For the second year in a row, the bowling team competed at state from March 28-30. These athletes not only carry their bags full of bowling gear, but they also carry a record of 12-1, advancing to quarter-finals at state, while varsity and junior bowler Bryan McCall advanced to the semi-final round.

The varsity bowling team placed first at regionals, beating Summer Creek High School in their last game. While these athletes desire to win every match, they also make sure to enjoy themselves on the floor.

“Honestly our team likes to make things fun and not take things too seriously because if we do, we end up putting too much pressure on ourselves,” McCall said. “We just try to have good vibes and keep everything we talk about positive.”

In addition to the physical exertion that bowling demands, the sport also requires precision and balance, both mentally and physically.

“I’ve learned to just have fun and do what I do best,” McCall said. “Sometimes I need to reassure myself that no matter what happens, we are here to have fun as a team.”

Bowlers spend hours practicing together after school every week.

“The practice environment is always pretty chill,” McCall said. “We get to be social while doing the thing we love most, which is bowling.”

While typically outsiders only see bowling as a form of activity and entertainment, for these young athletes, this sport allows them to be presented with many opportunities to plan for their futures.

“What motivates me the most is knowing that I could get a bowling scholarship for college,” McCall said. “I just love seeing the progress I get to make every day as well, it really helps me keep going further with this sport.”

These bowlers have built relationships on and off the floor that have allowed them to be able to thrive in a safe and productive environment.

“Me and my teammates all work well together and have a great friendship,” McCall said. “Being on the same team as them has had an overall positive impact on me and how I view bowling as a whole.”

Although bowling is still hardly recognized, these bowlers dedicate their time and energy into advancing as far as they can, and they invite others to come and try something new.

“You never know if you’ll like bowling unless you give it a chance,” McCall said. “It never hurts to try something you’ve never tried before. You may even find it’s something you’d want to do in the future.”