Camden Catholic High School bowling coach Joe Nawn jokingly says he keeps a defibrillator nearby during matches.
With every strike and spare, Nawn’s emotions skyrocket as he enthusiastically cheers on his five players. For a sport that features a ball steadily rolling on a flat surface, bowling sure has its ups and downs. Nawn lived that pressure by being a great bowler himself and competing in professional tournaments once upon a time. But nothing compares to seeing his sophomore son, Robert, in the spotlight, even if the proud dad needed to be convinced that it was time to let him shine.
“At the beginning of the season, we realized Rob was one of the top five so, OK, he was in the lineup,” Nawn said. “My assistants said we should think of him for anchor. I flat out said, ‘No.’ My assistants put the stats in my face and said, ‘He’s the anchor. He’s the most clutch.’”
In bowling, the anchor position receives the most pressure, going last each frame. Robert Nawn grabbed the opportunity and averaged 188 pins per game this season, which was second only to the Irish’s senior captain and leadoff man Chase Wolk’s 192.
“It’s hard to do, but I just always looked at it and tried to clutch-up for the guys,” Nawn said. “I’m very grateful for my teammates. I always look forward to bowling with them.”
In the South Jersey Group 1 championship Feb. 21, Camden Catholic needed a big tenth frame in the first game from Nawn, who came up clutch and closed out the game for a three-point victory.
“I wish I had a PEZ dispenser for my heart medication,” the proud coach quipped to the parents in attendance while holding his chest and staggering backward.
Camden Catholic dropped the next two games in the best-of-three series to Salem High School and finished just short of defending their sectional championship. Both father and son took the loss hard, as did Wolk, Sean Burns, Brett Kehoe and Michael Salamon, who gave it their all.
Although the season ended, the Irish had a lot to be proud of with a 10-4-2 record and second straight trip to the South Jersey championship. The Nawns don’t take that lightly.
“We lean on each other, we cheer with each other, we cry with each other,” Coach Nawn said of working with his son. “It is a roller coaster, but there’s not a thing I would trade for coaching my son.”
Camden Catholic’s girls bowling team, which is also coached by Nawn, also had a special season, recording a 14-2 campaign and a sectional semifinal appearance in just their fourth season back from a 30-year absence. Led by sophomore Maddie Campbell’s 157 average, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the girls’ squad next year.
“In the semifinals, New Egypt just had way too much for us, and the girls are young, too,” Nawn said. “We had three sophomore starters, one junior and one senior, so four of our five are coming back. Every year, they have gotten progressively better. They are an exceptional bunch of young ladies, and I expect nothing but the best from them.”
He feels the same way about the boys team. Although the Irish were senior-heavy this year, they’ve built a powerful program in a short amount of time. It convinced Robert Nawn to get serious about the sport right before he started high school.
“As soon as I tried it, I loved it,” Nawn said. “Even the varsity members last year wanted to help me. So I really wanted to do well by them and go win a championship for them.”
These days, the young Nawn knows he has extra help right across the dinner table. It’s sort of inescapable now.
“I’ll even get coached at home sometimes,” Nawn said with a laugh. “In the car, all we talk about is bowling. I wouldn’t trade it for anything because I love my dad, and I always want to try to win for him and do good for him.”
He already has.
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