It’s a Sunday morning in a dimly lit bowling alley. The bowling teams are on the lanes competing with the other teams in the district. It is packed full of spectators in the observation area, as well as the hundreds of bowlers on the lanes going at it, pins flying and teams cheering. It creates a chaotic environment for players and spectators.
Before the chaos of the meets, players need to practice. On Mondays and Thursdays, the teams meet at Guttormsen Recreation Center (GRC) and get to work. It is calm yet competitive. For one hour, teams work on spare shooting and then targeting drills, and then wrap it all up with strike shots to finish up.
But not all practices are drawn up this way; most practices are very different from one another, with different drills and variations of the drills.
“What do I know we need to practice,” Coach Daniel Yates said. “What did we struggle with in the last match? What bowling alley are we bowling in and how can we mimic the conditions that will make us successful during our meet?”
The players put a lot of trust into the coaches. They believe that they put them in the best position for success.
“The drills give us a good idea of what we are going to see during our meet on Sundays,” Corben Lowman (12) said. “Although they look a little unconventional, they are super effective.”
Not just the drills help teams win games and meets, it’s the standard that is set throughout the program.
“The standard for our program is the same as always, which is to be the best program in the district,” Yates said. “I firmly believe that at all levels of competition that we have the most skilled athletes than any other school in the district. But, a secondary goal that our program does, that is just as important, is to have each bowler in our program have fun. Bowling is a life sport, like golf, in that you can play it for many years. Teaching bowling skills is important, but teaching life skills like communication, teamwork and leadership are skills that you can use in every aspect of your life.”
The standard is not just winning in this program, it is being a family for one another.
“The standard for our team is having confidence in each other and making sure we are supporting one another, to help us perform at the level we should be,” Nicole Weber (12) said.
After a hard week of practices, the team heads to the bowling alley where they compete for that week’s match, and face off against their opponents. Each week draws closer to the High School Bowling State Tournament. To get there, players must be one of the top two teams in the district for their division
“High school state is honestly the most fun bowling experience I’ve had,” Weber said. “We get to compete against the top teams in the state and prove ourselves.”
Last year, the girls team won the state as well, and Addysen Stahl (10) won the individual state tournament last year.
“It wasn’t easy winning the tournament,” Stahl said. “There were a lot of ups and downs throughout. Not only was the competition tough, but it was also a mental battle. I’m glad I had a huge family behind me to support me through it all.”
