The future of NC State bowling is uncertain. With The Alley’s closing imminent, students and city residents alike are forced to look for new alleys in order to continue their hobby. Despite this blow to university bowling, Nathan Hiser, a senior studying sustainable materials and technology, is making plans to foster more enthusiasm about the sport through a long-standing, but little known, campus organization.
Hiser is the president of the NCSU Bowling Club, an organization that has been sending student bowlers up and down the east coast for competition for more than 20 years. As president, he is more than qualified; his parents first brought him to a bowling alley at only a few months old, and he started practicing at the age of three. On average, he bowls about 210 pins per game.
“When you spend your whole childhood at a bowling alley, you’re going to bowl,” Hiser said.
The club provides two leagues for interested student bowlers. The recreational league meets on Tuesday nights at Buffaloe Lanes North and is open to players of all skill levels. Those who are interested can join the league for $5. Along with the opportunity to better their game, participants receive instruction from United States Bowling Congress certified coaches, one of who is a former NC Bowling Hall of Fame member.
“We’re really lucky to have the coaches that we do,” Hiser said. “They’re honestly too good to be coaching any college team.”
The competitive league is open to any experienced player, serving as the university’s sole competitive bowling entity. Historically, it has traveled along the east coast playing against other private and public university teams. Occasionally, the club hasn’t been able to sponsor a league for competition due to lack of players. Hiser is worried that The Alley’s closing will only make that issue worse, as less students will want to pursue bowling if there are no lanes nearby.
Team dues naturally increase for competitive league members. Despite steep tournament costs and alley fees, most of the club’s budget goes toward transportation. Although this may be crippling financially, the team is offered reduced prices at their practice lanes as long as it practices late at night.
The team’s practice schedule is rigorous. Members are required to participate in three sessions a week that typically end at 11 p.m. Even then, the schedule pales in comparison to other competitive universities such as Webber International University, a private school in Florida that proves to be NC State’s toughest rival, whose bowling team practices every day of the work week in order to stay on top. Hiser wished that his own team could set a routine meeting schedule.
“[Webber International is] able to practice every day of the week,” Hiser said. “We can barely agree on three days.”
Club participation is enthusiastic and strong, and most members in the recreational league are bowling higher numbers than they ever have before. Michael Burton, a sophomore studying statistics, praised the club’s talented members during a Tuesday night practice with the recreational league.
“Bowling with people who are better than you really ups your game,” Burton said. “I really enjoy the competitive atmosphere.”
When asked about The Alley’s closing, sentiments among Hiser and other club members were mixed. The club never practiced there due to weathered lanes and outdated equipment, so the members won’t miss much about it; however, despite some criticism, many aspects of The Alley will be missed. Hiser would have rather seen The Alley be remodeled than be replaced. He commended the establishment for being a great place to relax and socialize, but he mostly hopes that the student community won’t lose interest in the sport as a whole. Burton’s interest in the sport arose from participating in the class.
“It was nice to have a bowling alley that was close to campus because you had the bowling class,” Burton said. “Now that aspect will be missing from the university, and it will be challenging to replace it.”
The Alley’s closing marks a time of hardship for local bowlers. Although enthusiasm and interest in bowling may not be strong in the nation’s younger generation, Hiser aspires to promote bowling to attract anyone and everyone in the NC State community. Though the club is focusing on advertising and promotion in order to reach a broader audience, it plans to host local tournaments open to any student in the near future. The tournaments would raise awareness of the club as well as serve as an informal intramural event.
Hiser is excited and hopeful about the future of NC State bowling, and wants to involve as many people as possible with the bowling club. Anyone interested in joining the organization can email bowling-club@ncsu.edu.
