JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- The decision to use World Wrestling Entertainment as the theme for this year’s Air Force Services Activity’s Summer Bowling League was easy, said Dustin Schmidt, Air Force Bowling Program Manager.
“We worked with our bowling center managers and Leading Edge Promotions to determine the theme that potentially adds the most excitement and interest from our installation members while carefully selecting the most popular themes and programming at our disposal,” Schmidt said. “We chose WWE as our programming gem to bring excitement to our bowling centers this summer.”
WWE is a unique hybrid of athleticism and entertainment that reaches more than 650 million homes globally. It also has a strong commitment to the Armed Forces. Since 2003, WWE members have traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to entertain Airmen and other service members as part of its annual “Tribute to the Troops.”
In terms of building and sustaining ready and resilient Airmen, “we have created a fun, healthy and competitive activity for our Airmen that provides positive social interaction,” said Jon Grammer, AFSVA director of programs. “Bowling is a lifetime sport that appeals to many demographic segments.”
The league begins in May and lasts 12 weeks.
“Bowlers can join a team or the bowling center managers will be happy to find them a spot on a team,” Schmidt added.
This year, participants will receive a licensed WWE bowling ball or pin. The league champions from each category of bowling center — category B (16 lanes or less) and category C (more than 16 lanes) — that signs up the most participants per lane receive an all-expense paid trip to the 2017 WWE Survivor Series Nov. 19 at the Toyota Center in Houston.
As an added bonus, AFSVA will conduct a random drawing to determine the third team from all participating bowling centers to attend the Survivor Series event.
Last year, 39 installations and 940 bowlers participated in a “Walking Dead” league promotion exclusive to the Armed Forces. The league winners from Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico; Hill AFB, Utah; and Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, went on a “Walker Stalker” cruise Feb. 3-6 that departed from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.
“This year, our goals are to have 45 installations and more than 1,000 bowlers participate,” Schmidt said.
Click here for more information on the AFSVA Summer Bowling League.