issue of population erosion in a different way.

“Maybe the Somersets of the country’s peak was an artificial measurement of who they are,” He stated. “Perhaps Somerset’s natural size is the one it has now. And if so, maybe we examine community here differently.”

Rogers explained that he moved to Somerset with his family from Philadelphia’s larger eastern collar areas. This was partly due to Somerset’s size, a job offer (he works in logistics), but also because he felt connected to the local community. “This is a really nice, tight-knit community,” He stated. “We fit in and felt welcome immediately.

 “Bowling is also possible” he deadpanned. “When you bowl, you will never be alone.”