You’ve heard of the football team. You’ve heard of the basketball team. You’ve heard of the soccer team. But have you heard of the bowling team?
That’s right, ENHS has their very own team of skilled bowlers, and they play to win.
This team knows what’s rolling, and it’s the bowling ball straight into the pins for a strike. Most of our sports teams here can’t say they’re recent state champions, but the bowling team sure can with the lady bowlers taking the first place title at bowling state last year. The ladies challenged teams all over the state and came out on top last May.
Mr. Duroy, the coach of the men’s and women’s bowling teams and the king of bowling himself, has been bowling since the age of five. Mr. Duroy bowled competitively as a kid and picked it back up in his mid-40s. He showed great talent in bowling at a young age and is using those skills to make his team the best they can be. He has coached many sports including tennis and basketball here at North before landing on bowling, and he plans to continue coaching bowling right up until he retires.
He cares deeply about his team of bowlers and is constantly pushing them to be their best selves on and off the lane. He believes in the power of teamwork and is always looking for ways to show his team how to build each other up.
Even though these bowlers are serious about their sport, they are also good friends. Senior Nila Gamblin, says, “My favorite part of the bowling team is spending time bowling at the alley with my teammates.”
The members of the bowling team not only have good relationships with each other, but they also have good relationships with the other Edmond schools. Mr. Duroy says that all the Edmond high school bowlers get along and support each other. Supporting the competition is rare in sports, but it can make for a very healthy competitive environment. The fact that they can get along with their “rivals” shows the positivity that exudes from the bowling team.
Learning to celebrate other athletes and their accomplishments allows the team to learn more about positive relationships; however, the team works incredibly hard every year to come out on top.
Hours of practice is crucial in perfecting their games, and according to Gamblin, “There are different kinds of training you can do for bowling, but I mainly stick to release drills which are drills you can do to make sure that you release the ball better.”
Another member of the bowling team, junior Ethan Hughes, said he loves to learn about the sport itself and how to communicate with others.
Bowling is a very unique sport since the competition is played like a relay where instead of playing by yourself, you play as a team, taking turns to get more points.
This is where the communication Hughes was referring to comes into play. The athletes have to work as a team in order to be successful. Communication is key when it comes to bowling; the team has to build each other up to rise above the competition.
Hughes said people should join the bowling team because “it’s truly a unique sport. There is so much more than throwing a ball at pins. It’s also accessible to any kind of person. There’s tons to learn and tons to respect once you get to know the sport more.”
So, if you are considering joining the bowling team—you should. This team truly loves what they do, and new members will know they are walking into a positive environment. The team is always looking for more members and supporters.
These bowers are definitely not ones to be overlooked, and these state champs are looking to get another title. With their hard work and perseverance, we are rooting for another 1st place title for this team. If you are free one night, consider going to support our Husky bowlers. You can keep up with them through their Instagram: @enhs.bowling.
