PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — Maryland Eastern Shore head bowling coach Kayla Bandy knows a lot about bowling.
She is a former National Champion, a multi-time National Player of the Year, a professional bowler and collegiate All-American. She learned a lot about the game over the years and now she has the proof of that knowledge. Recently, Bandy was certified by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) as a Silver Certified Coach.
Bandy, who was previously certified at the bronze level, recently attended a three-day session in Omaha, Nebraska where she learned new coaching skills and professionalism. The course is recommended for collegiate coaches.
“As a coach, I am constantly looking to expand my knowledge base in the sport of bowling,” said Bandy. “Throughout the process of attaining the Silver Certification, I gained valuable knowledge and insight from Gold level coaches, Stephen Padilla and Ron Hatfield, as I conquered the Bronze level certification earlier this year. It was a rewarding process as these two challenged me to ‘think outside of the box,’ so to speak and, just as other mentors have along the way, inspired me to continue my pursuit of knowledge in the sport of bowling.”
The session focused on teaching how to make finite adjustments to physical games, building a bowling bowl arsenal, advanced lane adjustments, matching ball surfaces to lane conditions, advanced mental game concepts, video analysis and developing practice plans to develop and expand a bowler’s options in competition.
“The purpose of the USBC Coaching program is to help coaches increase their coaching knowledge. [Coach Bandy] has taken a big step toward enhancing her knowledge and gaining bowling expertise,” the USBC said in a statement.
With her certification Bandy is a member of the USBC Coaches Association which allows her to promote her coaching skills, camps, clinics and services to local bowlers while also providing her insurance coverage as a coach.
“Coaching under Ron Damron for five years and previously bowling for him for four years as a student-athlete at the University of Pikeville, I thought bowling couldn’t get much better as I knew it, I truly loved the sport,” concluded Bandy. “I was wrong; Coach Damron was only building a foundation for what has now become my career. Coaching bowling is what I am most passionate about, it is my hobby, it is what I love to do most, and it’s a huge part of my life. Attaining the Silver Certification, learning from the best, was a great experience and I look forward to building upon it as I continue the journey that Coach Damron helped me begin many years ago.”
Bandy enters her third season at the helm of UMES starting in October.