COMMUNITY: C.R.'s Cline attains bowling goal

Editor's note: Rob Cline is an arts professional and freelance writer. His usual contributions to The Gazette are reviews of books and arts events. However, given his son's intense, ongoing participation, he's surprisingly knowledgeable about bowling, too.

By Rob Cline, community contributor

Plenty of teenagers have a specific goal in mind when they turn 16.

For one, it's time to get licensed to drive.

But Bryan Cline, a sophomore at Cedar Rapids Washington, was driven to achieve a less typical goal on his 16th birthday. He wanted to earn his Bronze Level Coaching Certification from the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).

To do so, he traveled to Dacula, Ga., to complete the required course, which wrapped up on his birthday, March 24.

“I've been a certified coach for a couple of years, coaching kids at the Cedar Rapids Bowling Center and working with some of the guys on my high school team, but I had to wait to turn 16 before I could earn the Bronze Level certification,” Cline said.

Pat Costello, one of 24 active Gold Level coaches in the country and a member of the USBC Hall of Fame, oversaw the training sessions in Dacula, which included classroom time and on-lane sessions with developing bowlers.

“It was great to learn from someone like Pat,” Cline said. “Gold Level coaches have so much knowledge to share and Pat was really encouraging to all of us who were there for her class.”

Cline was inspired to pursue coaching certification because coaches have been key to his personal success on the lanes. Since taking up the sport as a kindergartner, Cline has received individual coaching from Iowa State USBC Woman's Bowling Association Hall of Famer Sue Strasburger and Andy Diercks, a Silver Level coach who coaches at Linn-Mar High School and Mount Mercy University.

He also has attended bowling camp at Wichita State University, receiving coaching from Gordon Vadakin (Gold Level) and Mark Lewis (Silver Level), coaches of the most successful collegiate bowling program in the country - a program Cline hopes to be a part of in a few years.

“I'm working hard to develop my game so I can earn the opportunity to contribute to that team,” Cline said of the Shockers. “It's been another important goal of mine for a long time.”

l What's your story? Contact J.R. Ogden at jr.ogden@thegazette.com to become a community contributor