MARKHAM
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Coaching can sometimes be a thankless job. There are the long hours at practice and additional work when the student-athletes go home.
A coach spends additional time going over strategies or working on other administrative duties that surround the title of ‘coach.’
For one local coach, the thanks came at the end of the 2017-18 bowling season. Brent Markham of North Union received his token of gratitude in the form of the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference girl’s bowling Coach of the Year.
He earned the honor as he announced he was stepping down from the program.
He did not give a reason for his resignation.
Markham is one of the founders of the bowling program at NU and it all started back in 2012. He was new to the school, trying to get a position as a physical education teacher.
During the hiring process the board asked Markham what his knowledge of bowling was, as the high school wanted to start a bowling program.
He said his knowledge was limited, but “not playing a winter sport in high school, I spent countless weekend nights up at Marion at Star Lanes bowling.”
From there. a program was born.
Markham, along with Lynn Jamison, assistant girl’s varsity coach and Donna Greene, junior varsity boy’s coach got down to business and in just three short seasons the team made an impact at a district level.
The program has made three consecutive district tournament appearances.
The Wildcats have had one individual boys state qualifier and this year, the Lady Cats competed in the state tournament.
Despite the success Markham says his “biggest accomplishment is the lives I have impacted as a coach.”
This year’s coach of the year accolade is not Markham’s first. He was presented with the honor back in 2016 as the boys bowling coach of the year.
“I mean having it just two seasons ago and getting it again for the 2018 season, I was very excited,” he said. “But again, this was from all the dedication and hard work from first, my assistant coaches and all 26 of our bowlers.
“We were the only team in the conference to qualify to state as a team on the girls side and to win the MOAC tournament, it seemed like a good fit.”
The award is a good bookend to Markham’s coaching story with North Union as he is leaving as the coach.
“My varsity boys assistant Matt Donohue, which will be entering his fifth season at NU and is a coaching genius,” said Markham. “He will continue to grow with program.
“I find much of our success has been with his presence.”
It was also the last season for the bowling team in the MOAC. The school will make the jump to the Central Buckeye Conference next year, where Markham believes it will also be a new challenge for the Wildcats.
“I am very confident that our program will continue to go in the right direction and continue to grow and set more milestones,” he said.