Mike Kubacki’s passion to the community and sport of bowling spans 40 years. He was honored as a 2012 Greater Calumet Hall of Fame inductee. Mike has accomplished an outstanding bowling career but still managed to work, raise his children, and to give to the high school and college youth bowlers, programs, and events as coach and as a mentor.
Mike resides in Griffith, and he has worked as Executive Assistant Manager for Walgreens, Manager of Welsh Oil, and District Manager at Speedway. He has raised his daughter Nicole and son Michael; also, he has a stepson Jake Edwards and stepdaughter Erica. Mike is a graduate of Griffith High School and Vincennes University (1987–A.S. Management, Bowling); he has attained the USBC Bronze and Silver Certifications.
Mike’s bowling television appearances include the 1995 US Open (23rd), 2003-04 Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy Bowling, and the 2010 ESPN USBC Collegiate Team Championship Finals.
Memberships/Affiliations—
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• American Bowling Congress and USBC member, 37 years
• NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Bowling Coaches Association member, 8 years
• NAIA Bowling Coaches Association Vice President, 1 year
• NAIA Bowling Coaches Association President, 6 years
• National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Member, 14 years
• USBC Collegiate advisory committee member, 10 years
• Finance Minister and Fellowship Member, First Christian Church of Griffith, 6 years
• Inaugural Member Griffith Downtown Revitalization Committee, 6 years
Bowling Industry Service Work—
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• Coached Boys Bowling Highland High School, 2004
• Started Boys and Girls Varsity bowling teams at Griffith High School, 2005
• Started Boys and Girls JV bowling teams at Griffith High School, 2006
• Influencer in getting Griffith High School to treat bowlers as Athletes and getting them their own trophy case in the school, invited to all athletic activities and banquets, and celebrating their accomplishments, which led to other schools doing the same.
• NAIA Bowling Coaches Association Vice President, 2011
• NAIA Bowling Coaches Association President, 2012-17
• As President of NAIABCA:
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o Wrote comprehensive recruiting rules that were passed for guiding coaches
o Led the development of website for the coaches association
o Mentored new college coaches
o Was the liaison from coaches to NAIA headquarters for all legislative matters
o Ran meetings twice a year for membership
o Grew our board to 4 members
o Created a qualifying needed to get into our NAIA Championship event
o Oversaw all aspects of the Championship Event, i.e., Format, Livestream, media, sponsorships, awards, site selection including banquet hall, eligibility, squad times, oiling schedule, lane assignments, tournament conduct, security, apparel, entrance fees, banquet tickets, volunteers, tournament manager, fan experience, and Championship Banquet for 500, which included food, entertainment, and all payments to vendors.
o Served on College Advisory committee
o Routinely advised on eligibility issues, transfer issues, and conduct issues
o Authored, submitted, and have had rules accepted into current Rule Book for college bowling
o Has been sought as a lead voice to high school parents and students on the differences in NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, and USBC Collegiate to ensure proper education placement so those families can make their best decision for their child’s student bowling experience
Special Recognitions as a Bowling Coach—
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• USBC Silver Certified Coach for 10 years
• Has 8 times been named Bowlers Journal Top 100 coaches
• In first year of coaching high school, took five players not averaging 200 to averaging over 200
• High school team consistently in top 3 in average in the state
• Coached Griffith High School to 4 Conference Championships,3 sectional Championship, 2 regional Championships
• Coached Griffith High school to State Championship in second year of the program, 2007
• High School Team bowled a perfect baker game at State finals
• Started Collegiate Bowling Program at Calumet College, 2006-07
• CCSJ (Calumet College of St. Joseph) has been ranked in the top ten nationally the last 12 years in a row, made the national finals (sweet 16) all 13 years of the program, owns the longest streak of any men’s college bowling team in making national finals
• CCSJ is a 3 time runner up and 2-third place finishes in National Collegiate Team Championship Events, has twice in the last 4 years been ranked number 1 in the country
• Coach of the Year finalist 5 times, the only Collegiate Coach to be named NAIA and NCBCA Coach of the Year and has done it twice
• Mike has mentored Assistant Coach Torrie Decker, who now runs Lourdes University program, two of Coach Kubacki graduates are signed to professional contracts, over 20 players and graduates signed to amateur staff contracts within the bowling industry
• Coach Kubacki has coached 3 JR Team USA players all 3 currently in program, coached the runner up in Jr Gold this year
• 2015-16 coached CCSJ team that won 4 out of 5 Tier 1 Events in one season (average over 55 schools in each event), his teams have won more Tier 1 events than any team in college bowling in the last 5 years
• Coach Kubacki has had two Player of the Year awardees and numerous All Americans in programs history
• Coach Kubacki has 4 sectional wins, has had 9 singles players make national finals, 3 make TV show with one year having 2nd and 3rd place finishers
Performances as a player in our sport—
• Earned 4 Indiana State Titles—1994 Team Actual, 2000 All Events, 2002 State Masters, 2014 Team Actual
• First 21 strikes in 2000 Doubles event scoring 836
• Times Classic Championships—1992, 1993, 1998
• Times Master Champ 2014
• The only player to win both Times Classic and Times Masters
• Holds 8 Inland Athletic Titles
• Baker Doubles 300 in Inland Athletic Doubles Title executing the 10th frame
• Anchor bowler on the first team from Greater Calumet to cash in Team Challenge Competitions
• First Greater Calumet Area Bowler of the Year
• Won 8 Greater Calumet City Association titles
• Doubles record sport condition 1589 with Sammy Krucek
• Has averaged over 200 every year of bowling since he was 15, including the years he bowled sport shot leagues
• Averaged over 230 with Urethane and Reactive with a high average of 237
• From 1988 to 2003, led over 80% of the league’s he bowled in with average
• Had the only sanctioned 300 bowled at Bowl Arena for about a 70-year span
• Led the prestigious NW Indiana Classic league in average the last 5 out of 8 years, recorded NWI Classic league Average of 234 in 1993-94; it disbanded in 1996
• Led Plaza Lanes Sport shot series over a 5-year span in average and titles having twice as many titles as anyone else
• Member of Mixed team that shot over 1300 and was second in the nation
• Bowled in toughest leagues or lowest scoring houses to seek improvement while being custodial father—never more than 2 leagues a week and no more than once a week since 2005 (lost almost 2 years medically 2003-05 while in his prime)
• Career Highs: 12-800, 26-300, 3-299, 5-298, 7-290
• Athletic/ Academic All American Vincennes University in 1986 and 1987
• Earned 5 NJCAA medals at NJCAA finals Team event—Silver in 1986, Gold 1987, All Events Silver 1986 and 1987, Doubles Gold 1987
• Held record for highest game bowled at an NJCAA nationals finals, which was 288 at the time
• Won a state spot into US Open 3 times, cashed in US Open all 3 times with high finish of 23rd
• Cashed first time he bowled USBC Masters after winning State Masters
• Made it to the national finals of Miller Genuine Draft Doubles 2 years in a row as a scratch team
• Made top 16 of Super Hoinke; Top 16 of Sams Town High Roller
• Averaged over 209 for the first 20 ABC/USBC Open Tournaments bowled
• Has shot over 2100 twice at ABC/USBC 1999 Syracuse and 2010 Reno
• Estimated to have over 150 amateur tournament wins
Congratulations Mike on your induction into the Indiana State USBC Hall of Fame and thank you for all your contributions to the sport of bowling!
