Chances are many people on campus don’t know Alabama has a club bowling team. Perhaps they glazed over it on a list of club sports at the University, but really didn’t pay attention. But the truth of the matter is that the Alabama club bowling team is now in its third year of competition and seeking members to add to its roster.

The bowling team would like to see some female members added to the team, as there are presently no women on the roster.

For now there are nine members on the team, but the team hopes to get this number up to at least 12 by next semester so there can be an “A” and “B” team with six bowlers on each.

But the current team members insist one does not have to be a bowling expert to join the squad.

“We take anybody from [someone] who doesn’t have a bowling ball or their own pair of shoes, to the people who have 13 bowling balls and four pairs of shoes,” said junior captain Matt Burkhead.

Each team member comes to the club with varying levels of experience and a different route of finding themselves on the team.

“At first when I started off I did it for fun, and then it came down to I really like this sport,” Burkhead said. “I decided to go with it, and bowling collegiates has been my dream, and now my next dream is going to the pro’s.”

Burkhead leads the team with five years of bowling experience and has recorded a career-high score of 290, just 10 pins off a perfect score.

Other bowlers on the team may not match Burkhead’s score or experience level, but they seem to know what it will take to get there.

“Bowling is comparable to golf,” said freshman Adam Smith. “It’s all about your swing, your timing, your footing, your target.”

Smith added that bowling is nothing like Wii Bowling and it is almost like comparing playing “Guitar Hero” to being in an actual band.

The bowling team works on their skills every Monday and Tuesday from 3-5 p.m. at Bama Lanes off 15th Street.

The team most recently returned from a tournament in Orlando, but regrets in cannot travel more frequently because of insufficient funds. There are no bowling tournaments to compete in Alabama, so the team must travel to at least Marietta, Ga., for the nearest tournaments.

But the team remains optimistic about its future.

“We’re working on this season getting our name out there,” Burkhead said. “As the team gets better, we’re going to try to get our name out there as far as fundraisers.”