Hays Post
Hays High officially has their first ever bowling coach as Richard Hodges was approved by the USD 489 Board on Monday evening. Trent Rose was approved as an assistant coach.
The school board approved both the bowling and unified bowling program in June meeting.
Hodges decided to take on the challenge of a first year program because he was nervous for the new program and wanted to make sure that it was in good hands and geared in the right direction.
While there are many points to coaching, one of the biggest is teaching bowlers how to use the lane to their advantage and adjust to the changes the lane goes through during competition.
Coach Richard Hodges
Hodges has been bowling out of Hays for the last 10 years and has close ties with Centennial Lanes where the Indians will practice and compete during the season.
Tuesday, Aug. 23, is a big day for Hodges as he meets with the student body to determine the interest level.
There are two bowling seasons during the school year. The first is right around the corner with practice starting September 26th for Unified Bowling. This season partners a student with an intellectual disability and a regular education student. Like the other competitions sactioned by KSHSAA there is a state championship at the end of the season in November.
KSHSAA allows one week bowling tryouts for the second season beginning Nov. 28 and concluding Dec. 31. The first official practices begin in January. The regional tournament is Feb. 20 to 25 and state is March 2 and 3.
Hays High becomes the final school in the Western Athletic Conference to add bowling. The current KSHSAA structure combines 5A through 1A while 6A is a second classification of its' own. Last school year 34 girls and 34 boys teams competed in 6A. 54 girls and 55 boys teams competed in 5-1A with each of the five classes represented by at least three schools.