Many people consider bowling to be an easy and fun sport to enjoy during social gatherings, but here at Hoffman Estates High School, bowling is taken to the next level.

Bowling is a competitive sport where skilled bowlers compete against others while continuing to have fun. One tournament that the bowling team is competing in is the IHSA. The IHSA stands for the Illinois High School Association and there are more than 800 schools involved in it. This tournament is created to promote good sportsmanship and friendly competition.

The HEHS bowling team is putting a lot of effort into getting ready for this competition. “ We go to Poplar Creek to practice 5 days a week and we stay there to bowl from 3-5,” said Arya Patel, freshman. “Two of those days are meet days, where we get back at around 7:30 p.m.”

During this intense training session the athletes focus on enhancing their arm strength and precision. Given the weight of the bowling ball, the members must have the arm strength necessary to lift the ball throughout the entire practice. Additionally bowlers need to master their aim to avoid injuries and ensure they hit all of the bowling pins to achieve a strike.

“It’s hard because you have to get the motion right and then do it multiple times with precision. If you mess up even slightly then it can ruin your whole ball [toss],” said Kayla Gawlik, sophomore.

Even though bowling is a huge time commitment, many team members love it, as it allows them to interact and build relationships with a wide range of people. Many members of the team shared that they loved being on the team because of the many new people they’ve met along the way and how fun bowling is.

“It kept me more busy and active and also engaged with everyone,” said Iliana Hernandez, junior.

The HEHS bowling team is working hard to improve their skills in order to compete in the IHSA competition. Despite the time commitment and work required, the team is persevering and making connections.