It started with a plastic ball when he was around 12 years old. Now, he’s the president of the Texas A&M Bowling Club.

As an industrial distribution senior set to graduate in December, Beau Kelly is responsible for running the club. Kelly said the best leaders know how to build their teams from the ground up, and that’s the experience Kelly had during his junior year with the team.

Kelly said he got into bowling through his father after his parents gifted him a bowling ball in the 6th or 7th grade.

“My dad started bowling for his company in a beer league kind of thing, and I was like, ‘Ok, that actually looks kinda cool,’” Kelly said. “One year for Christmas, they got me a plastic ball, and I’ve been bowling ever since.” 

Kelly said he joined A&M’s bowling team his sophomore year and was appointed club president.

“I was technically elected my sophomore year, but I didn’t start doing things, per se, until my junior year,” Kelly said.

He added he immediately faced a new challenge with the team.

“We tapered out pretty bad because a lot of the people, when I had joined, left because they were all seniors,” Kelly said. “Micah [Jackson] was the only person who returned for my sophomore year, and he was everything. He ran the whole thing by himself.” 

Jackson, a nuclear engineering graduate student, was able to offer advice, Kelly said, but not participate as an officer anymore. Besides creating a website and social media accounts, Kelly said he and Jackson set up a table at the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, Rec-A-Palooza to market the club. It was no easy feat to repopulate the club, Kelly said.

“I wish I could show you the MSC Open House,” said Kelly. “We printed out a ‘write your name here’ sheet, and after that, I easily had to send out 200 emails. It’s one of those things where the club has grown, but the percentage of capture is very low.”

As with all clubs, the pandemic created problems for the bowling club, Kelly said. 

“We were at the minimum for active members, but during [COVID-19], we could only allow 20 people accepted,” Kelly said. 

To follow COVID-19 protocols and establish social distancing, Kelly said they could only allow 10 people at each practice. 

“It was weird because we hit 20, and we actually had to turn people away,” Kelly said. “It was great because people were getting reinterested in bowling, but it sucked because we needed the attendance.” 

Since then, Kelly said the club has grown to 16-20 members who always show up and 50 active members who come in whenever they have time. 

Pierre Vu, a computer science senior, has been bowling for five years, after his friends noticed the deals offered at the local bowling alley.

“[Kelly] is very nice; he listens to everyone,” Vu said. “He tries to find interests with everyone. He wants to create a friendly environment beyond bowling. He wants to be friends with everyone, and bowling is the outlet for that.” 

Andrew Do, an industrial distribution junior, said his father would take him and his siblings bowling with friends when he was very young. 

“I think [Kelly] is doing a great job,” Do said. “He does a lot of stuff behind the scenes that we tend to not really see, and we kinda almost take for granted. To put it in short phrases, he’s been president for two years now, and I think he’s doing something right.” 
For more information about the A&M Bowling Club, visit tamubowling.wixsite.com/tamubowling or find them on Instagram @TAMUBowling.