Sparkman bowling team using a “spare” head coach

HARVEST – Strikes and spares is what every bowler looks to have each time stepping to the lanes looking down the lanes at a certain spot on their approach. For the Sparkman High bowling team, 2026 is one where they easily welcome a “spare.” In this case, their joy is they have spare coaches.

Macie Morris and Allie Crook have been named temporary coaches for the Senators bowling program as the program’s head coach, Cedric Austin, is away on special duty in basic training for the Army National Guard. Austin is scheduled to return to the school by the Thanksgiving school break and resume his second season as head coach.

Morris, the former Sparkman head coach of the softball program, is looking forward to the challenge of adapting to a new sport that she said for her personally has been one of strictly entertainment. She added, “I’m not a bowler, but what I hope to bring to the athletes through my coaching experience are the mental basics of the game and how to handle competition and the challenges that go into athletics.”

For Crook, she served as assistant coach to Austin for the bowling team a year ago, but early this year was named the head coach of the school’s volleyball program where she is currently taking the Lady Senators through the post-season playoffs.

“Coach Crook has honored her commitment to the bowling team by staying on as assistant coach despite her duties for the volleyball team,” said Chris Shumaker, Sparkman athletic director and assistant principal. “This is a huge undertaking, but she is doing a wonderful job with both teams.”

Austin secured his intentions of making sure the bowling program was in good hands prior to his leaving for his duty to assist his country and said he was confident the coaches on board will do a bang-up job.

For Morris, 37, she teaches physical science at the school and wasn’t exactly prepared to have a job back into the world of coaching having three children, all of whom are participating in some type of athletics. Her 16-year old son plays baseball and two daughters, ages 10 and six, are into playing softball. “I told Chris and all the coaches I’d like to fill in if needed and the school approached me about being the teacher representative for the bowling program. The dynamics of bowling and softball are different as at practices at Bowl Madison, there are other teams and team family members right there within feet of our team, and that was different for me from being a softball coach where our teams are usually isolated from any outside distractions.”

There are 18 student-athletes that make up the bowling team with only four females, thus Sparkman will entertain having a co-ed team this year to go along with a boys team. The high school bowling season runs from Oct.-Feb. and both Crook and Morris are expected to be along for what they believe to be an exciting ride down the lanes.

“I’d like to be involved with the team when Coach Austin returns,” added Morris.

“Coach Morris saw an opportunity to work with a new and different team and stepped up to help Coach Austin and our bowlers,” said Shumaker. “She has implemented strength and conditioning workouts as part of the bowling season program. ‘We Are Sparkman’ is not just a theme or motto. It is what we do.”