The bowling team is dealing with adversity one pin at a time.

Elisha Witt has been bowling with the GRC team from the time he was in the seventh grade. In this time, he has seen a lot of change.

The team used to practice and host matches at Forest Park Lanes here in Winchester. However, when the facility closed its doors in 2013, the team had to move to Eastland in Lexington.

“We had a lot more bowlers when we had the bowling alley here,” said Witt. While the team size has been dwindling down in the past few years, there seems to be a new spark in interest.

Adding six new members Witt says “I think we are going to have a really strong team this year.” He looks for returning members to be able to mentor teammates throughout the season providing them with encouragement.

“It is a very mental sport; if you are all worked up you aren’t going to do very well,” says Witt when explaining how positive attitudes go a long way during a match.

Bowling requires lots of one on one with a coach or mentor to prepare which puts the team at a slight disadvantage. “We have a lot of trouble because we have to drive to lexington to practice,” says Witt.

While the distance between them and their practice facility limits practice time, the team doesn’t let this stop them. “We can’t practice as much as other teams, but we go on our own consistently,” says Witt.

The leisure of the sport is one of Witt’s favorite parts. “You don’t have to go out and practice five days a week; you can bowl on your own time,” Witt says.

This is something that makes bowling an optimal option for busy students. “It’s not an extremely strenuous sport. It’s something you can do for fun.”

As a senior, the fun of playing for the GRC team is coming to an end. Last year the team ended their season in the second round of regions.

This year, they get to host the tournament which is one of the benefits of moving the team to a larger facility. “It gives us a huge advantage because we don’t have to go to a different bowling alley so we are already used to the lanes we will be using,” says Witt.

He hopes that this will help his team reach their goals. He says, “I would like to go to state but going further than last year is always the goal.”