Everyone (including the EMS Bowling Team) loves to go and play bowling for fun. This sport has been going on for about five thousand years and everyone loves it. Today I am going to talk about the history of bowling and why I love it so much!

Bowling started way back with the Ancient Egyptians all the way in 3200 BC. There is proof that a form of bowling was in vogue in England in 1366, when King Edward III allegedly outlawed it to keep his troops focused on archery practice. And it is almost certain that bowling was popular during the reign of King Henry VIII also. 

The first rubber bowling ball got sold in the markets in 1905 until they had made a rubberized plastic compound made specifically for bowling balls. The compound that they used was Mineralite. Mineralite is “a cement based final render coat, finished to expose a variety of durable aggregates including granite and glass. It is supplied as a blend of dry materials which requires only the addition of clean water to provide, when finished, a highly durable rendered surface”(Mineralite). Why in the world was bowling invented? Well, modern bowling was invented by British anthropologist, Sir Flinders Petrie, in 1934. There were bowling clubs back then, just like today.  

The whole point of the game is to knock down 10 pins in a frame (two tries to knock down the pins). If you do, then that is called a STRIKE! If you didn’t get all 10 with the first ball, but you get the rest with the second ball that is called a spare. Spares and strikes help you win and get you more points within the game.

Today, bowling is that sport that people play in leagues and just for fun with friends and family. This is the history of bowling and hopefully you will get into it and start playing!  

To try bowling in Emporia, check here:

http://www.flinthillslanes.com/