One of the nation’s largest NAIA sports programs is growing again as Mobile University announces the addition of men’s and women’s bowling for the fall 2022 semester.

The university now has 21 NAIA-sanctioned sports, including the 2021 addition of beach volleyball. Director of Athletics Mel Sansom said UM plans to continue adding more athletic programs over the next few years to expand opportunities for Christian college student-athletes.

“We look forward to the excitement this new sport will bring to our campus and the additional student-athletes who will join us in this special place,” said Sansom, who also serves as vice president of business and financial affairs.

UM’s first head coach for men’s and women’s bowling is Stephen Fuller. He joined UM’s athletics department part-time while continuing to teach at Satsuma High School.

Previous experience

Fuller coached Satsuma High School Girls’ and Boys’ Bowling from 2016 to 2022. In 2021, Fuller led the Satsuma High School Girls’ Bowling Team to a State Championship victory and was awarded the 2020-21 State Championship Coach for 1A-5A Girls Bowling by the Alabama High School Athletic Association. In each season Fuller coached bowling at Satsuma High School, his teams reached the playoffs while winning multiple state and regional championships.

Prior to his time at Satsuma High School, Fuller’s coaching experience began in 1994 when he was named assistant baseball coach at his alma mater, William Carey University. In 1999, Fuller was named head baseball coach at Citronelle High School where he spent five years before transferring to Satsuma High School to coach several sports. Throughout his coaching career, Fuller has coached a total of four sports: bowling, baseball, football and golf.

“I’m super excited to have the opportunity to start a bowling program at Mobile University,” said Fuller. “The sport of bowling is growing by leaps and bounds at the high school level, and it is gaining momentum at the college level. It’s just going to get bigger and bigger and give more opportunities for student-athletes to further their education.

Recruitment open

Fuller officially begins July 1 but is already busy setting schedules, ordering supplies and recruiting UM’s first bowling teams. To be considered for the first men’s or women’s bowling teams, complete the Potential Athlete Form at umobile.edu/recruitme or contact Associate Athletic Director Sally Shouppe of the UM Athletic Department at 251-442-2278 or [email protected]

The bowling season in the National Intercollegiate Association track and field division takes place during the winter months, with the regular season generally beginning in October and ending in February. The NAIA Bowling National Championship tournament is scheduled for March each year and is currently played in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Tournaments hosted by Mobile University during the regular season will be played at a local bowling alley in Mobile, Alabama.

For more information on Mobile University Athletics, visit umobile.edu/athletics. To learn more about academic programs at Mobile University, visit umobile.edu/academics.