Bowling keeps rolling alone for lane owner

Marie Lirette never intended to be an entrepreneur at the age of 16 when she began working at what was then the 1-year-old East Side Bowl at Tunnel Boulevard and Grand Caillou Road in Houma.

Nearly 36 years later she cannot believe that it has already been two decades since her husband, Terry n the couple met while he was working in the establishment’s pro shop n and she were offered an opportunity to take over what was at the time a 16-lane bowling alley in a small shopping center.

Lirette purchased the entire property. Walls that had separated a chiropractor’s office, beauty salon and gym were removed, and an additional eight lanes were added to the bowling alley. The pro shop, locker room and snack bar were expanded, and a lounge was added to increase the business space to 37,500 square feet.

Bowl South La., however, is not about the real estate. It is about patrons who love the sport and have built relationships among themselves as a community.

“It is like a family,” Lirette said. “We have people bowling here that I grew up with, people who were bowling when I was a kid and now their kids bowl.”

Bowling has changed from the days of employing manual pinsetters. All-in-one lane stripping and oiling machines have replaced hand waxing.

Yet, while some bowling alleys have added laser lights and gimmicks to attract casual customers looking for easy entertainment that is different from another night of playing Internet fantasy games, Bowl South La. patrons contend they have remained purists to bowling. Roll the ball, hit the pins, keep score and improve against one’s best score.

At the same time, bowling has posted a significant decline in participation during the past decade. The U.S. Bowling Congress noted in August 2011 that between 2008 and 2010, USBC membership and bowling ball sales declined 95 percent.

“It is down and a lot has to do with the economy.” Lirette said. “People don’t have the money to spend on it, or they are busy working and don’t have the time.”

Lirette also noted, on the other hand, that serious bowlers continue to participate in league competition as well as personal time on the lanes.

Bowl South La. hosts nine USBC sanctioned leagues during the week and two youth bowling leagues and seasons.

Lirette praised the Terrebonne Parish School District for having started competitive high school bowling among students, which has offered promise in the sport’s future based on the level of first year participation. Bowl South La. is home lane for both Ellender Memorial High School and South Terrebonne High School.

“Thank goodness high school bowling has come to this parish,” Lirette said. “That is something I was working on for eight years. It has given a kick-start to interest in the game and gets kids involved in sports that might not be football players or basketball players. That is what I love about this sport, everyone can bowl.”

Youth bowling particularly has gained support locally, not only among regular bowlers. Business owners have come forward to help sponsor teams and encourage physical and social activity.

D&E Machine owner Wayne Thibodeaux sponsors one of the youth leagues and views his financial contribution as an investment in the community at large. “It helps the parents and helps the kids,” he said. “If the kids get into bowling they won’t be on the streets.”

“It is tough for people to pay for their kids to be in activities,” Lirette said. “So I get area businesses to help.”

While wanting to offer opportunities for a wide range of patrons, this business owner also stressed her desire to support personal choice and individual responsibility.

The greatest career challenge for Lirette came along those lines in 2007, when the state government attempted to force her business to comply with no smoking regulations for places open to the public.

“I was frustrated with the government telling me we have to change the way we do business,” Lirette said. “For me it is not a matter of smoking or not smoking. It is about being told by the government what I cannot allow.”

Reluctantly, Lirette adopted her one option to get around the new anti-smoking laws.

That was to charge a $1 a year membership fee. “I hated doing that,” she said. “Yes, I have lost some customers because of my choice and we gained customers, but that is not how I wanted to do business. There is not a lot of stuff I feel that passionate about, just God, my family and my business.”

Lirette said the community of bowling is unique among sports fans. In this location, for example, some participants know more about one another than their own game performance.

They know what people do for a living, about their families and what is going on in their lives away from the lanes.

For bowlers it is not simply about business or entertainment n it is about coming together with common interests.

“This was not my plan,” Lirette said. “This is God’s plan. I didn’t intend for this to happen, but I love it. The last couple of years have been tough, but we have been blessed.”

Marie Lirette of Bowl South La. says she never thought she would become a business owner, but as the years rolled on so did her opportunities and now she hosts keglers that she considers to be family more than customers. MIKE NIXON