Talk Bronx New York

 

Bronx Science’s Gregory Barber is undoubtedly the best PSAL bowler in the borough. The sophomore has averaged a respectable 183.71 pins per game while leading the Wolverines to a 7-1 record and first place in Bronx II.

Barber began bowling in a league in Queens at age 5; he has his own ball and a private coach, and he entered the week ranked 39th among boys in the PSAL.

But in the Bronx, Gregory Barber is an anomaly.

The borough’s teams have failed to reach the third round of the PSAL playoffs for the past five seasons. The second highest–ranked bowler in the Bronx is Wolverines co-captain Matt Dunay, who averages 171.60 pins per game, good for 83rd in the city. Bronx Science ranks 26th overall in the PSAL. The next-best Bronx squad is Taft, ranked No. 41 before games this week.

Such numbers raise an obvious question: Why is the Bronx stuck in a perpetual traffic jam on the lanes, so many miles behind Staten Island powers Tottenville, McKee/SI Tech and Susan Wagner?

Why are they lagging so far behind Queens contenders Bayside (second) and Thomas Edison (fourth), and Brooklyn’s Goldstein (fourth), Fort Hamilton (seventh) and New Utrecht (eighth).

Barber pauses for a minute, when asked about the paucity of quality Bronx programs.

“I just think they have more money over there,” Barber said.

It’s a provocative thesis, and one of many possible explanations for Bronx bowling’s spot in the PSAL slow lane.

Queried during their matches at Ball Park Lanes on Tuesday, coaches and players alike mentioned economic factors, early exposure to the sport and ready access to the lanes as necessary ingredients for success.

“I think a lot of those guys are born with a bowling ball in the crib,” Taft coach George Diaz said, referring to bowlers from Brooklyn and Staten Island. “And I think in the Bronx, maybe it’s a baseball bat or a basketball.”

Players or schools must pick up the $3 per-game cost of PSAL practices. For some, it’s not a problem. But for others, the financial barrier could mean missing out on valuable practice time, which could spell the difference between a strike and a spare.

“For a lot of our kids, it’s hard to dish out $6 each time,” said Francisco Ocampo, the coach at theBronx School of Law, Government & Justice.

The Jaguars picked up the tab for practices this year, Ocampo said, adding that he’s noticed an increase in attendance. That, he says, has translated to some success on the lanes.

“There’s more commitment, more participation then when I started (seven seasons ago); this is the first year I think we can make the playoffs,” Ocampo said of the Jaguars, who began the week at 3-4.

Ocampo’s squad needs to win two of its final three lead games to qualify for the postseason. South Bronx is in the same position, something that has surprised coach Rogue Ristorucci.

“I thought we might be lucky to win three games,” the 10th-year coach said of the 3-4 Phoenix. “I thought we might end up in last place, but I was wrong.”

Ristorucci said he’s long been accustomed to a roster full of inexperienced bowlers. He said he’s had less than a handful of players who arrived at the school with significant bowling experience.

“When I first started, I was just throwing the ball because that’s all I knew,” said Chris Miree, a senior and second-year bowler who rolled a career-high 144 to help South Bronx past the Jags on Tuesday.

Watching Miree establish career highs a year after learning the basics keeps Ristorucci coming back to the lanes each year.

He knows his inexperienced crew can’t threaten the best on Staten Island or Brooklyn, but says he’s satisfied to see steady improvement at South Bronx and throughout the borough.

“The biggest thing is to get them in; by and large, they improve a lot,” Ristorucci said. “They see the (high) scores and it’s something to strive for. They see what’s possible and they know they can do it, but they have a lot to make up for.”

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Tags: Ball Park Lanes, barber, Bayside, bowling, bronx, Bronx News, Bronx People, Bronx School of Law, bronx schools, Bronx Science, GED, Jaguars, New Utrecht, Phoenix, psal, queens, rogue, schools, score, South Bronx, Sports, Taft, Thomas Edison, Tottenville, Wagner, Wolverines

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