Phil Lindberg is in his third year as the ACHS head bowling coach. He is in the Lake County Hall of Fame because of his dedication to teaching others the game of bowling.
“I love this game; I really do,” said Lindberg.
Q: When did you start bowling?
A: “I started when I was six here at Antioch Bowling Lanes; there were 20 lanes. My favorite person was a guy named Whitey. He wasn’t very good, but he could teach. Whitey taught all of us. I wanted to be like him [teaching kids].”
Q:What was one of your most memorable bowling moments?
A:“I was 17 and I had never gotten over eight strikes when I was a kid. When I had eight strikes [Ken Bloomingshine] sat me down and talked to me about everything except bowling. I finally made it over eight strikes; he tried to get my mind off of it. That was my first 300, at 17. I still bowl with him now, he’s 95. Bloomingshine was also a graduate of the 1936 class of ACHS.”
Q:How did you become a bowling coach?
A:“My middle daughter wanted to bowl on Saturday mornings. She asked if I would come down and teach her. That is where it all started. If I wanted to teach, I had to be certified. I already knew how the game worked. I’ve coached for 25 years on Saturday mornings, with the kids, even after my kids got out of it. I stayed in it because there is nothing [better than] to see a kid with a smile on there face after they throw a strike, spare or something good like that. That is what makes me coach.”
Q: How did you become a coach at ACHS?
A:“My daughter her freshman year bowled for Antioch. I was still teaching Saturday mornings. The head coach at the time, Jeff Childress, asked if I wanted to be an assistant coach.”
Q:Do you still coach outside of ACHS?
A:“Yes, I coach personal, it’s basically a paid position. People buy my services, but I’m not big into that. I don’t like to charge people because I was never charged. I want to teach you how to bowl, not take your money.”
Anybody interested in girls bowling and who wants to bowl for Antioch should contact Coach Lindberg at [email protected].
