Gonshorowski family approach keys Morningside programs

A trip to Dallas, Texas, last March headlined a common theme for Morningside University bowling.

Sitting in a hotel awaiting the United States Bowling Congress' sectional championships, rising senior Kaitlin Hofmeister (South Sioux City, Neb.) noted, through all of the hours of practices and long trips for competition, that head coach Steve Gonshorowski has made both teams more than just about results on the lanes. They were both, in essence, families.

"As one of the older players on either team, I try and help Coach out where I can," Hofmeister said. "He manages to be in the middle of everyone getting a strong bond in the program while understanding that the off-season tournaments and work are just as important as in-season. He always keeps a positive attitude."

For one of many leaders who returns to what looks to be a potentially prosperous 2022-23 campaign, Hofmeister likes the path that the head coach has developed. 

"I grew up in a bowling alley with my family," Hofmeister said. "From the age of four, I picked a ball up with two hands and rolled it down the lane. My family and I traveled all over for the sport. We played in Nebraska and South Dakota – I qualified for games on the Junior Gold tour in Cleveland and Dallas as examples." 

"At every step, I met new people who were great to be around," she added. "There's a camaraderie in the sport that mirrors what we have at Morningside."

Morningside's head coach wants that same feeling for his student-athletes beyond the alley.

"Everyone on both teams are always on the go," Hofmeister said. "Coach is very understanding and relaxed with practice times. He knows school and our lives will always be the number one priority."

The base for the togetherness for the men and women that she describes is intentional through the way their head coach brings them into the fold, too. 

"It seems like we've all known each other for five or six years," Hofmeister noted. When many of us were recruited, we were playing at the same places, so there was an established bond there. Having seen how he works with prospective student-athletes, Coach likes to see the same individuals when he goes out to tournaments."

Constantly promoting a sense of family – a sense of pride for Mustangs bowling.