The South Valley’s Young at Heart league has bowlers ages 50 and
older coming together for fun, spirited competition
– and a good game of bowling
n by kelly savio
staff writer
Mil Laird, 81, peers over the eggplant-colored ball she’s holding close to her body, just above her chest. She focuses intensely on the smooth expanse of wood in front of her. She seems heedless of the “thud! Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, crash!” sounds around her. In one fluid motion, she takes, one, two steps, brings the 14-pound ball behind her with one hand, then hurls it down the lane at 10 white and red pins.
The pins don’t stand a chance. It’s a strike – all 10 go down at once.
Laird turns around, swings her fist in front of her and walks over to accept high-fives from her teammates.
It’s a typical Tuesday afternoon for Laird, a Morgan Hill resident, who is bowling with the Young at Heart senior bowling league at Gilroy Bowl.
“Oh, I’ve probably been bowling since I was in my 30s,” Laird said. “I’ve been in this league for at least 10 years. It’s a lot of fun, and the best part is that you bowl with the same people every week, and you make some really nice friends.”
Because the bowling alleys in both Hollister and Morgan Hill are closed, bowlers from all over the South Valley are taking their game to Gilroy Bowl. Sara Kunst, a Hollister resident, said the Young at Heart league gave her a chance to not only play a game she’s enjoyed for more than 50 years, but it’s also an opportunity to get exercise and be social.
“I enjoy just about everything about bowling – even the frustration,” she said, laughing. “I have a bad wrist and my husband has a bad hip, but we wear our braces and we’re careful and we bowl anyway.”
Most of the seniors come to bowl for fun, said league member Don Watts, though some take it very seriously.
“The hardest part of bowling is losing, and the best part is, of course, winning,” he said, smiling. “My favorite thing is bowling a 300 – a perfect score. Someone will get a perfect score a couple of times a year. But mostly, we just enjoy bowling, win or lose. A lot of us have been doing this most of our lives. We had a gentleman last year who was 95 years old. He bowled up until about a month before he passed away.”
On the opposite side of the bowling alley, a group of kids ranging in age from 8 to 12 are bowling. Watts points his thumb at them and nods his head approvingly.
“We need to give younger people something to do, a place to go,” he said. “Bowling is a nice thing to do to get them out of the house. It’s a good family sport, too. You can get everyone together and bring them down to the bowling alley.”
The bowlers in Young at Heart are a helpful lot. They are happy to explain rules and techniques, and they’re quick to assure that anyone can learn how to bowl. Novice bowlers can learn plenty from simply watching these seniors’ mastery of the lanes. But before beginners get up to bowl next to the pros, they need to know about the one-lane courtesy rule.
“The one-lane courtesy rule is that you have at least one lane in between you and another person who is bowling,” explained Rudy Escobedo, a member of the league. “If someone is going to bowl in the lane right next to you, you should wait until they’re finished.”
The rule is not only for courtesy, said Escobedo, 66. It’s for safety, too.
“First, it’s hard to bowl when someone else is in motion right next to you,” he said. “But it’s also for safety because you never know what can happen. I’ve seen balls fly up into the air, fly backwards, people slip and fall. You don’t want to be in the way of a flying bowling ball or someone falling.”
Accordingly, Mary Narimatsu, 76, waits for Gene McClendon to finish his bowl. He sends the ball down the alley, knocking down all 10 pins.
“Boo-yah!” he exclaims.
Narimatsu then takes her turn, knocking down all but one pin on the first try, and finishing off the final pin on her second try for a spare.
When she’s decimated all the pins, she turns, throwing her arms in the air and smiling in victory.
It’s been a good day bowling.
Join the Young At Heart league
– Dues are $8.50 a week, plus annual dues to the association.
– The group meets from 1-3pm every Tuesday for bowling.
– Anyone age 50 or older welcome.
– For more information, call Joyce Milla, manager of Gilroy Bowl, at (408) 842-5100. The bowling alley is located at 7554 Monterey Road.
Not a Senior But Want to Bowl?
– Mixed leagues bowl many weeknights. Membership requires annual dues that range from $14-$20. Weekly fees depend on the league.
– Winter league for Young At Heart and other bowling leagues begins after Labor Day, so sign up now.
– For more information, call Joyce Milla, manager of Gilroy Bowl, at (408) 842-5100.
