In Central, there is a vast array of sports for students to take part in: football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse and… bowling? Yeah, you read that right. The CYHS Bowling Team is one of the many unknown sports teams in the school.

“It’s the first year, so I wasn’t expecting a lot of people to know about it,” said Tyler Smith, a senior and bowling team member.

The bowling team, originally known as the bowling club, finished its first season this year after being recognized by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) as an official team.  It’s coached by Julie Carson and Charlie Earnst and has been rather successful thus far.

“We had a great season,” Smith admitted upon being asked how he thought this year’s season went.

The team came first in the 2022 York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association (YAIAA) County Championship. Along with this, sisters Madison and Kamryn Brenneman competed against one another in the District Girls Singles, taking first and second place, respectively. These victories, however, could not have been achieved without a considerable amount of practice and really good coaching.

“[Carson and Earnst] are great at knowing how to fix and change your bowling style,” Smith explained.

He went on to describe a regular bowling practice, saying that it lasts about 90 minutes. The team aims to train themselves to hit their mark and perfect movements. Smith also went on to say that every member of the team is willing and able to help teach you the ropes.

“I see all the members as my friends,” Smith commented. “You talk a lot and spend so much time with them that you all just click to form a team.”

The people, according to Smith, are the driving force of the team. There is no “best player” on the team. The team struggles through bad and good days. Each success is navigated together. In the end, they are all the “best players”.

“I wish I had thought about learning to bowl earlier and had joined earlier,” Smith admitted.

“A lot of people think that bowling is just something fun you do with friends. That is true, but there is more to bowling than just hanging out with friends and messing around while bowling. You can have fun while bowling, but it’s more fun when you’re competing,” he said.