strike zone
A
t Bowler
City, and
many
alleys
across
North
Jersey, he’s known as
“The Shell.”
With an average around 220 – his
modest estimation – Dumont High
School senior bowler Kyle Schellberg
brings unquestionable talent and enthusiasm to his sport, even if he knows that
his game isn’t as popular as it once was.
“I don’t see bowling as completely
dying, because there are a bunch of
bowlers out there who love the sport
and promote it and want to keep it
going,” Schellberg says. “It’s just there’s
not as many [bowlers] as there were
10 years ago.”
Schellberg, 17, doesn’t exactly
remember his introduction to bowling.
Maybe it was a friend’s birthday party
when he was 5, maybe it was a summer
field trip. At the time, Schellberg played
everything, especially basketball.
But something about bowling stuck.
“It’s all in the genes,” Schellberg says.
It’s true. Schellberg’s father, Richard,
and his grandfather on his dad’s side
were each avid bowlers. So Kyle got
involved with youth leagues at an early
age, regularly teaming up with James
Kane, a former standout at Paramus
Catholic.
Schellberg’s style is classic. He is a
right-hander and is able to generate
good power from his lanky 6-foot-2
frame. The latest rage in bowling is twohanders, people who cup the ball with
both hands, but that’s not how “The
Shell” rolls.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 | (201) FAMILY
“I just keep it simple,” Schellberg
says. “I used to get nervous, but as time
went on I have become more relaxed.
I have nothing to lose any more, so I just
go out there and keep calm, keep my
mind quiet and just keep it simple in
the lanes.”
When he entered Dumont High
School, there was plenty of buzz surrounding Schellberg, and he proved to
be as good as advertised, making firstteam All Bergen County and helping the
Huskies come within a few pins of
a league title.
“Kyle is the type of student-athlete
that all high school athletic programs
wish for to represent them,” Dumont
athletic director Mike Oppido says.
“Throughout all the accolades he has
accomplished over his high school career,
he has always remained humble.”
This past May, Schellberg won the
Pepsi Cola State Tournament in the
U-20 division. His sophomore year, he
finished fifth in the high school state
individual finals. Last year, he had a hot
start in the state finals, but then fizzled
and finished 30th.
“This year is a different year, I have
a whole different attitude,” Schellberg
says. “I am more mature. I know how to
handle pressure. Hopefully, I will take it
all home this year.”
Schellberg has already faced the ultimate pressure a bowler can encounter
and succeeded. He rolled a pair of perfect games, the first in North Arlington,
the day after he won the North Jersey
Singles Classic. His second came on the
last day of the high school regular season against Fort Lee.
“My hands were shaking,” Schellberg
remembers. “Everyone stopped bowling
and crowded around. That’s how it is; it’s
like a courtesy that everyone in a 10-lane
radius stops. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ but
I just threw it and it stuck.”
Schellberg relishes the competition
and isn’t afraid to get demonstrative
after a big shot, doing a gator-like clap
after the pins drop.
“I am a very competitive guy,” Schellberg says. “So if I am going up against
a guy one-on-one, I’m not afraid to get
loud and get in in his face.”
Entering his senior year, Schellberg
has just one worry, whether or not
Dumont will be able to field a full boys
team. Last year, the Huskies graduated
six seniors. Remember, although North
Jersey remains a bowling hotbed, it’s
not exactly thriving.
“My friends all say they will come and
try out, but when it comes down to it,
they don’t show up,” Schellberg says.
“The whole sport is dying. Hopefully, it
201magazine.com
LEFT: DON SMITH; RIGHT: CHARLIE MCGILL
DUMONT’S KYLE SCHELLBERG ROLLS WITH IT ON THE LANES