Since freshmen year I decided to join bowling. I find bowling really fun especially when it comes to tournaments and when we do different activities with the team.

At Palatine High School any athletes can get benefits from joining a sport. Some benefits are keep grades up, college applications, stress reliever, enjoy a hobby and job applications. I think that keeping grades up is very important.

“High School involvement always makes a college application look better,” athletic director secretary Sonnya Lozano said. “By having them see your interest in becoming involved with their school in the future.”

Having different benefits when joining a sport it helps athletes be a team player they will know how to play as a team. Being in a sport benefits you in many ways like being active, have something to work for, you keep your grades up. Athletes being in more than one sport makes them more responsible, in grade wise and in team player wise.

“Anything good or positive comes out of joining a sport,” Coach Burke said. “in my mind you learn how to be a team player, teammate, learn how to compete, and using your time wisely.”

Bowling can sometimes be hard at first if you are just starting. I remember that freshmen year at bowling practice I kept throwing the ball into the gutter but then once I got the hang of throwing the ball the right way it became way better. At practice you have to be accurate while throwing it at the pins.

I think that bowling is frustrating if you don’t hit your marks and aren’t consistent when throwing the ball even though sometimes if something doesn’t go the way you like to you just have to go with it the first time and just believe in yourself the second time.

“You’ll meet a lot of friends,” Coach Burke said. “at the end of those four years you’ll be good friends with them.”

I believe that lots of good things come out positive about being in a sport because once you know everyone you feel like that team is your other family. I know that since freshmen I considered the bowling team as my other family because we would always help each other and do stuff that will help the other girls with bowling.

Kiki Gaiter, a senior, joined bowling when she started high school. She loved bowling because it was a part of her family. Family members were a part of leagues and they traveled all over to just bowl. Kiki only stayed in the league for four years and then when she started high school she found out that there was a bowling team for girls, and joined.

“When I was about 7 years old my mom put my sister and I into a bowling league,” Gaiter said. “From first to eighth grade.”

Kiki has made a bond with the bowling team she’s been on at Palatine High School. I’m in that bond with her and I feel like it’s a really good bond with the rest of the girls on the team. We have a lot of funny things we say and do.

“Benefits you receive from joining a team would be a bond,” Gaiter said. “This bond is filled with people who share the same interests as you and who can relate to you in so many different levels and you also gain new friendships.”

Overall I just love bowling because every year I have gotten better and better. I love all the coaches they are really nice and help you out a lot. I like the teammates they are very fun and help you when you’re at a tournament. The team overall is really nice and helpful.