My son Peter and daughter Leah are on the bowling teams for Walnut Hills High School. For several decades, it seemed like bowling was a relic from the Stone Age.
But now bowling appears to be catching on again. It has cachet.
The sport (or “activity” depending on where you stand on the “anything you can do while holding a drink is not a sport” spectrum) has been great for our kids.
The bowlers are a wonderful group of kids, and they definitely have a lot of fun together. I suppose it’s because you have a lot of time to chat with each other while you’re waiting for your next turn.
Here’s a video that recently appeared on Cincinnati.com, about a high schooler who bowled a perfect game (and then some). But don’t watch the interviewees, watch the bowler’s teammates in the background. They are blissfully unaware that the camera is rolling, and they’re just hanging out, goofing off and having fun.
Ultimately, that’s what matters more than your score… making friends, having fun, enjoying life, frame by frame.
It’s amazing, isn’t it? Bowling has made a comeback – and my high school (Talawanda, home of the Braves!) has a varsity sport for it. I don’t know how long it’s been there and apparently it is league-wide. The team plays at the bowling alley on the outskirts of town at Oxford Lanes.
Fun Fact: On Miami’s campus The Shriver Center used to have a bowling alley until the very early 80’s, when it was replaced with a bookstore – which is still there to this day.
Thanks Sledge. I think most schools in this area have a varsity bowling team now. And a JV team as well! If you stick around long enough, everything that went out of style eventually comes back.