When most people think about school sports things like football, baseball and basketball usually are the first that come to their mind. However a very time consuming and surprisingly physical sport, bowling, often isn’t even mentioned. Often considered a hobby or pastime, bowing has all the qualities of any other sport.

“It’s really physically demanding,” North’s head bowling coach Aaron Mcardle explains. “Bowling three games is the same as running a mile. The kids can get scholarships for this so it’s no joke.”

Bowling seasons are as long as a high school soccer, basketball and baseball season combined. Starting in late August to early April, bowlers meet once a week for practice and then on Sundays for league bowling. 

“On Sundays we meet and play three games,” Mcardle said. “Then we combine our overall score from those games or our scratch score together and the team with the highest score wins.”

From an outsider’s perspective bowling might seem like a cheap sport. This isn’t in fact true as being a bowler does not come cheap. In order to have the best equipment, most bowlers buy their own ball which can be $75 at the cheapest.

“You’re starting out your first year with about $500 spent,” junior Payton Davis said.” It can be just as expensive or even more expensive than other sports.”

Most sports come down to four core things: endurance, teamwork, strength and focus. Bowling uses all 4 as in almost every aspect of the game. Teamwork is a very strong part of the game as everyone relies on everyone to succeed. Since she began bowling 3 years ago, Davis has had to balance all four of these aspects every time she bowls.

“I find my joy in my teammates,” Davis said. “When we get together to bowl we have to be extremely focused the entire time. It really is an endurance and strength based sport, you are throwing about a 11-16 pound ball 30ish frames which is 2 throws if you’re not getting strikes for about 3 hours at a time. It’s mentally exhausting because if you don’t get a strike or do well after a spare you feel like you let the team down.”