Bob Linde is the recipient of the Albin & Georgina Falt Memorial Coaches’ Recognition Award for 2020-21 in the Cowichan Valley.
The award started eight years ago as a means to honour the numerous coaches in the valley who give so much of their time and greatly contribute to the success of area athletes.
The award named after her parents was presented by Theresa Bodger to Linde at Duncan Lanes and came as a total surprise to him. “I really love and appreciate the idea I’ve gotten something like this,” he said.
Linde, 65, has been coaching youth bowling at Duncan Lanes for 26 years. He was selected to go to nationals as a provincial team coach four times over the years – to Edmonton, Sault Ste. Marie, Toronto and Vancouver – with Youth Bowling Canada or Canadian Tenpin Federation teams.
His own personal bowling achievements are numerous, but the perfect 300 game in 10-pin has so far proved elusive. He can bowl equally well left-handed or right-handed. His highest scores ever are 290 bowling right-handed and 279 left-handed.
Linde actually recorded 17 strikes in a row at one point, but not from the start of a game for a perfect score.
He went to Henderson, Nevada six years ago for an over 60s competition after winning the provincial singles.
Linde started in youth bowling in five-pin at age 16, but it wasn’t long before he moved over to the 10-pin side of the lanes.
“My dad walked over and grabbed me and hauled me over here,” he said.
Linde was recruited when his dad’s team was short of players and he never looked back.
He got out of bowling for several years while his kids were growing up. Linde coached and played fastball and soccer before the lanes beckoned him again.
“Around 1993, I started coming back,” he noted. “I was always bowling, one night or two nights a week.”
It got up to six nights a week at one stage.
In 1995, Linde began coaching youth players. He started a high school program 17 years ago, awarding both a female and male scholarship award from the league in memory of his parents that continues to this day.
Bob Linde works on his own game regularly, reserving a spot at Duncan Lanes every Saturday through the summer. (Photo by Don Bodger)
Bob Linde still bowls regularly. (Photo by Don Bodger)
Bob Linde has coached provincial youth teams at national championships four times. (Photo submitted)
