Rose Gains Confidence From Bowling Prowess

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(March 1, 2025 8:00 AM ET) Soccer’s loss may have been bowling’s win when it comes to Napoleon High School bowler Ethan Rose.

The senior switched from being a soccer goalie to bowling in elementary school at the urging of his grandmother.

A slight case of asthma may have been a factor for Rose – crowned the regional bowling individual champion a week ago.

“Bowling has given me a lot of confidence over the years,” Rose said. “I have learned that I can compete with anyone out there.”

Rose switched to the two handed method in junior high when he couldn’t get his hand around the ball. That sparked a resurgence in the sport of bowling.

“I wasn’t having much fun so I went ahead and tried bowling two-handed,” Rose said. “My favorite bowler was a left-handed bowler from Sweden named Jesper Svensson.”

Rose improved all through high school career sporting the best Cascades Conference average of 214.4 pins per game this year. He averaged more than 220 in winning the Division 3 individual regional title last week at Royal Scot Bowling Alley.

The Pirates also earned a regional title as a team finishing with 3,315 pins for eight Baker games and two individual posts.

“It took us some time to warm up (early in the season) but we just took the attitude to try our best and no drama,” Rose said.

Rose is also a member of the Pirates’ back-to-back Cascades Conference Quiz Bowl team.

“I love trivia and it was something to do in the fall before bowling,” Rose said.

The senior holds a 3.966 grade point average and is in the top 10 of his class.

He plans to study meteorology at Central Michigan University.

But the senior will remember the lessons learned on the lanes at Napoleon High School.

“Sports teaches you how to become confident in what you are doing, trusting yourself, and others,” Rose said. “It meant the world to win regional championships.”