Yorkville’s Steve Jaros enshrined in Professional Bowling Association Hall of Fame

Nearly 50 years ago, Yorkville resident Steve Jaros accompanied his father to a bowling alley for the first time.

Jaros was recognized as one of bowling’s all-time greats as he was enshrined in the Professional Bowling Association (PBA) Hall of Fame on April 26 in Fairlawn, Ohio in conjunction with the PBA Tournament of Champions.

“I came to this with two goals,” Jaros said near the beginning of his induction speech. “First goal, don’t look stupid bowling. The second one, don’t look stupid up here. I’m 0-for-1.”

A seven-time winner during his PBA tour career, Jaros won the 2005 PBA Dexter Tournament of Champions and earned just shy of $1.75 million in his 878 events.

The right-handed Jaros advanced to eight televised finals and earned 18 Top 10 finishes. In the 1999 PBA Chattanooga Open, Jaros fired the 14th televised 300 game in PBA history.

Additionally, Jaros has won 43 titles on the PBA Regional Tour.

“When I look at the names in the history of bowling there are guys with 20 or 30 titles and much better credentials in,” he said. “It’s very humbling to think that my name will be in the history forever, and to think I had enough of an impact on the other Hall of Famers who voted for me is pretty impressive and it definitely will resonate for a long time.”

Jaros entered the Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee, which recognizes accredited players like him who did not meet traditional standards for enshrinement (10 PBA Tour titles or five titles with two major championships). There were four other players on this year’s ballot and Jaros received the most votes from living Hall of Famers.

“It actually took a second to sink in,” he explained. “Our (PBA) Commissioner (Tom Clark) likes to surprise the guys going in personally or in a fun way and at the time they had just added this new category - the veterans category - and they had already announced three players going in.”

Enshrined along with Jaros were Tom Hess for superior performance and Bill Chrisman, Barbara Chrisman and John Weber for meritorious service.

Last December, Jaros coincidentally bumped into Clark at a college event in Addison while coaching for the University of St. Francis. Clark just happened to be there since his son was competing in the Starrag Group Warhawk Open. And for another reason.

While doing an video interview for St. Francis along with a few of his bowlers, Clark interrupted.

“I saw him (Clark) and he caught me off guard,” he explained. “When he stepped up and we were talking he did a really good job of misdirecting the press guy to keep me occupied so I didn’t see him veer in.”

Clark then shocked Jaros by explaining to him that he was going into the PBA Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee.

Art McKee, a longtime friend that Jaros met on the PBA tour and who served as the best man at his wedding, introduced him before his speech.

“I got to be close with him on the tour and a good friendship developed,” Jaros said. “We shared an interest in the science part of the game, how to react better, physics of weight blocks, better shapes for striking and had a really good bond. When I got engaged I asked him to be my best man. I hadn’t seen him a lot the last few years because he lives in Canada but we still keep in touch.”

Having his pal introduce Jaros into the HOF after his own father introduced him to bowling was like the 12th strike to complete a 300.

“48 years ago, my dad took me to a bowling center for the first time,” he said. “We had no idea where it was going to take me, what we were going to do with it, if anything at all really. I was a 10-year-old kid trying to throw a house ball at a giant star and keep it between the lanes, keep it between the gutters.”

The former Fair Lanes Bowling Alley in Bolingbrook became a second home to Jaros.

“Fair Lanes came to town and I was one of the first ones there,” he said. “That was really my first league, junior league, adult league. My first job was there. I bowled my first 300 there. I event pro shot in that center and even won a regional there. That was our second home. I was a house rat and pretty much lived there.”

Bowling was something he could do with his dad, affording the two time to share with one another.

“It was something that I enjoyed to do with my dad and I got hooked on the sport,” he said. “It was something anybody could do. You didn’t have to be a star athlete or super physically fit to do what we did. It’s a different game now. It was something everybody could do and compete against each other and a lot of fun.”

Jaros has made his home in Yorkville for 20 years now. He’s transitioning out from competitive bowling but remains active in the game working in bowling distribution and coaching.

“I’m doing bowling distribution for all the bowling centers and pro shops which basically started out as sales jobs within the region,” he said. “I started out coaching with high school when our high school (Yorkville) had no program and I talked to the athletic director and was one of the first to help coach it. I kind of stayed for a bit and am now toward the collegiate side helping young players from my perspective and have a lot of fun.”

From fun from day one to the Hall of Fame, what a trip it’s been down memory bowling lane for Jaros.

“I’ve been out of the game for a while now, but people still come up to me and remember me,” he said. “Not as many kids, but parents still remember, which is kind of cool.”

But not as cool as being in the Hall of Fame.