For Griffith, two coaches better than one

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Sometimes two heads are better than one.

There are several Northwest Indiana high school bowling squads that have co-coaches, and many times it works well.

The Griffith boys team that won the 2007 state title had three men leading the way.

Griffith's girls team that is making its first appearance in the state finals on Saturday at Cooper's Sport Bowl in Anderson also has two coaches, one of them a carry-over from that boys trio in 2007.

But two heads aren't a luxury with this team. It's a necessity.

Meet Rick Woloszyn, one of those three from 2007 when his son, Dan, was on the squad. He's the technician of the duo.

"Rick gets into it and adjusts you to the lane,"?said Panthers senior Kirsten Rex.

Meet Colleen Lidster, whose daughter, Tiffany, bowled for Griffith for a couple years and whose son, Kyle, was a senior on the boys team this year and was part of the 2007 champs. She's the psychologist.

"Colleen gets in your head and says you gotta do (what Rick says),"?Rex analyzed. "They are total opposites."

And as opposites, they sometimes disagree, though not on actual bowling.

"You're the head coach,"?Woloszyn quipped at a recent practice.

"No, we're both the coaches,"?Lidster retorted as they both laughed.

Alone, either one of them might not be as effective at coaching a group of Griffith girls that the coaches themselves admit is making a surprising trip to Anderson.

"This is more fulfilling than the boys (team in 2007),"?Woloszyn said. "The boys had more natural talent. The girls are like clay -- lots of coaching and molding. When you teach them and it clicks, it's so much fun."

The two coaches almost come across like parents to the Griffith girls. At least Lidster admits she has to be the calming mom at times after the stern dad instructs the pupils.

"He yells at them and I?take them aside and smooth them over,"?she joked. "I?tell them to listen to the words and not how he says them because those words are valuable."

One of the prized pupils of the coaches is Rex, a senior who has been on the team all four years. Like most of her teammates, molding her into a good bowler was needed. But even she admits it took plenty of craftsmanship.

"I?didn't have any new equipment when I?started,"?she said. "I've come a long way. I?never thought we would be going to state finals. I'm in total shock."

Lidster, who is a very good bowler herself as a past champion of the Post-Tribune Awards Tournament, can't help but be impressed at Rex's progression over four years.

"She had no clue when she started,"?Lidster said. "Now she has developed into such a good bowler and good spare shooter."

Good enough to earn a partial scholarship to keep bowling after graduation. Rex was recruited and accepted a spot on the Calumet College of St. Joseph's squad in the fall. CCSJ gives 50 percent paid tuition to all of its athletes.

"I?never thought I?would go to a college for sports -- ever,"?Rex said. "I?don't want to quit being on a team."

Especially a team such as the Panthers, which has learned so much from its technician and psychologist coaches.

Scouting the state finals

n WHEN: Saturday -- 8 a.m. team event, 1 p.m. singles event

n WHERE: Cooper's Sport Bowl in Anderson

n DIRECTIONS: Take I-65 south to I-69 east. Take 69 to exit 26 in Anderson. From the exit take Scatterfield (Indiana 109) North to 53rd Street. Turn west onto 53rd street. The center is behind Applebee's on the right side.

n Last year: Clark won its first state title in any sport in 70 years, defeating

n BOYS team qualifiers: Snider, Kankakee Valley, South Bend Clay, Bishop Dwenger, Shenandoah, Brownsburg, Muncie South, Anderson Highland

n BOYS LOCAL SINGLES: Griffith: Ryan McCoy; KV: Derek Smenyak; Boone Grove: Lynn Strohl, Jimmy Kraushaar

n GIRLS Team qualifiers: Lake Central, Griffith, Snider, Huntington North, Muncie South, Lafayette Jeff, Center Grove, Anderson

n GIRLS LOCAL SINGLES: Crown Point: Stephanie Edwards; Hobart: Megan Goss; Lake Central: Katie Sexton; KV: Carly Grover

n TEAM OUTLOOK: It seems like such a long time since the LC?girls have been here, but it was only a one-year hiatus after the Indians failed to reach state last year for the first time in six years. They will be joined by the surprise in the field, Griffith. But the Panthers have improved every week and shouldn't be underestimated. On the boys side, KV has a chance to make some history. The Kougars are only the third team at the school to advance to the state finals (1985 and 1988 boys cross country) with the 1985 squad finishing fourth in the state. This boys team has a good chance at surpassing that effort to be the most successful KV athletic squad, whether the administration recognizes it or not.

n REPEATING THE FEAT: In the 10 years of Indiana High School Bowling, there had never been a repeat trip to the state singles finals by a bowler. Not only is that streak ending on Saturday, but it's ending three times with a trio of region bowlers making their second appearance. Ryan McCoy of Griffith and KV's Carly Grover are repeating the effort in back-to-back years after reaching the state finals last year. Grover finished second for the highest NWI?girls finish. Boone Grove's Lynn Strohl is the other. He is returning to state in his senior year after going as a sophomore.

n TEAMING up: Speaking of Strohl, he will have a Wolves' teammate bowling with him on Saturday in junior Jimmy Kraushaar. They are the second ?boys teammates from the region to qualify for the state finals in the same season. The other time was last year when Highland's John Lubarski and Josh Toth made the trip. Girls teammates have advanced to state three times.

Contact Steve Gorches at 648-3141, sgorches@post-trib.com or visit his blog at blogs.post-trib.com/gorches