More than 70,000,000 people play bowling at least once a year. Having a sport that has team spirit, joy and a slight competitive edge to it at the center of its core values means our Jaguars are bound to excel at it. The bowling team at BVW welcomed Zachary Gall as their new coach at the start of 2022 and stepped into the shoes of ex-coach Denise Young, who was a huge part of the bowling team in the past.

“I wasn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. I wanted to maintain some kind of consistency, because she had a good system. And a lot of the rules, expectations and the team culture. Those students who were on the team before and still are on the team, I wanted some consistency for them” said Gall.

When asked about the changes, grade Felicity Newell, was positive.

“Overall, the changes are good either way. I mean, the energy is still there. And we still have really good team spirit”.

That being said, Gall is ready to set his own mark on the team.

“I think like a teacher in a classroom that you want to create your own sense of community and spirit. And so I tried to do that on the program as well” says Gall.

The Bowling season is off to a great start and the team, under Gall’s coaching is having an amazing time.

“The team spirit’s really good. And I think it’s the best it’s ever been. Everyone’s always there to support each other. And we’re probably one of the loudest schools out there,” Newell said.

Although the bowling team was a pastime for many, it was a competitive sport. The Jaguars found a way to make it more than just knocking down pins.

“The number one goal for me is that I want my players to have fun. And bowling is fun. It is more than most other sports. A sport that brings people together in a kind of community. It’s a competitive sport. And fun comes from competing too,” Gall said. “And I think that’s what they understand is that we want to have fun, but we also know that fun comes from winning and competing.”

Senior Kevin Zhao joined the bowling team earlier this year.

“ I didn’t join the team with the hopes of making it big. I just joined for fun. So if I could just get better at bowling and have fun. That’s good enough for me,” Zhao said.

Those interested in participating in some fun, laid-back sport with a tinge of competition, bowling could be a consideration.
Gall said, “ So it’s something you can pick up and get better at quickly.”

Gall and his team would love for the rest of us to go out, watch their games and support our fellow Jaguars.