Philamlee retires as SHS coach after 17-year run with program
There are many things that Jim Philamlee will remember from his 17-year tenure as the Starkville High School bowling coach.
One was the state championship won by the girls team in 2016 and there are also the five regional titles for the boys.
Even though those accomplishments are important to Philamlee, the bond he developed with the Yellow Jackets and the athletic department also stands out for him.
“They were very receptive,” Philamlee said about the SHS commitment to bowling. “I also had a couple of assistants who were good too. Cindy Prewitt was one of them. Lisa Sellers was very supportive over the years.”
Philamlee announced recently that he was retiring from SHS and he is in the process of moving to Arkansas to be closer to family.
The Jackets he has been able to coach over the years have also become like family to Philamlee. He specifically mentioned Chasity Cook and others who went on to bowl in college.
Philamlee has been encouraged with the growth of the sport of bowling in Mississippi.
“When I started, there were less than 20 schools in the state that had bowling programs and this year there are over 60,” Philamlee said. “It’s been a fast growing sport. That’s always stuck in my mind.”
Former SHS Athletic Director Stan Miller said the thing that made Philamlee successful with the program was his “energy level” and the love for bowling.
“When he started that bowling program before I was there, we talked in the gym, then we went out, got some funds and I really tried to support him as much as we could,” Miller said. “It was him recruiting and getting the kids out to the bowling program. It was just a special thing. His girls won the state championship and his boys were competitive every year. He just works with the kids and the parents.
“It’s going to be a loss for the Starkville School District because he was a bowling coach with energy and the ex
pertise.”
For Philamlee, he practices what he preaches. He has shown to be pretty nifty with a bowling ball in his hands.
“He bowls in the high 200s and I think he’s had a couple of 300 games in his life,” Miller said.
Just because
Philamlee
is moving to Arkansas, it doesn’t mean he will be leaving his bowling ball behind.
He hasn’t ruled out picking it up and tossing it down the lane again at some point or even taking back up coaching.
“I’ve been bowling 60-something years,” Philamlee said. “They’ve got a program in Jonesboro where I’m moving, but I haven’t talked to anyone about it.”