“Bowling is the perfect weekend sport. You can be with your friends and drink beer and still get a little exercise in.” – Stephanie Astor, 23, Oak Lawn, frequents the Arena Bowl, also in Oak Lawn
“Bowling is harder than you think. It takes a lot of concentration. It’s more than just going up and knocking the pins down. You have to know where to throw the ball.” – Maureen Stenson, a senior on the Reavis High School bowling team
“It’s simple why everyone bowls. It’s because everybody can do it. Parents can do it with their kids and turn it into a family outing. That’s why the popularity has increased.” – Linda Scaletta, Chicago Metropolitan Junior Bowling Congress executive secretary
“The sport is still popular, but there’s been a thinning out of a lot of bowling centers in the city. At least three centers in my area have been closed in the last three years. The main reason they closed is they got offers to sell (for real estate development) and the deal was so good they couldn’t pass it up.” – Bill Bard, owner of the Arena Bowl, Oak Lawn, for the past 29 years
