In this Learning in Lake Oswego episode, we’re talking about something fun and fresh—new high school sports! One sport that’s been picking up momentum across the country and in our community is bowling. That’s right—bowling! It’s already a big deal nationwide, and interest is growing fast in our schools. High school athletes Sadie Brix, Georgia Miller, and Berit Ballew, members of the Pacer and Laker bowling teams, join us on the show. They share what it’s like to be part of these new teams, how they got started, and what keeps them returning to the lanes.
Dr. Jennifer Schiele, Superintendent, LOSD
Mary Kay Larson, Executive Director of Communications, LOSD
Berit Ballew, Student, Lake Oswego High School
Sadie Brix, Student, Lakeridge High School
Georgia Miller, Student, Lakeridge High School
MICHELLE ODELL:: [00:00:00] Welcome to Learning in Lake Oswego, a podcast providing educational insights for an engaged community. Lake Oswego School district superintendent, Dr. Jennifer Schiele, will discuss what's important to our learning community. She'll be joined by experts examining various topics, answering important questions, and sharing upcoming events and activities you won't wanna miss.
And now it's your host. Lake Oswego School District Executive Director of Communications, Mary Kay Larson.
MARY KAY LARSON:: Welcome to Learning in Lake Oswego, the podcast that gives us an inside look at what's happening in Lake Oswego School District. I'm Mary Kay Larson, your host here with our amazing superintendent, Dr.
Jennifer Schiele. Today's show, we're talking about something truly delightful. New sports happening in our school, namely bowling. Yes, that's right. We have bowling teams at both of our high schools and they're gaining a lot of interest. [00:01:00] Bowling is a big deal nationwide and it is a fast-growing sport here in Oregon Today we've invited a few of our students from both teams, the Lakers and the Pacers One Lake One Love.
With us is Sadie Brix and Georgia Miller from Laker and Barrett. Ballew from high. Jen, let's take it away.
DR JENNIFER SCHIELE:: Welcome to the show. We are so excited to hear about your experiences. Let's start with some intros. Tell us each your name, what school you attend, and what sport you play. Or actually, if you have more than one sport, you can tell me all the sports.
SADIE BRIX:: Hi, I'm Sadie Brix. I am a sophomore at Lakeridge High School. I'm on the bowling team and the tennis team. My
BERIT BALLEW:: name is Berit Ballew and I'm a senior at Lake Oswego High School, and I'm on my school's bowling team. Hi, my name
GEORGIA MILLER:: is Georgia Miller. I'm a senior at Lakeridge and I'm on the bowling
Speaker 3: team.
Thank you so much for being here. Bowling is relatively new in our district. What made you say, I wanna be on the
Speaker 4: bowling team? My mom is on a [00:02:00] league, so she kind of influenced me to join bowling. And also I just thought it would be a fun thing to do. So last year I was the only girl on the team, and this year I recruited six more girls.
Speaker 3: Awesome. I love that. Now your mom is a bowler, so does that mean that you grew up bowling and. Kind of learned as a small child?
Speaker 4: No, she started more recently, so it was kind of a learning curve for both me and her. Oh, that's awesome. You can bowl together.
Speaker 5: How about
Speaker 4: you?
Speaker 5: For me, it was just seeing how much fun all of these other girls had in previous years and how positive the whole experience was and like meeting new people and just creating a whole team atmosphere, both at practice and for like the district tournament as well.
Speaker 3: Very cool. Thank you.
Speaker 6: Me and an old city league team, we wanted to do something else that was new and not something that you needed to have a lot of practice on and just get right into it. And so we decided to do bowling.
Speaker 3: So was it something you had [00:03:00] experience with before or you really like never picked up a bowling ball and you're going at it?
Speaker 6: For me, I've probably been bowling once or twice before I joined the bowling team, but I really enjoyed it once I tried it out and yeah.
Speaker 3: What size ball do you use?
Speaker 6: I use like a 10, usually between 10 and 11. I like switch a lot.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 6: How about you guys?
Speaker 4: I have a custom ball that I bought for myself, so it fits my fingers and it's 12 pounds.
Speaker 3: Oh my gosh. That's so cool. A custom ball. How about you Barrett? And for me, I usually use like an 11 pound ball. Okay. I always feel like when I'm bowling I get like seven, like a, so I could lift it. I don't, that's probably why I'm not very good at bowling, but. Yeah, I always think that's interesting when people have the big heavy balls or even a custom ball, how does a custom ball get made?
Speaker 4: So basically they like took measurements of my fingers and like the like span of how far they go. [00:04:00] And then they just, I don't know, like this guy's like a pro. So he's like, oh, this will be good. And then he just like drill. Then he like drilled these holes and then yeah, it fit perfect. So then I have like.
Custom, like silicone fingertips. So then like I can hold my ball by the two finger holds, but I bowl with my thumb and my fingers in the ball.
Speaker 3: Got it. Okay. That's sounds fascinating. I didn't even know they could do that for anyone. I usually just get whatever balls. You know, the, the free ball that's on the side of the, the bowling alley.
Alright, so every sport has its challenges. What was the biggest learning
Speaker 4: curve for you? The biggest learning curve for me was just trying to find my mark and consistently hitting it. It takes a lot of practice to then figure out, like, perfect. It's, I don't know, it's hard to explain. Like it takes a lot of time to figure out the like, perfect.
Angle that your ball will curve. So figuring out where to aim and then have that curve hit the head [00:05:00] pin. It was probably the biggest learning curve
Speaker 5: probably for me was just figuring out which ball worked best for me. 'cause I started with like a nine pound, it was like pretty light, but the problem was it wouldn't knock down as many pins as I wanted to, even though it was faster to throw and easier to throw.
And so I'd to just adjust by moving up to heavier balls. And also I moved up, or I tried like a 13 pound ball, which was definitely a little too heavy. But from there I just kind of did trial and error and found which one worked best for me.
Speaker 3: So you're saying I might be better if I. If I used a heavier ball.
I don't know if that's true, but that That's very interesting. Yep. How about you?
Speaker 6: I think it was hard, like being consistent with all my strokes and everything. Once I thought I figured out a good technique, it just. Started like not hitting pins or I would like somehow manage to put it in the gutter and it took me a while to like figure out my consistent like strategies that I would use and I would have to go in [00:06:00] between a heavy and a lighter bowl just trying to figure out what worked for me.
And it always changed somehow. So
Speaker 3: is it something, well, I know if you have a custom ball, you probably always do the same ball, but do you change balls if. If you the first time, 'cause you're trying to hit the head pin and then the next time when you're trying to hit, like if there's only two pins left, then do you use a lighter ball or do you just always use the same size ball?
Speaker 6: I always use the same size ball, but I mean I would go in between like an 11 and a 10 a lot because sometimes. It felt really heavy and other days it didn't. If that makes sense. And it wouldn't hit as many pins down if I used like a 10.
Speaker 3: It just depended on the day, I
Speaker 6: guess. Yeah,
Speaker 3: that makes sense. So how about any skills that were harder to pick up?
'cause you just kind of mentioned the turn of the ball or the curve of the ball. What's the hardest skill to pick up in bowling?
Speaker 6: I always tried curving the ball, but it never worked as well as like Sadie, for example. She did a really good job with like [00:07:00] curving the ball, but I could never do it.
Speaker 4: Whenever I bowl my wrist twist, which gives it the hook, which is like the curve at the end.
So sometimes I would, it would twist too much and go across the lane into the gutter. That was a skill I had to pick up was just knowing how much to curve to hit the head pin, and then also just following through and not just like, just keeping that momentum going
Speaker 5: for me. I would probably just say the consistency for me, like.
Some games, I'd have like a really great game and be really consistent, get lots of marks in the other games. I would really struggle in finding my step and like getting into the groove of it again. So just the consistency for me.
Speaker 3: So a lot of people don't realize how competitive bowling is. What's something about.
Bowling that you think would also
Speaker 6: surprise people? When I first went to tournaments, I never thought it was that competitive, but everyone had like [00:08:00] chance and were like clapping and I didn't think it would be as like hype as it was, but everyone got really into it. So that took me by surprise. Then at our next tournament
Speaker 4: we, we created Chance and our girls team, we brought the hype and I think that we are the loudest in the place.
Speaker 5: Yeah, and I will say Lakeridge did have some really good chance at the district tournament and it was really fun. Like the bowling alley definitely gets really intense during tournaments. But the cheers and everything like that, the team chants really hypes up the bowling alley and it definitely gets really loud.
Speaker 3: Now we don't have a bowling alley in Lake Oswego. So where is our home Bowling
Speaker 4: Alley? Me and Georgia's home Bowling Alley is super play off of Beaverton Hillsdale Highway,
Speaker 5: and for us, we practice at Tigard Bowl
Speaker 4: in Tigard. Got it. Okay. Very cool.
Speaker 3: Since these teams are obviously pretty new, what's it like to be part of the founding team and does it feel like you're kind of [00:09:00] paving the way for
Speaker 4: future students?
Especially since I was the last, like since I was the only girl last year on the team. It was really cool to have more girls on the team this year and actually have our own team. So like I didn't have to play in the open with the boys. I gotta play on the girls team this year, so I just hope I can continue to like bring people into bowling to like still have a girls team and just keep the hype and, yeah, I don't know.
It's pretty cool to like be founding a girls team at Lake Ridge.
Speaker 5: Yeah, and for lo, we've had a girls team for a while now, but it's really great. Like every year I feel like we're getting more and more girls. I think this year we had like four or five teams, which is really cool. Like we kind of just took over the bowling alley.
A lot of schools only have like one team, but we came in, we had like four or five teams, which is really great. And it's really great to see like girls coming from different grades, different friend circles, everything like that, and really coming together as a team.
Speaker 3: I love to hear that.
Speaker 6: I'm sad that I [00:10:00] found this my senior year and that I couldn't be able to do this like all my other years that I attended Lakeridge.
But for me and like the other group of senior girls. We had so much fun and I hope more people joined because you don't think it's like as fun until you just go and bowl with everyone and it's such a good community. So I hope more people do it. That's
Speaker 3: great. Now, Georgia, you'd mentioned kind of the hype or you know, I can't what you called it earlier, but are there like inside jokes or did you guys create any fun traditions now that you think will carry on through.
The bowling team,
Speaker 6: we definitely did a lot of like TikTok trend, chance, and like there's a lot of chance from like songs like some people do, like who let the dogs out and then the other team would like bark
who let
Speaker 3: the dogs out. Yes,
Speaker 6: yes. [00:11:00]
Speaker 3: I love that. That's
Speaker 6: exactly how it went, but it was always. Really fun coming up with like new chants on the spot and seeing everyone else get super excited.
Speaker 3: How about Lo, does Lo have any fun chance? Do you guys let the dogs out? My
Speaker 5: favorite like chant that we do especially at practice, is kind of like our Turkey cheer, I guess.
So anytime anyone gets two strikes, like in a row during practice, somebody else like, Hey everyone, somebody has two strikes, and then everyone cheers and like everyone stops during practice and watches that person. So there's a little bit of pressure to get that third strike, but it's also really fun because the energy in the bowling alley is really fun.
Even during practices and during our tournaments.
Speaker 3: That sounds so much fun. I'm, I feel like I wanna be part of the bowling theme, you know? I know the season just ended. What was each of your most exciting and memorable moment of the season?
Speaker 4: My most exciting and memorable moment of the season was getting 10th at in All Stars at [00:12:00] districts.
I was pretty proud of myself because I got the like best on the girls team. I'm just really happy that I recruited more girls this year and met new friends like Georgia and. Yeah, I don't know. I just think that this girls team will just be in my heart forever. Aw, that's so sweet.
Speaker 6: I got 13th at districts and I would say I did really well at districts.
I was getting a little strikes, which made me really happy, and that was probably my most memorable moment. But the girls team was definitely my favorite, like all the girls I was super close with. And Sadie also was very welcoming and really just opened her arms for me. And you know, we got a new friendship and.
That's what's important. That's fantastic.
Speaker 5: Barrett, how about hello? For me, I think it was just every practice, like coming to practice and [00:13:00] it was a great time because it felt like a space where everyone could just leave what they had outside of school and their personal life. And it was just a time for that hour and 15 minutes to just come together and just have fun as a team and really like make new connections and enjoy the time like together as a team.
And we always brought great energy every practice and so that was always fun.
Speaker 3: That's great. And that's what extracurriculars are all about, you know, letting go of the school, the pressure, and have fun with your friends. So I, I love that. And bowling's such a lifelong sport, so you'll be able to do it forever.
So Mary Kay had kinda mentioned it's growing nationwide and I think that is true. A lot more bowling alleys popping up places. So, I mean, why do you think it's a great sport for high school students specifically?
Speaker 6: I think it's a really good opportunity for students to like get to know more people and be on like a team, and it's not like a super athletically demanding sport, so I think that anyone can do [00:14:00] it and it really builds a good community between students and getting new friendships.
I think that's what it's all about, and I think it'd be really good for people to
Speaker 4: be more
Speaker 6: involved with it.
Speaker 4: There's definitely some kids on our girls and boys team that I think this was just a really good opportunity for them to meet new people and just put themselves out there. And I think that for everyone, this was really good, just seeing how much yourself, like how you could grow.
And I just, I think, yeah, since it is not very athletic, demanding, it is just a good, like a good like chill sport that like. Anyone can do and it's like a really fun thing to be able to do with your friends.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I also feel like it's a great opportunity, like you can go into it with a really competitive mindset and really like prioritize that, or you can just go there and have fun.
Just relax during practice and just have fun. So it's really just what you put into it. I guess. You [00:15:00] can go there and just enjoy your time or you can really work on your skills and work on especially your individual skills that you can bring to like the team during like a tournament setting as well.
Speaker 3: Yeah. That's great. So for students who will be listening to this right now, what kind of advice would you give them if they're interested in going out for the team? I.
Speaker 6: Just do it. And you know, you might be nervous at first, but once you get into it, like me, I was really scared at first, but then I got really into it and just going to practice and seeing everybody, it was so fun.
It's. Calm enough to where like there shouldn't be too much stress on you, but you can be as competitive with it as you want. And I just think once you like start, you'll just fall in love with it and you just have to trust the process.
Speaker 4: Just go for it. Just join the team. Everyone like no matter how long you've been bullying is still learning something new on how to get better, just join and invite [00:16:00] a friend so you have someone to bowl with and just have a good time.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I would definitely say it's always more fun when you bring in like lots of friends or even just make friends there and don't be nervous when you start. 'cause for most people, like for me, I only bowl a couple times at like birthday parties and other than that, I had no experience. So I definitely was nervous going into it.
But as you get into like practices and stuff, you'll grow so much both like in bowling and out of bowling as well. So that's really cool.
Speaker 3: That's great advice. You heard it here first before we wrap up. Any shout outs? To your teammates, coaches, fans, anybody you wanna say hi to? I wanna shout
Speaker 6: our coach Sierra, who she really believed in me and really pushed me to like be the best I could be.
And I never thought it was too serious, but when I started getting serious about it, she really helped me with my technique. And when something I didn't understand, she would talk me through it and just really help me become a more confident [00:17:00] bowler and in my abilities. And I also wanna shout out Sadie for being such a welcoming teammate and going to all the tournaments with me and just being there for me when I needed her.
Speaker 4: Thank you, Georgia. I wanna shout out Hora and how she is such a good teammate and she's my favorite. I wanna shout out Janice for being a great coach and for just pushing me to be my best in helping me get better. Coach Sierra, she. Really pushed me to be my best. And same with Coach Gray. She also just, they were always both there for me and I really appreciate that.
I also wanna shout out my mom and how she pushed me to be my best and wanted me to bowl my way through college.
Speaker 5: And for me, I would say all of our coaches, Mr. Hill, Ms. Ferris and Ms. Nichols, they put so much time into our team and I'm really appreciative of that and 'cause we wouldn't have been able to have that great of a season without them.
Also, my other teammates, [00:18:00] especially my fellow seniors, it was such a fun season and I was really glad to go out with a bang with this season. So. That was really fun.
Speaker 3: That's awesome. And all of the coaches at Lakeridge and Aloha, at least the ones you just mentioned, they are all staff members at our school, so that's great that you can see 'em around the building and see them at practice, and they can check in on you and make sure everything's good.
That's one of the things that I think makes Lake Oswego so remarkable is that that connections you can have with the adults who are already working in the building. So. It was so fun to hear about bowling. Thank you so much, ladies, for being here on the show, and I wish you the best of luck in your bowling endeavors.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Take care.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Thank you. Oh my gosh, that is so much fun. You make me want to take up bowling. I want, is there an angel limit? Can I be on the team? No. Mary Kay. You cannot be on the high school team. I don't know if anyone wants me on a team, but I certainly wanna learn how to bowl well.
With that, let's turn our attention to some [00:19:00] other awesome activities and opportunities that are happening in our community.
Speaker 3: I'm so glad you asked because we have something big coming up. Drum roll please. The long awaited Lake Oswego Recreational Aquatic Center is finally opening. Woo. It's been a long time in the making and we're officially cutting the ribbon on Saturday.
April 26th. That's what they're telling us right now, April 26th. We're counting on it. We're counting on it. This is such a milestone for our community. We wouldn't be here without the people who championed this project and the support of the voters who passed the city Parks bond and our Lake Oswego district bond in 2017.
It's so exciting to see this vision finally come to life, and as superintendent, I love that this new facility will definitely benefit. Our students, our high school water polo and swim teams are among our district's most successful in welcoming sports. And these teams bring in [00:20:00] student athletes of all skill levels, and they've even won multiple state championships.
And it's gonna be so amazing for them to use these facilities that are brand new and really college like. And so it's gonna be fantastic.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. I live near the, the Lorac and we already got our family pass for it and we'll be taking tours of it. And like many, my husband is constantly asking, what do you know?
When's it opening? When's it opening? So I was very excited to, to give him a date finally. We have so much going on in our community and so much more to talk about. I look forward to many more episodes of learning in Lake Oswego as we share good news with our community on all the different things happening.
Thank you so much for
Speaker 3: listening, and until next time, keep exploring and stay engaged. Class dismissed.
Speaker: We hope you found this episode informative and helpful. While our discussions are general, we understand each [00:21:00] family's experience unique. If you have specific questions about your child, please contact your school principal to learn more about the topics we discussed.
Ask a question or share ideas for future episodes, please visit losd schools.org and remember to like and follow us wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for engaging with learning in Lake Oswego. We appreciate your support and look forward to having you with us for our next episode.