Date: August 11, 2006

Name: Keith Bauer

Age: 40

Marital status: Married

City: Allentown, PA

Occupation: Bridge Draftsman/Designer-PennDot

Tell us about the beginning of your interest in darts. Well, it started about 10 years ago. Myself and a friend of mine that I use to work out and lift weights with had a dartboard (AMERICAN DARTBOARD) in his dads downstairs.  In between doing sets we would shoot a game (lifting weights and shooting darts at the same time is difficult…..not recommended!).  After doing that quite a bit, we eventually went out and made sure there was a dartboard around.  One thing led to another and before I knew it I was into league play.  My uncle who shot darts quite a bit offered for me to play on his team.  My first year in the league I averaged 38.50, which was a real good average for a newer player.  Now 10 years later, with experience and lots of knowledge from people that have paved the way in American Darts, I have got myself to a respectable 44-45 average.

My English dart backround has been brief.  I just started playing English about 3 years ago.  The interest started when two teammates, Dick Keen & Phil Sroka, who know the English game pretty well took me under their wing and kind of got my interest peeked.  English darts is a more strategic game and you don’t get 0 points for a missed dart as in American darts, it’s a free for all…get as many points as possible and hope you have more that the other guy.  I am glad I am getting to enjoy another form of darts.

In which league(s) do you play?  Bethlehem City Dart League-Bethlehem, PA & Bux-Mont League-Quakertown area.

How far from home do you play?          15-20   miles.

How many days per week do you engage in darts? 2-plus tournaments. Either American or English

What kind of darts do you use: weight/ brand? American-Widdy-Darto-Apex…whatever is supplied at tournaments……English: 20 Gr.-Voks Helix Darts Designer Series – JGR (Jerry Umberger design)

Top of Form

What other activity/sport do you participate in or watch? Basketball, Weight training, Bowling, Nascar.  I also, enjoy my restored 1964 Pontiac GTO.

What is the most annoying antic you see from other dart players?  Trash talking and talking to someone while that person is on the line.

Is league night too long, too short, just right?  I have no problems with it.

On which team(s) do you play?  American leagues: Leithsville Inn, Ravens Nest.  We have no English dart leagues in the Allentown-Bethlehem area.

How do you pick a team to play on?  The leagues I participate in are OPEN…you shoot with a group of people you feel comfortable with.

Which other family members play?  My wife will shoot recreationally,  my brother inlaw participates in a league and a few tournaments.

Tell us about conflicts darts create in home or work life?  With American darts….tournaments usually hit towards the end of the season. Feb.-Mar.-April are pretty hectic times. Usually a tournament on Saturdays or Sundays.  I currently run the American Baseball Dart Association-A.B.D.A.  Our tournament runs for two weekends at the end of Feb and early March….this really takes a lot out of me (12-14 hour days).  But for the most part I am able to manage darts-home and work without ticking off my wife.

What keeps you playing darts?  The ongoing passion too be the best I can be and never being content and what I have accomplished…….there is always more goals to meet and conquer.

What goals in darts do you have?  The list is too long!!!

What has been your best moment in darts?  There are a few moments that standout…..shooting my first 62 game with 25 guys dead silent in back of you and hearing them erupt when the last dart went trip!!  Winning numerous Bethlehem City Dart League Championships with my teammates. 

What’s your advice to a newbie dart player? Learn from your mistakes and enjoy everything the game has to offer.