Now that this year’s winter break has come to an end, the Braves Bowling Team is ready to make their debut! Coached by Mr. Dow, the bowling team consists of twenty-four members and is brand new to the Bonner Springs sports roster this year. When asked what he was most excited about this season, Dow said he is most thrilled to have a bowling team after trying to get one for so long. “I’ve been here for nine years, and for all of those nine years I have been trying to get a bowling team.” His goal for this season is to just have fun, make it through, and keep a positive attitude. Coach Dow’s interest in bowling started when he was an assistant bowling coach at Shawnee Mission West High School. He liked that bowling was different from the normal sports schools offered. “I just saw there was like this culture of athletes in high schools, and there were a lot of people, a lot of students who were excluded from that culture. This is a way that students can be part of our athletics who don’t play traditional sports.” Although he is the bowling coach, Mr. Dow actually doesn’t bowl; he does, however, have his own bowling ball that is a whopping sixteen pounds, and it has a black widow on it!

For anyone who is planning on following our bowlers through this season, here is some need-to-know bowling lingo that Coach Dow recommended. A turkey is when a player gets three strikes in a row, and a series is when the player competes in three games in a row. House is also a frequently used term in the bowling world, and it just replaces the word alley. Did you know that bowling lanes are oiled? Each bowling alley oils its lanes in a different manner, which is why bowlers take time before their meet to test out the lanes and get used to the different oiling.

The time is fast approaching for the bowling team to compete, as their first meet is this Friday, January 13th. Bowling houses do charge a fee for viewers. Adults are $7 and students are $5. Students will not be able to use their Orange Crush cards, as the bowling alleys require payment. Come show your support for Bonner’s newest sports edition at 2 pm this Friday at KC Bowl, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for future bowling events. Best of luck to our bowlers this season!