VISTA — Jay and Cheryl Robinson, the new managers at the Vista Entertainment Center, are quite at home amid the sounds of crashing pins and rolling balls. Both of them were national class champion bowlers who made names for themselves in the 1970s and 1980s. Together, they won the AMF Grand Prix of Bowling in 1977.

The Robinsons are part of the celebrity team which now runs the Vista Entertainment Center, a staple of the downtown’s amusement offerings for more than 40 years, offering bowling, karaoke and dining. Jay and Sheryl honed their managerial and people skills working for AMF, the largest operator of bowling alleys in the country, and they bring to the center a savvy that only can come from experience.

“We ... have a good rapport with bowlers because of our background,” Cheryl Robinson added. “That’s ... our advantage compared to the normal manager coming in and not knowing anything about bowling.”

“It is very important to run a bowling center and know bowling,” Jay Robinson said. “You know how you want to be treated and that’s how you want to treat the bowlers.”

Between 1975 and 1985, the pair traveled all over the world doing exhibitions and learn-to-bowl events in Europe and the United States, giving them an inside look at alley management on two continents. Jay Robinson went on to manage 10 AMF stores in Florida, but he finally decided to give it up and semi-retire to his native Southern California.

“We’re not coming in here and trying to change the world,” Jay Robinson said. “We’re trying to ... make things a little better. I think we’ve accomplished that.”

Along with the change in management came a change in decor. The center boasts new furniture, rugs and a slew of 42- and 50-inch televisions that display the scores. Jay Robinson thinks the renovation is key to the center’s continued success.

“It makes our job a lot easier ... when a bowling center gets out of the 50s, 60s, 70s look and into a modern look,” he said. “(Customers) come in and see this is a pretty nice place.”

Cheryl Robinson is also quick to attribute the center’s continued success to Andy Neeman, the alley’s pro-shop specialist whose job is to make sure each new bowler gets the right ball for a consistent throw. His is not a new face — Neeman has had 15 years of experience, six of them at Vista Entertainment Center.

“Having a ball that fits their hand properly makes such a difference,” Neeman said. “If they search 20 to 30 minutes and can’t find one that fits their hand properly ... that discourages them from ever coming back.”

Jay Robinson hopes that the three of them together can provide a comfortable bowling experience for not just the community, but North County as a whole.

“What’s nice about the bowling center is ... once you start coming in a long time, it’s almost like a home away from home,” Cheryl Robinson said.

September marks the beginning of the 2008-2009 Bowling Season. Contact the Vista Entertainment Center (760) 941-1032 for information on joining a league or just playing a round of 10-pin.