Jackson County girls bowling head coach Debbie Akers said she sees the bowling alleys as a second home.
Akers has coached and bowled for 28 years. Akers started bowling in leagues before bringing her family along. Akers said a lot of her time was devoted to playing and eventually seeing her children enjoy the sport.
“We took a playpen to the lanes every week when the youngest was born,” Akers said. “I got them into the youth league at five years old. They literally grew up there.”
Akers became responsible for driving her sons, along with some of their teammates, to matches. Akers saw her sons advance as far as the TSSAA state tournaments. This season, she coaches a young Jackson County team that looks to head back to the regional tournament. Akers said one thing the Blue Devils team lacks is experience.
“We lost a lot of seniors,” Akers said. “Some of the new kids have not bowled competitively or even recreationally before. [But] they’re cheering each other on constantly.”
Akers said player accomplishments mean the most to her.
“I love watching kids reach milestones,” Akers said. “When a bowler learns and gets better, that smile says it all. It feels good seeing them succeed.”
Some of those milestones include Akers’ sons bowling 28 combined games of a perfect 300 score. Another accomplishment could include getting Jackson County back in the state tournament for the first time since the 2016 season.
