Get ready to knock down pins with Bradley-Bourbonnais’ new sport, bowling. The bowling team, lead by Coaches Matt Nanos and Gene Kanak, are currently experiencing their first season. Various members of the team have been practicing and molding their skills alongside Coaches Nanos and Kanak through open bowling and seasonal practice at the Brookmont Bowling Center, located in Kankakee.

Bowling has been added to the current roster of winter sports, taking place from October through January. The team consists of various athletes from other sports such as football and track, as well as some first time athletes who are interested in knocking down some pins. Both coaches as well as the school are working closely with the Brookmont Bowling Center in an effort to provide various services for the athletes, such as cheaper prices on shoe rentals and ball drillings.

Practice begins at 3:30 and consists of some light stretches as well as various drills, instructed by both Nanos and Kanak. After about 10 minutes of warm-up throws, the practice progresses with a different drill. Depending on the timing of practice, there may also be a few games involved. One example of these drills involves releasing the ball from the foul line while bending the left knee and keeping the arm straight in an effort to hit the “pocket,” a target that can be used to achieve a strike by hitting the head pin first on the right side and then making contact with the third pin, causing somewhat of a domino effect. The team is utilizing these various drills in order to help shape the skills and form an understanding on how practice is crucial to victory.

When asked about how the team will perform this year, Kanak responded by stating, “Our team has good effort as well as a little bit of everything. With good performance, listening, and a foundation of the various aspects of bowling, I think we should be fine.” Kanak has been in the competitive bowling scene for about 35 years, and has been interested in coaching a bowling team for quite some time. “I thought it would be good to try out something new for the first time, and I have been interested in coaching a bowling team for a while. I know the game pretty well, and other schools that I have taught at in the past unfortunately did not have a bowling team, so I thought coaching BB’s team would be a good opportunity for me.” The goals of the bowling team so far involve competing in sectionals and state as well as continuing the growth of the boys team and hatching a plan to get a girls team involved in the program. Kanak and Nanos are both eager to begin coaching the team and are excited to pass on their knowledge to the athletes of the team.

Nanos, a Bradley local, has been bowling ever since his youth. His passion took root when he used to watch his father bowl at Brookmont. When asked about the main reason for deciding to coach the bowling team, Nanos stated, “Bowling is a passion of mine. I grew up at a bowling alley watching my dad bowl. I’m excited to now have the opportunity to pass all my knowledge on to the young men of the bowling team.” Nanos plans on taking the season one day at a time, trying his best to push himself to do the best he can coaching the new team. He also has the intention of building a strong base for the program and move on to bigger and better things from there.

Nanos and Kanak are also excited to know that bowling is now on BBCHS’ roster of winter sports. When asked about the feelings towards this, Nanos states, “Going to school at Bradley, we always wanted a bowling team. Now that we have one, I can’t wait to see how we can build and move forward in this program for years to come.” There are a lot of things in store for the new bowling team, but one thing is for certain, The future is now.