Decades ago the basement of Harter Union housed a bowling alley and although it’s not being reverted into a pin palace, Baker is adding women’s bowling to its list of athletic programs next year.
“My survey of the Baldwin City community and Baker students (says) it will be supported,” athletic director Dan Harris said.
A critical part of starting any new program is finding a head coach. Harris expects this to be a part-time position and to fill it with someone already familiar with Baker.
The search for a coach will begin Dec. 1. Harris hopes to find someone by the beginning of 2009. If a current staff member is not hired, the position will open to outside applicants.
Budget concerns and the hiring freeze implemented last week by University President Pat Long could cause the program to be delayed for a year. However, Harris said he is moving ahead to start it as scheduled and the program will not be canceled. Harris has not yet met with Jo Adams, vice president of financial services, or Long to discuss the possible postponement.
Unlike most sports, women’s bowling will come at a low cost to the university, as participants will supply their own shoes and bowling balls but will be provided a team polo shirt, Harris said.
Another difference between bowling and other sports such as soccer, which replaced the original bowling team in the ’70s, is that it does not fall under the jurisdiction of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Instead, the United States Bowling Conference governs bowling through youth levels up to professional leagues. Under USBC regulations, Baker will be able to compete against all schools on the collegiate level no matter the size.
Some NCAA schools do sponsor women’s bowling, and it is the fastest growing sport in the association, Sandy Davidson, Student Academic Services tutoring coordinator, said.
Davidson came up with the idea of bringing a bowling center to Baldwin City and conceived a business plan along with her fiancé, Greg Tugman, as a means of opening their own business. The two visited every bowling center in a 30-mile radius during research for the proposition. Despite speculation the center would be built in time to facilitate home tournaments, Davidson said that is not the case.
“Unfortunately, the timing was off,” she said. “While talking to the Small Business Administration last June, we discovered that credit was becoming much more difficult to secure, and given the current economic conditions, this really is no surprise. Had we presented the business concept two years earlier, we would have been rolling by now.”
The team is expected to practice at Royal Crest Lanes in Lawrence with an undetermined site for official competition.
The addition of the women’s bowling team coincides with the new wrestling program, giving Baker an equal number of athletic programs for men and women.