When the girls bowling team at Oak Park and River Forest High School attended the sectional competition four years ago, the team gathered around a table with their coach, Richard Short.  

They sat together and all ordered cheese pizza. The players had spent the previous months bonding over their common sport, but being shy freshmen, they still found it difficult to make small talk. 

They discussed bowling, their mutual interest, but that conversation could have only gone so far. That’s where Short came in.

Short asked the students about their classes, plans after high school and even the fact that everyone only ordered cheese pizza. He included every student in the conversation, making the students feel more comfortable in the stressful competitive environment. 

“This memory stays with me as when I really started feeling a connection with my team that would last years later, and I have Mr. Short to thank for that,” said Grace Maidlow, a senior bowler at OPRF. 

Short works at OPRF as an aide for special education students. He is also an assistant coach for girls flag football and the head coach of the bowling team. He can often be found in the hallway conversing with the students and staff he’s met in class or during sports.

Outside of his career, Short’s personal passion is bowling.

Short began bowling at just 5 years old. “I was first introduced to bowling by my parents,” he said. “They did it as a date night. They wanted to be a husband and wife instead of just a mom and dad.” 

When Short went to OPRF, there was no bowling program. He consistently played for a club outside of school, though. He bowls for a travel program now, for which he has traveled to Cincinnati, Albuquerque, Corpus Christi, Las Vegas, Reno, El Paso and Syracuse. 

Currently, he is looking forward to a tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He said, “It’ll be a fun time,” and that he gets along well with his teammates. 

OPRF only began to qualify for state bowling in the 2021-2022 school year. Short sends his qualifying bowlers to regionals before sectionals, and then they attempt to push their way up to state. 

In 2023, Payton Wernet, an OPRF alumnus who was a senior at the time, made it to state. He ended up placing 37th out of 300 players. 

When asked about Wernet, Short said, “We still keep in touch.” They have maintained a relationship despite Wernet moving on to college. Wernet continued his education and bowling career at Saint Francis University with an athletic scholarship. 

Short also said Wernet’s bowling team at Saint Francis University was one of the top 10 in the nation. Another student whom Short coached, Joseph Blonski, has continued his education and bowling career with an athletic scholarship at Saint Xavier University. 

Short’s team makes him proud, and he continues today to help his players achieve their goals. When asked about Short’s coaching style, Maidlow said, “Overall, I think Short has really emphasized the lesson of putting all you can into what you want to do, but not to keep yourself there after it’s over.” This can greatly help players focus and relax. 

Short also advocated for his students to remain academically involved while doing their best during practice. He said, “My favorite thing to tell the kids is to remember to hit the books after practice.” As someone who sits in on several classes during his regular work day, he understands students have heavy workloads and believes education should always come first.

His presence expands beyond the bowling alleys to the halls and classrooms.

Wendy McVey, a teacher who worked beside Short during a culinary class last semester said, “One thing he always does is say hi to me in the hall way when he does see me, which you wouldn’t think is significant, but in a school this big and as a new teacher it actually means a lot.”

Short’s mission to provide students the support they deserve is evident in the backpack he wears to school every day. On a recent chance encounter in the hallway, Short opened the backpack to reveal enough writing utensils for a whole classroom, extra Chromebook chargers and other school supplies. He’s always ready to lend students what they need.