Bowling is one of the most played sports in America and despite the controversy that it may be in its final frame, Becton Regional High School’s bowling coach, Mr. Cantatore, is adamant about teaching high schoolers the importance of the sport.

Mr. Cantatore obtained the opportunity to become head coach in 2016 and has continued to lead the team since. In fact, during the years that he has been in charge, the group has placed second in the state sectional tournament.

The high school science teacher discovered his love for bowling at a young age, played all throughout high school, continued his hobby throughout college, and also found himself in multiple leagues throughout his adulthood.

For the duration of his bowling career, Coach Cantatore has gained knowledge of how to bowl flawlessly and has passed that key information down to his students.

For example, he has had to train students on not only how to bowl but on how to maintain composure during important tournaments.“Bowlers tend to get more nervous than usual at tournaments due to the large crowds of people and excessive noise that usually doesn’t exist during regular season matches, so as a coach, I sometimes need to remind my bowlers to remain calm and bowl as if there were no outside distractions,” he explained.

During his time as a coach, a main priority of his is allowing his students to adapt to the bowling environment while also making them feel as comfortable and flexible as possible. He familiarizes the players with the impact that bowling shoes make on their approach to the lane and the idea of the oil pattern. The oil pattern on each lane can differ in each tournament. When bowlers throw their balls down the lane, oil is transferred from the lane to the bowling ball, which reduces the amount of oil on the lane, therefore, increasing the amount that the ball will curve.  “Adjustments must be made in order for the bowler to consistently try to hit the sweet spot known as the pocket,” he said.

Coach Cantatore has given many tips to his students and future bowlers about how to become successful at this sport and believes that one should not only have his or her own equipment but should also practice at least a couple times on a weekly basis. He went on to mention that practicing to get spares can make a significant impact on a bowler’s score and can determine the difference between a win or loss in a match.

The Becton coach also believes that a novice bowler should stick with the basics of the sport stating, “An inexperienced bowler might try to make a 10-pin spare by standing on the right side of the lane and try to throw the ball perfectly straight in front of them. However, an experienced bowler should stand on the left side of the lane, as the ball statistically has a better chance of striking the 10-pin.”

The first tournament for the 2018-2019 season will take place on Friday, November 30, and the initial league match will occur on Thursday, December 6.

Most tournaments that Becton students participate in depend on the team’s total pinfall after 3 games.  The only exception is the North Jersey Singles Championships where each bowler is entered as an individual as opposed to being part of a team.  Each participant first bowls three games in the qualifying rounds, and then based on the total score, those bowlers who achieve above or equal to the cutoff score enter the first of four playoff rounds while the remaining players are eliminated from the tournament.  In each playoff round, each remaining bowler bowls one game, which will lead to some bowlers advancing to the next round and others being eliminated.  In the fourth and final found, which is the championship round, the two remaining participants will bowl head to head for the championship title.