Sports : Sportsmanship rules for V-S Bowlers, says coach after successful season

Daniel Janssen applauds as Taylor Berry (center) is announced as a medalist at State.

VS bowlers with runner-up boys team trophy and two individual medals Photo Courtesy Sherry Wilmot

Nick Stein and one of his several Strikes

Viking parents take photos during the introductions before State bowling begins.

The crowded alleys and gallery full of spectators at the Plaza Lanes in Des Moines this week are evidence of how much bowling is catching on in high schools around Iowa.

And Vinton-Shellsburg’s bowlers are a part of that growing trend.

The Viking bowling team finished second in its first-ever appearance at State – in just the second year of bowling at VSHS. Viking Nick Stein rolled a 240 in his first game at State, and followed that with a 190. His 430 was good enough for a tie for the 4th-place medal. And in girls’ competition, freshman Taylor Berry won the eight place individual medal, rolling a 200 in her very first State game.

It’s unusual, said coach Amber Pattee, for a team to make it to state so early. Alyssa Bunge competed as an individual at state last year, the first year of VSHS bowling.

“People were amazed that we sent a girl to State in our first year,” recalls Pattee.

The VS bowling team ended its second season with two medals and a trophy commemorating the accomplishments as individuals and a team.

“I had high hopes for this season but I could not have foreseen the success we have had,” says Coach Pattee. “The kids have worked really hard day in and day out at practice as well as on their own to improve their game.”

Sitting on a bench in one of the few empty lanes on Monday, when the seven Class 1A teams competed, leaders of the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union discussed the trends in the sport. They talked about how the number of bowlers and spectators has grown so much in the past eight years that the fire marshal has required the associations to divide the State event into 3 different classes, with contests on three different days. Both boys and girls teams and the individual qualifiers of each class compete at the same time.

One challenge, especially for schools in small towns, is the availability or affordability of bowling lanes. Some schools are not from towns where bowling facilities are available; others find the expense of using lanes to be an obstacle.

But in Vinton, the long relationship that Steve Berry and his staff at Berry’s Lanes in Vinton has been part of the bowling teams’ successes. In addition to offering the facilities to the school for the entire season for one flat fee, Berry has helped guide the bowlers for many years.

“Steve has been a great asset to myself as a coach as well as to all of the bowlers” Pattee says. “He has gotten them on the right track when they initially started bowling and he continues to help them. Steve and Carlyn have been very supportive throughout the startup of bowling through the high school and I believe will continue to do so in the future.”

While the season is over, there will not be much time off for Pattee, as she prepares with new assistant Mark Bunge for the 42 bowlers who plan to compete for VS next year. That number is both encouraging and challenging, says Pattee – encouraging because it adds much depth to the team; challenging because it means less one-on-one instruction and also because it means that some bowlers may not have the chance to compete in some events.

Yet, says the coach, the bowlers are very good about helping to encourage each other, through a spirit of camaraderie and friendly competition. They help each other with technique, encourage a teammate who has struggled, and make up games to make practice more fun, and helpful.

State leaders also praise the camaraderie between bowlers of different schools. It’s common to see a bowler celebrate a strike with high fives from members of the other teams as well as teammates.

Together, the team helped each other through the two games against the best teams in the State. They celebrated when Jacob Schoettmer began his first game with three straight strikes. They celebrated the late run of strikes that gave Nick Stein his team-leading 240. And they offered encouraging high-fives to Jacob Gosse, who faced unusual struggles early, bumping his leg with the ball on the first two throws, resulting in gutter balls. But on each subsequent roll, Gosse earned a spare, and more high fives.

“That's the best thing about these group of boys – when somebody struggling the rest of the team working really hard to help them out and they also don't make the them feel awful when it's a difficult situation,” says the coach, who adds that Gosse’s recovery shows “the kind of focus that these kids have.”

Behind Stein’s 430, Jordan Schoettmer rolled a 399. Gosse overcame his early woes for a 395. Daniel Janssen scored a 375 and Cole Garwood, 374. Ben Wood came in at 355.

The team portion of the competition includes the first two games, and five Baker games, where each bowler is responsible for two of the game’s 10 frames. The Vikings final Baker score of 231 was the highest of the tournament, and secured their second-place finish.

Family tradition

Like many of the VS bowlers, Pattee’s love of bowling began when she was a young girl, and in a couple of years, her middle school-aged daughters will be trying out for a spot on the high school team.

“Bowling is one of my passions,” says the coach. “I have been bowling since I was 5 and it is a family tradition for me to continue coaching. My father coached many of the youth in California and I feel this is how I can pay him back for everything he did for me, as well as all of the bowlers.”

'Biggest Accomplishment'

While she celebrated with her team the successes of the season and Monday’s showing at State, that success comes in a distant second to what the coach calls the team’s main accomplishment of the season.

“The biggest accomplishment for me and our team this year was not getting runner-up at State,” she says. “The biggest accomplishment is the character that our team in Vinton-Shellsburg shows at every meet. I have been approached by many different coaches and administrators from different schools, commenting on their level of bowling, but more importantly the attitude that our bowlers have and the great sportsmanship they exhibit.”

While for the seniors, high school bowling has ended, the skills they learn can remain with them for a lifetime.

“I do feel strongly about pursuing bowling in many different levels. Bowling is something that you can do from a very young age and continue to do it the rest of your life,” says Pattee.

See more photos HERE.

See Individual results HERE.

See team results HERE.