As far as most sports go, bowling is one that is viewed as more laid back and seems easy to learn, and as though it doesn’t require any previous experience to become a good player. In actuality, although no prior background is required, bowling is a sport that takes incredible amounts of hard work, strategy and dedication to perform well in.

The girls bowling team practices three times a week for a few hours after school at the Freeway Lanes bowling alley. Cheryl Tarr, who recently retired after coaching girls bowling since 2005, described what a typical practice on the team is like.  

“To start off, they practice a game or two while I help those who need it the most,” Tarr said.  “Then we do drills, like shooting specific spares, hitting their targets and keeping their balance. I also switch up who bowls the anchor position (the last bowler) to determine whether it makes them nervous, or if they can handle the pressure.”

Along with their practice sessions, the girls rely on more than just skill to help them advance. Haruna Heima, a senior at SHS who has been on the team since her freshman year, described the dynamic between the girls on the team.

“We’re super close, especially this year since for most of us, it’s our last,” Heima said. “We have [several] group chats, and we’re always talking and making locker signs for each other for support.”

All the practice and support was what helped the girls place third at their conference tournament in Wickliffe at Wickliffe Lanes on Feb. 13. Elisa Uguccini, a senior at SHS who has only been on the team for one year, scored the highest with over 200 points and helped the team advance to Sectionals in Garrettsville at Skylane Bowling on Feb. 18.

“When I’m at home, I take a small ball and practice throwing it and flicking my wrist, because that’s the motion you need when you bowl,” Uguccini said. “The coach can also help us more, because unlike lacrosse, where there’s too many people to help individually, I get the help with what I specifically need to work on. I was so shocked I had performed well because I had stuff to work on. I didn’t even know I was scored well until the end!”

Even though the girls didn’t perform as well as they would have liked Saturday on the 18 in Garrettsville, it doesn’t stop them from having good spirits. They bowled exceptionally well in their first few games, one of them being against Eastlake North in which the Comets scored 1908 points. Although the season is over because they didn’t advance to districts, Tarr teaches them not to just focus on winning, but to focus on the love of the game.

“I tell them to keep their spirits up and lift up the other girls if they are bowling poorly,” Tarr said. “I’ve had great luck coaching these girls, and I love coaching them. Most of all, I teach them to just relax and have fun.”