Quinte Bowl’s assistant manager is staying in the game

By Bevan Hamilton

BELLEVILLE – Brock Finch is passionate about bowling, so his job as Quinte Bowl’s assistant manager is something of a dream gig for him.

At just 23, Finch has already etched his name into Belleville sports history. He put up an 826 score for a series – three games in one night – back when he was 16, which has remained a Belleville record.

Bowling is as much a part of Finch’s life as anything. He says he’s been bowling since he could walk, although he didn’t start playing competitively until he became a teenager. But to him, it isn’t just a hobby.

“There are so many different pieces that are moving constantly. I enjoy the puzzle it entails and ever since I understood it, I’ve loved it that much more. That’s why I’m so passionate about it – because a lot of people don’t understand it. And it’s way more fun and way more difficult than you can even begin to imagine.”

His bowling accomplishments haven’t been limited to Belleville. Finch has been a part of Canada’s national team, both youth and adult, since 2012, which has led to international competition. He bowled in Abu Dhabi in December 2014 at the world championships and also in Puerto Rico early this year for Pabcon – a championship among North and South America.

“The Team Canada was my greatest accomplishment. It was by far my greatest accomplishment – to date.”

Although he didn’t see the results he wanted internationally, Finch says he recognizes they were his first two tournaments on the world scene and “you can’t win everything.”

Finch went to Urbana University in Urbana, Ohio – about 4½ hours northwest of Columbus – from which he graduated this past spring with a degree in math. But the reason he went south was the opportunity to bowl competitively. And he found success there, too.

Finch finished second in the U.S. at the inter-collegiate singles championship in 2013, which he called “a massive accomplishment.” This year, the bowling team at Urbana bowled for the national title, an event that was nationally televised. Finch and the team came in second.

“That was the way I capped off my collegiate career. That was awesome, to say the least.”

Despite finding success in the States, Finch decided to come back home – to Quinte Bowl – where he will soon become the manager.

“If this is how I get into it and stay involved with it, I think it’s a perfect job. In high school, I loved it. I thought, ‘Why not manage it?’ It’s where I grew up.”

Even though he will soon be running Belleville’s only bowling establishment, it doesn’t mean his competitive bowling days are over.

“I want to medal internationally – that’s a big one. If I medal internationally, I could die happy.”

Finch said he plans to keep going as long as he can keep being competitive. But that’s not his only goal. He is also working with Team Canada to become a certified coach.

“I want to give back to the youth. I want to improve awareness … a lot of people aren’t even aware of the concept of how bowling works. I want to create awareness there as a coach.”

As for his immediate goals, Finch says he’s working towards earning a spot on the 2017 national team. But his focus is shifting into the manager role at Quinte Bowl.