CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Clarksville-Montgomery County students piled into the Pinnacle bowling alley Wednesday, Oct. 23 and took to the lanes, donning brand-new uniforms that featured their individual school and logo on the front. Over 60 students signed up to participate during the program’s first year.
Rossview bowling coach Antonio Murgas was thrilled to finally see this day come to fruition.
“One of the founders Kristi Hanson started it as a club last year,” Murgas said. “This year with the support of the Montgomery-County School System we’ve been able to make it a competitive bowling league. We’re still not school sponsored per say, so we’re able to put it together governed by the USBC (United States Bowling Congress). We’re going to bowl all the way to districts, so we will have a district champ.”
The talent on hand Wednesday was hard to miss, with many students scoring in the 150’s, 200’s or even mid 200’s. Some students even have the potential to earn scholarships and play at higher levels.
“As you’ll see today, we have kids in our district that can compete for state championships,” Murgas said. “One thing I want people to know is that bowling has one of the higher rates of scholarships out of any other sport. The goal out of all this is to get kids to college based on their talent and their averages.”
The fall schedule also allows athletes who are involved in spring sports the opportunity to represent their schools during another season.
“Traditionally, bowling leagues in high school happen in the fall from October until December,” Murgas said. “It’s about a 12-week season. It allows our athletes to do other sports in the Spring.”
President of Clarksville-Fort Campbell USBC Brenda Green overseas the operation and has played a major role in getting the league off the ground.
“We keep track of individual averages, records and all of that,” Green said. “We also try and give back as much as possible. One of the things we’ve been trying to do now for a very long time is to get a high school bowling program going. Montgomery County is one of the few counties in the state that doesn’t have high school programs. We’ve been fortunate to hook up with Antonio and a few other people to try and really push it with the school system.”
Green said it’s almost surreal to see the area students thrive in a sport she herself grew up loving.
“I am so excited about this,” Green said. “This has been a dream in the making for many years. I bowled as a youth and we didn’t have this opportunity. There are scholarships available to these kids in leadership. It’s not just being good at the sport, but being committed and showing leadership skills. It’s great to see these kids come together and have a good time. That’s what it’s all about.”
Coaching is a major factor in the development of young players; luckily for CMCSS bowlers, they are able to learn from some of Clarksville’s best players.
“We were able to bring in coaches for every team,” Green said. “We have some qualified people who are helping them get better. We have a program with USBC where we have registered volunteers which means that they all have to undergo a background check and all of them are trained on how to handle situations dealing with kids.”
For Green, it’s all about capturing the student who typically wouldn’t go out for other sports and give them a chance to find their passion in life.
“Bowling is a life-long sport,” Green said. “It’s a really great opportunity for these kids. What we’ve found research wise is that a lot of the kids who participate in bowling programs, don’t participate in other activities at school. So, we’re able to get kids that aren’t active in other sports and bring them in. We’re really just trying to have these kids come together and gain some recognition.”
Players are allowed to use the balls supplied by the Pinnacle free of cost and there is also no charge for the shoe rentals and lane fees.
“There’s no cost to these kids for the lineage to bowl every week which is real commitment to them,” Green said. “That just shows the Pinnacle’s support. They understand the concept that we’re trying to build lifelong bowlers. It’s obviously a benefit for them, but they’ve always been committed to kids, helping the schools and being active in the community.”
The high school bowling league would not be possible without CMCSS and the help from other local contributors.
“I want to thank the Montgomery-County School System, Dr. Edington, Dr. Dewald and Johnny Miller for their support in helping us launch this,” Murgas said. “To be able to get so many kids in our first season is wonderful. We’re just hoping the program becomes really successful and we get picked up one day as a school-sponsored sport.”
Students interesting in learning more can visit the Pinnacle on Saturdays and ask for youth league director Brenda Green or email Kristi Hanson at kristi.hanson@cmcss.net.