There are more than 50,000 high school bowlers in the United States (source). The reality is that only about 600 move on to bowl at the NCAA level (source). To put it in plain numbers, that's a 1.2% shot of making it. Not odds you want to bank your college career on.

However, if you're seriously serious about bowling (and if you're reading this, you're either mega seriously serious or sarcastically curious), here's what you'll need to make it onto a team…

First, you'll need to meet the minimum NCAA eligibility requirements. For a Div-I team, you must graduate high school with at least a 2.0 GPA and either a minimum of 400 on the SAT (math and reading only) or a 37 on the ACT (source).

Next, you'll need to find out what grades are expected by the colleges that offer bowling programs. Just because you meet minimum NCAA requirements doesn't mean the school will accept you—even if you're the greatest bowler since cavemen first started lobbing boulders at tree stumps.

Once you have your grades ironed out, you need to work on your bowling scores. A typical collegiate bowler carries an average of 165+ throughout the competition year. Collegiate coaches also want to see your field average and average differential in order to compare you against the rest of your competitors (source).

Since most high schools don't offer bowling as a sport, joining a competitive league is a big must for athletes looking to further their ten-pin careers. The league should compete often and at a high level. You might also consider competing in some notable tournaments, such as the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Junior Gold Championships, the Teen Masters, and the North Point Insurance Group High School Singles (source).

Finally, you need to be in excellent shape. Bowling requires stamina, upper body and core strength, excellent balance, and incredible hand-eye coordination. To achieve these, you've got to be physically fit. Both aerobic and strength training will be necessary for anyone who wants to bowl in other venues besides black-lit alleys reserved for eight-year-old birthday parties.