The 2016-17 bowling season ended, and with it ending, the team is in search for new team members. The BJ Girls team had an 8-3 record. Unfortunately, the team will lose seniors Viviana Miranda, Celina Scherer, Rachel Toler, and Hadley Watson. The BJ Boys team finished the season with a 5-8 record and will lose Lennon Anderson. Coaches Michael Hoyle and Krystine Roberts would love to talk with anyone interested in trying out.

Coach Hoyle said, “Bowling is one of those sports that anyone can do.  Most people have been bowling for fun, but this adds the component of competition.  Unlike some other sports that require certain skill sets to excel, bowling is a sport that can allow someone to pick it up from scratch and become a good bowler with hard work and determination.”

Students might be wondering if they are good enough to be on a varsity team. Coach Hoyle stated, “Well, 300 is perfect.  Anyone that can bowl over 200 consistently has probably been doing it for a while.  I would say that if someone walking in off the streets who doesn’t bowl terribly often can shoot 150 or better; that is pretty good.”

Senior Viviana Miranda added, “We take any score and work with it. If you promise to commit your time to learn, we’d love to have you.”

There are colleges with bowling programs, and it is possible to get bowling scholarships.  In this area of the country, bowling is mostly a SWAC school sport, like Alabama A&M and Alabama State.  There are areas of the country where collegiate bowling is more popular and a bigger sport, such as schools in Nebraska. 

In addition to college programs, students also learn life skills. Miranda said, “It teaches you how to focus mentally and that follows you into work and school.”

Students have a few months to practice. Tryouts will be sometime in late April or early May. The season starts in early October, usually after fall break, and ends in late January. This season teams practiced two days a week based on the bowling center’s schedule.