University Police dispatcher Andrew Pedrick may direct officers’ cruisers around the campus and the city for his job, but in his spare time, he is practicing for an entirely different career — professional bowling.
Pedrick, 21, has frequented bowling allies with friends and family since he was a child. He has even seen himself competing on television. But it was not enough, and after seven years of competitive bowling, Pedrick set his sights on a new goal: becoming a member of the Professional Bowlers Association.
He took the sport up as a child purely out of a rivalry with his brother, Pedrick said.
“I’m a big competitor, especially between me and [my brother],” Pedrick said, noting he thought, “I want to do this now just to say I’m better than you, and hey, we can do this together.”
But years later, Pedrick still has not stopped. To be considered a pro, Pedrick needs an average score of 200 over the course of a year. So far, he has received multiple trophies from youth leagues, scored perfect games and earned two plaques for scoring 11 strikes in a row.
But he said he still needs more time at the lanes. Last year, he bowled in a PBA event and came in 105th place out of 120 participants.
“That’s when I found out I had a lot more to learn,” Pedrick said. “I was thinking, ‘Oh yeah, I’m young. I’m great.’ And then to have them actually beat up on you like that was a major learning experience.”
To turn his spares into strikes, he said he plans to hop from alley to alley. It is logical, he said, because all bowling alleys are not created equal — each has unique oil patterns that affect how the ball rolls toward the pins.
“You can get a different shot every time,” said Pedrick. “It’s like tennis, with clay courts and then grass.”
For now, Pedrick stays in the area juggling work and online classes with practice time.
He works as a dispatcher from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., alongside his father. He used to work from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., which meant more time at the alleys.
“It was a lot easier because I could bowl during [the] day and early night and go to work with no problem,” Pedrick said.
Yet, he is fully committed to the sport during his time off. He bowls with his parents, Brian and Robin, weekly at Friday Triples competitions at AMF Country Club Lanes in Rosedale.
“I’m the only one in the family without trophies or plaques,” joked his father, adding that his competitive son refuses to give him bowling pointers. “I know my place in the bowling world. I know I’ll never get a 200.”
Longtime friend and recent alumna, Andria Bowman said she can see Pedrick reaching his professional aspirations.
“He has always lit up when talking about it. He has poured his heart and soul into it,” Bowman said. “He could teach other professionals a thing or two while he’s at it.”
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