BVNW’s girls and boys bowling teams began the new season with fresh leadership as coaching positions changed in the program.
“An opportunity arose when Coach [Sarah] Derks left Northwest,” Kerry Kinkelaar said. “I’ve been a parent of kids on the bowling team for many years, but this is the first year that I’ve taken on the role of assistant coach.”
Kerry said her husband does a lot of coaching at the bowling alleys in town, and her kids have bowled since they were little.
“[I am] familiar with bowling, for sure, but this is definitely the first time I’ve helped with the coaching aspect,” Kerry said.
Her son, junior Larsen Kinkelaar, said he joined the BVNW varsity bowling team last year. This year, he said the boys team has a strong bond, but so do the coaches because they collaborate well, each bringing their own strengths.
“My mom is very organized. She has been around bowling [for] a long time, so she understands the game. Although she doesn’t bowl herself, she’s very positive and encouraging,” Larsen said. “Ms. Stohlmann is pretty knowledgeable [about] the game. She bowls herself, so she can give more tips [and] she can help with the foundations of new bowlers.”
Head Coach Karen Stohlmann said she helped as an assistant bowling coach for the girls, boys and unified teams for three years before becoming head coach. She said the transition to head coach was smooth thanks to guidance from Derks.
“She did a great job of sharing with me all the stuff that she had, and having me go with her to meetings and see how things were set up,” Stohlmann said.
Stohlmann said this year has also been easier thanks to her long history of teaching alongside Kerry.
“Because of [teaching together], we’ve had a lot of time figuring out how to communicate and how to take the same thing and make it happen in more than one place,” Stohlmann said.
Stohlmann also said Kerry’s experience and familiarity with the sport is an asset for the team.
“[Kerry] has probably spent more time in a bowling alley than Coach Derks and I combined, just because her husband and her kids are so involved in bowling,” Stohlmann said.
Senior Maddie Abel said this was her second year on the bowling team. She said there have been a few things that have changed since Derks left, but for the most part, things have stayed similar.
“[The coaches are] really nice, and they just want you to be out there and have fun,” Abel said.
In addition to a new coach, the team has also added several new athletes this season. Sophomore Maggie Morris said this is her first year on the bowling team. She said she is one of the many girls who are new to the sport this year on the team.
“Most of the boys have bowled before, or did league bowling and a lot of the girls are newer,” Morris said.
According to Morris, since most of the girls have had less experience bowling than the boys, the coaches have been helping the girls a lot more recently.
“Right now, for us, it’s a lot of working on the basics,” Morris said.
Kerry agreed that there are a lot of new girls on the team, meaning they have been receiving a lot of coaching lately.
“With our girls team, it’s a lot of learning the game, how to make their arm go straight back [and] how to make their hips so they’re facing the lane,” Kerry said.
Morris and Abel both said the coaches seem to be a great pair so far.
“They work together, but they do different tasks. One will report the scores and the other one will get feedback,” Abel said.
The next bowling meet will be at Olathe Lanes East Jan. 28 at 5 p.m..
