By Alexander Bachtold

Bowling, often overshadowed by more mainstream sports, has found a unique spot at O’Connor High School. Despite the lack of widespread recognition, the bowling team thrives on the passion and skills of its members. “Something about the curve and the ball hitting the pocket in the pins is just so satisfying,” varsity player Christian Barrera said.

Team captain Roger Barnett shared that his interest “stems from the early success I experienced as I began to learn the sport.”

For those interested in taking up bowling, a key element to focus on is discipline. “The most important skills for bowling are focus, mentality, and constancy,” Barnett said.

Constancy, defined as the ability to remain enduring and unchanging, is an indispensable skill in bowling, given that many aspects of the game remain consistent from round to round. However, one must also consider variables such as “…how oiled the lanes are…” and “how dry your ball is,” as noted by Christian Barrera.

When questioned about how he maintains these crucial skills, Barnett revealed, “I focus on refining my form and hook during practice, making the effort to train 3-4 times a week outside of our team matches.” This commitment to consistent practice exemplifies the dedication of players on the bowling team, including Barnett and Barrera, as they strive to continually enhance and ultimately perfect their playstyles.

The Bowling Team’s most recent match on November 28th could only be described as thrilling. According to Roger Barnett, it was a close match because both teams were balanced in terms of experience and skill. “We all performed good picking up spares and striking often…” Barnett said.

Although O’Connor managed to get a lead in *bakers. Here it was that their strong team spirit and focus allowed them to secure several wins over the opposing team Stevens HS.

*Bakers refers to a style of bowling where the entire team shares the bowling line.