For many years, some of the most important people in our sport — coaches — were under-appreciated and largely overlooked.

That has changed in recent years, beginning with the introduction of Bowlers Journal International's "100 Top Coaches" program. Now in its fifth year, the program provides recognition to men and women at all coaching levels — from youth programs through the pros — via a special feature story, supplemented by exposure throughout the year in the magazine's "Tenpin Tutor" instructional column.

More recently, the STE Skills Center introduced the Bowling Coaches Hall of Fame, which honors men and women who have devoted a significant part of their lives to helping bowlers get better.

This month, applications are due for both honors.

The nomination deadline for the Bowling Coaches Hall of Fame is April 16, and nomination forms are available at steskillscenter.com, bpaa.com, ibpsia.com and bowl.com (in the Coaching section).

The application deadline for BJI's "100 Top Coaches," meanwhile, has been extended to April 30. The extension was implemented because the feature story on this year's honorees has been moved back one month. Originally scheduled for the July issue, it now will appear in the August issue.

Application forms are available here on the BJI Web site. Simply go back to the homepage and click on the "100 Top Coaches" slide in the scrolling slide show to download a form.