MICHAEL F. SINEK

Michael F. Sinek started bowling in 1970 with his father at Fair Lanes Woodlawn in the Early Bird Special on Sunday mornings. He has had a long history of coaching and bowler development. Under his leadership, the University of Maryland team won their first-ever Eastern Pennsylvania Maryland Intercollegiate Bowling Conference Championship with a perfect 16-0 record in the 1989-1990 season. The late-night team practices at Andrews Air Force Base became legendary, with many local amateur and professional bowlers stopping by to practice with the team.

He has strongly supported youth bowling in the association. In addition to supporting the Saturday Morning Youth and Sunday Junior Gold Prep programs, he also runs the Monday Junior Gold program, which focuses on pattern reading, lane play, and bowling ball selections. Fort Meade youth bowlers have had a lot of success recently at the NCAUSBCA Youth Invitational as well as supporting a majority of The USA Bowling Team Champion Chesapeake Bay Strikers. Mike’s coordinated nationally recognized coaching opportunities like Storm University, Camp Bakes, and he personally ran bowling clinics for junior and adult bowlers at The Lanes Fort Meade.

Advanced Kegel Products such as Specto (laser radar tracking) and Torch ball path training tools have been introduced and installed at The Lanes, with Mike giving Specto and Torch lessons often. He regularly coaches bowlers of all skill levels and has also trained other coaches in the use of Specto and Torch, allowing bowlers and coaches of all skill levels to improve their performance.

One of Mike’s proudest accomplishments is the creation of the Wounded Warrior Event at The Lanes Fort Meade and Bethesda Naval Bowling Center. He created this event to give Wounded Warriors equipment, instruction, and a recreational skill that they can carry with them forever. He procured sponsorship from Storm, Dexter, Vise, and Bowler’s Supply to provide balls, bags, shoes, and accessories for the wounded warriors. During 2012 through 2013, Mike coordinated with the Fort Meade Soldiers’ and Family Assistance Center (SFAC) and Bethesda Naval Hospital to fit and drill bowling balls for the wounded warriors. He also coordinated the training sessions with the professional bowlers and coaches on the Storm, Dexter, and Vise staffs. In 2014, with the dissolving of the Fort Meade SFAC, he coordinated with Noel Dy-sart, manager at Bethesda Naval Bowling Center, to run and emcee the event.

Mike has been considered a Sport Bowling expert for many years, helming the NCAUSBCA’s first and longest-running Sport (Scratch) league, the Bud Scratch Trios at Fort Meade. He bowled in a Sport test league in St. Louis in 2000 and brought the concept to Fort Meade upon his return to the area.

Mike has supported bowlers in the association for years, working in pro shops and bowling centers. He started at Myers Pro Shop in 1985 under the tutelage of Berlin Myers and Pete Jackson. From 1987-1991, he worked out of the pro shop at Andrews Air Force Base, where he progressed from shop assistant to night manager. From 1991 to 1997, he managed centers at Brunswick Columbia Lanes and Fort Meade. He also worked with the Sports Plus/Carmen Don Pro Shop from 1997 to 2011, with a break in 2000 to 2001 when his wife was stationed in St. Louis. Upon his return back to the area, he went back to Sports Plus and worked there until he started his current managerial position at The Lanes Fort Meade.

Mike twice has held the position of Director for the NCAUSBCA. He was Conference Secretary/Treasurer at the Eastern Pennsylvania Maryland Intercollegiate Bowling Conference from 1986 to 1988. In addition, Mike penned the “Kollege Korner” column in BOWL Magazine, for which he also wrote occasional articles and took photographs when the PBA and PWBA tours were bowling locally. His “Ballard Ball” photo, which first appeared in BOWL Magazine, was picked up by the Information Please Sports Almanac.

Since 2001, Mike has worked for Storm Products as a Staff Coordinator, which includes advising and editing staff members’ written reviews and videos submissions for bowling community Web sites and blogs. Mike helped set the framework from which the Storm Products staff grew from just over 200 to the more than 900 staffers that represent the company worldwide.

Mike’s bowling accomplishments include:

For all of his bowling-related accomplishments, Michael F. Sinek is a welcome addition to the NCAUSBCA Hall of Fame.


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