With a quick step and a smooth release, the 12 pound ball glides, makes a sharp curve to the left and hits perfectly between the head pin and the 3 pin. All 10 pins clatter and crash then are swept away. A big “X” appears on the electronic score card.
According to www.bowl.com, over 67-70 Americans bowl recreationally at least once a year. For the Klein Oak Bowling Team, they take the sport to another level.
The club recently played the game that would decide their all-district team Thursday, Feb. 5, with junior and president of bowling Genevieve Grady, the only sophomore on the team, Brianna Curtis, and senior Noah Kelley securing their places.
“My grandma was a big bowler so my freshman year I joined when there were just a bunch of seniors,” Grady said. “Now, we’ve spread it out and the team has grown a lot.”
Now the president of the team, Grady has an important role, taking charge and guiding them in equal measure.
“It’s no different honestly,” Grady said. “I take the lead most of the time, but we’re all equals on the team.”
The team is always hard at work, practicing quite a bit to become the best they can be.
“We practice two days out of the week — on Wednesday and Thursday,” Grady said. “Normally the practices go from 4 p.m. to about 6:30.”
It’s not work all the time, however, because most days the team is happy to play.
“Wednesdays are our practice days and Thursdays we have a game,” Kelley said. “It’s something to look forward to after school.”
One of the underclassmen is going above and beyond the typical practices, though, and making it on to the all-district team proves her effort is paying off.
“I started around September or October,” Curtis said. “I practice once a week after the team practices.”
Another of the group’s successes comes from the team’s only freshman, Declan Grady, who has had the help of his sister Genvieve to become better.
“I don’t have as much skill as the juniors and seniors,” Declan said. “I am improving quite a bit because they’re teaching me.”
Not only is it a fun and engaging sport, but it could help you in the long run.
“We have a good coach and a good team,” Genevieve said. “I highly recommend it if you want free time with your friends, and you can get really good scholarships for it.”
For instance, Sam Houston, Steven F. Austin, and Texas Southern University all offer scholarships in bowling. These schools also offer teams on which students can continue to play and improve, but many of the more competitive universities lack official teams.
“I’m looking at A&M, but they don’t have a bowling team,” Grady said. “I plan on bowling in college but not in a college league.”
Grady is not discouraged by the lack of recognition, practicing every week and becoming a better bowler.
“My best score is a 234,” Grady said.
This score puts her above average for professional bowlers, showing the talent she has cultivated.
“My favorite match was our last tournament because we had photographers come,” Grady said. “It was a lot of fun. It was easy and we were joking around.”
