Bellbrook Golden Eagles bowling teams on a roll
BELLBROOK, Ohio — Bowling has always been a passion of mine. I remember sneaking to the bowling alley to see my brothers bowl, when I was just 5 years old. I was eventually able to bowl in Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) events.
For the past 18 years, I鈥檝e had the pleasure of coaching different Bellbrook High School (BHS) programs. Helping students learn and master their sports has given back to me in many ways.
This season the Golden Eagles began their inaugural BHS bowling season. The boys鈥� team (led by Jack DeWitt) and girls鈥� team (led by Madalyn Skiles) bowled in a total of 18 matches and tournaments. With nine teams in the Southwestern Buckeye League (SWBL), we faced everyone in the Southwestern Conference twice and the Buckeye Conference once. Tournaments included the Baker Bash Tournament, Tomahawk Tournament and SWBL Tournament. Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) bowling regulations required us to bowl at least two games and two 鈥淏aker format鈥� games (teams of five, with each participant bowling two frames per game).
Only requiring bowling balls, shoes and some accessories, bowling is a very accessible sport. We are working on securing iPads or tablets for the teams, to enable enhanced video analysis and real-time feedback.
I have two main goals for our teams:
That our student athletes have fun鈥擨f they are having fun, they will bowl better. I often preach that they should have fun, but also make sure they鈥檙e doing what they are supposed to do on the lanes to win.
That they maintain their grades鈥擶hat it takes in the classroom comes before what bowlers do on the lanes. If a kid needs to do homework at practice for a bit, I make sure they sit at the table and do it. The most important thing is getting good grades and working toward their future.
I want to thank everyone associated with bringing bowling to Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools, from BHS Athletic Director Charlie O鈥橠ell to the board of education. Beaver-Vu Bowling brought us into the fold, hosting our practices and home matches. Most important, the parents and students have made this one of the most fun years that I have ever experienced coaching bowling at the high school level. Without the commitment of dedicated parents (from fundraising to unexpectedly purchasing bowling equipment) and the kids (who had a great time and really focused on helping our program succeed in the long run), we wouldn鈥檛 be where we are today.
I鈥檓 honored to be able to give back to our youth, and I consider it a blessing to be around them.
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