The local association would like to congratulate Marty Sanders, Charlie Yott, and Nick Stein for their induction into the Windsor-Essex Chatham-Kent Bowling Association Hall of Fame during our Annual Awards Banquet on Sunday November 13, 2016.

Marty Sanders, was inducted in the category Superior Performance. Marty started bowling in an adult league in 1992 in the Sunday morning CAW league. Joe Mancinone indicated that it has been 20 plus years of bowling and you can still see the love of bowling in Marty. Joe remembers talking to Marty on many occasions after work in the Chrysler parking lot discussing bowling. He remembered Marty’s first 300 and his first 800 series.

Marty has a composite average of 212.30. He has bowled twenty 300 games and eight 800 series with the highest being 834. He has made the All-Star team 11 times. For the 2014-2015 season Marty was Bowler of the Year. Marty tied for the Provincial High Average of 238 for the 2014-2015 season. Marty has had 3 top 5 finishes in the Molson Masters Tournament. He was also a member of a team that broke the Canadian record for a five-man team singles score.

Marty wanted to thank his father for deciding to put him in bowling instead of hockey and his mom for giving him that push to get back into bowling after taking a year off for school.

Marty indicated that his wife Lauren has been very supportive from the day they met. He believes that bowling can give you highs and lows from the 300 game in Hamtramck to a split in the 10th frame of the Molson’s. Marty learned something and that is to have fun, “The people that support me, all the high fives and the go daddy go chants. To finding pictures and notes that are slipped into my bowling bag. That is what is important. It doesn’t matter if I shoot 800 or 500. Coming home and seeing my 2 girls is like shooting 900 every night.”

Charlie Yott, was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Star of Yesteryear. Charlie has been a proud member of the WECKBA for 41 years. He started bowling in adult leagues when he was only 15 years old at the Brunner Mond Club, a private 4 lane house in Amherstburg. When he was 16, he had averages between 175-185 back in the mid 1970’s when there were maybe 2 people carrying 200 plus averages in the whole county. He then moved to Four Seasons Bowl in Amherstburg for numerous years while carrying an average ranging from 190 to 205. When Four Seasons closed, he continued to bowl in the county in McGregor where he carried one of the top two averages from 200-214. It was not until later in his career that he started bowling in Windsor at the Super Bowl. He has had a 200+ average for 18 years now. Charlie said, “I have always prided myself on being the kind of person that everyone enjoys bowling with or against while still being very competitive”. He has always been a very good sport and a great ambassador of the sport. He made the second all-star team in 2007 with an average of 222. He made the senior all-star team this past year averaging 223 with 3 sanctioned 300’s, a 299 game and an 11 in a row. In February 2016 Charlie won the 2016 Senior Division Molson Master’s tournament.

Charlie indicated that it has been a long road from the 4 lanes at the Brunner Mond Club in Amherstburg where his mentor Norv Bertrand first taught him to bowl. He said he bowled many years in the county, but it wasn’t until he started bowling at Super Bowl that he felt he belonged. Charlie said the boys over there, some of the best up and coming bowlers, welcomed this old guy into their group: Jason, Robby C, and Dave Thomas gave me the confidence in myself to succeed at the game. Charlie wanted to thank his wife Barb to whom he has been married for 35 years. Barb has always supported his love of the game. Charlie said, “She is always with me when I bowl and that makes me better.” Charlie indicated he loves this game, and if there is a word of advice that he I can give to all the young bowlers coming up is simply “ENJOY, HAVE FUN, you can still be competitive and be a good sport while playing this great game.” Charlie has bowled in many leagues and tournaments over the years so his hard work and diligence has finally paid off.

Nick Stein, was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service. Being inducted in this category shows a true passion and love for the game and the community. Nick has been a proud member of the WECKBA for more than 45 years. It was Nick Stein’s father, Tony, who introduced his sons to bowling. His father came to Canada from Europe in 1930 and his first job was at Windsor Recreation Bowling alley. He later worked at Palace Recreation. He hired all 3 sons to work as pin-setters. Don and Jerry started in the 1950’s and Nick in the 1960’s. Nick indicated it was great pay, 10 cents a game for 10 pin and 5 cents for 5 pin.

Nick wanted to give his thanks to the late Moe Parent and Tom Hannan from Molson Masters who asked him to be the tournament director of Molson Masters starting in 1985. He has been at the helm as director for 32 years and still runs the tournament as the director today.

Nick indicated that he thinks that his involvement with the Molson tournament is the main reason he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Nick said he has been involved in the organizing end of bowling for a very long time. This role as an organizer started at Patterson High School in the 1960’s when he helped restart the student league at the Cooper Lanes. After high school, at St. Clair College, Nick ran an intramural league and helped form a varsity team. In 1973 Nick won the Coaches Award for the varsity bowling team. Nick wanted to acknowledge his own coach, Bill Jones, who attended the awards banquet, for naming him as the recipient of this award.

Nick has been on the executive of many bowling leagues in the 1980’s including the Crescent Major Handicap. Currently he is league secretary of the Walkerville Industrial bowling league and vice-president of Chrysler Men’s League.

Nick feels that one does not aspire to get elected in this category. It is not a performance category based on one’s bowling achievements. To be considered, then elected by your peers is very gratifying because this is a difficult category. Nick commented that being part of this year’s group of inductees is also special because this is the 50th anniversary of the first person inducted, the great Tony Chibi in 1966.

Nick has had one 300 game, nine 700 series, two 11 strikes in a row, and a high average of 204. Nick came in second place in the PBA pro-am tournament at Rose Bowl. Nick has been a member of numerous league championship teams over the years.

Nick wanted to thank his family, because he would not be here today without the support of his wife Ellen and son Nathan. Nick explained that Ellen did not know she was marrying into a bowling family but she has been very supportive for over 35 years. She has never missed the Molson’s in 31 years. Nick’s son, Nathan, bowled in the junior program and he worked at the Bowlero. When Nathan got the job at Bowlero, he reminded his proud father that a 3rd generation Stein was working at a bowling centre.

Submitted by Catherine Wilbur.