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Warsaw debuts a new sport today, and it will not take place on a court, in a gym or outdoors.
It will take place in an alley, as the bowling team bowls its first match of the season.
Nearly 80 percent of Indiana high schools have bowling teams this season, including local schools Manchester, Tippecanoe Valley, Warsaw and Wawasee.
High school bowling is considered a club sport - it is not sanctioned by the IHSAA - but if at least 70 percent of the schools participate this year and next year, the IHSAA will look at adding bowling as an official sport.
Phil Werner remembers the days his grandfather took him to bowling alleys when he was 4 years old, and now he coaches league bowling at Gilliam Lanes. He spearheaded the effort to start club bowling at Warsaw. As a result, he was named the head coach.
"Bowling is something that should have been offered a long time ago," he said.
Warsaw competes in the North Zone Central South District Conference, comprising Maconaquah, Manchester, Peru and Rochester. The first match of the season takes place after school this afternoon at Warsaw's Gilliam Lanes.
"Based on the first preseason match, I don't know how many more people we can squeeze in the bowling alley," Werner said. "The preseason match at Peru was packed with parents, kids, fans.
"I guarantee you won't be able to walk around in here."
Twenty-six boys and six girls from Warsaw Community High School tried out for Warsaw's team. After cuts were made, 11 boys and all six girls made the team.
Format is match play, girls against girls and boys against boys. Schools send six girls and six boys to each meet, five for the starting lineup and one as a sub. The number one players from each team match up, the number twos match up, and so on.
Like IHSAA sports, sectionals, regionals and the state finals are scheduled for the end of the season. All schools are thrown together as bowling does not abide by the class format.
Four boys pace the Tigers, including Kyle Brown, Ryan Manuel, Zack Morton and Mike Kittrell. All average between 175-186.
Rachel Jaynes, the lone senior on Warsaw's team, leads the girls with a 168 average.
Because bowling is not sanctioned by the IHSAA, athletic departments are not involved with the sport. At the same time, Werner has his bowlers abide by the athletic rules, restrictions and academic eligibility guidelines established by the school for other sports.
"The athletic department is hands off right now," Werner said, "although I am talking to them to see if they will provide letters."
Werner believes Indiana will have enough schools compete in club bowling the next two years that the IHSAA will look at adding bowling as a sanctioned sport after next season.
And Warsaw's bowlers mentioned the benefits the sport offers, including bowling for free, no cross training, no winter lifting and no laps.
"I know someday this will be a sanctioned sport," Werner said. "Bowling is becoming a bigger sport at the collegiate level. Indiana has recently had the best bowling teams nationally.
"It's a sport for kids who aren't giants, for kids who may not play basketball, football or baseball. Just about anybody can bowl."
