At its simplest, bowling is a sport with something to offer for everybody.

Feeling like a laid-back, good time with some friends? There’s that. And if you’re the competitive type, there’s plenty of that, too.

So whether it’s a group of 60-something men in matching shirts or a bunch of high schoolers — like it will be starting at 8 a.m. today at Royal Crest Lanes, when the Lawrence High and Free State bowling teams open their seasons at the Free State Bowling Invitational — there’s sure to be a little bit of everything.

“A 5-year-old can go to the lanes and have a great time with the bumpers, and some of the ladies I’ve bowled with in the past are in senior leagues and are 80 years old and still having a great time,” LHS bowling coach Paula Bastemeyer said.

Aside from the regional and state tournaments, today’s all-day affair likely will be the biggest competition of the season for both city squads, as there will be 10 other schools in attendance.

With a multitude of events and skill levels among the bowlers, and especially because Monday was the first day bowling teams were able to start having organized practices under KSHSAA rules, the expectations for the day are varied.

“I’ve got kids all up and down the gamut,” Bastemeyer said. “Some kids with scores in the 80s and some with scores around 200.

“We have both ends of the spectrum — kids coming back with experience and others getting their first action.”

Bastemeyer said she has some kids who are fiercely competitive and others who treat it more casually, while FSHS coach Anita Carlson was more definitive.

“We’re pretty competitive,” Carlson said, adding a number of rival schools will be present. “That’s something that I try to instill in tryouts and in the meetings. It is somewhat of a social event because they have time to talk to each other in the pit, but it’s still competitive.”

While Carlson’s roster is filled with more experienced bowlers and her expectations are high, Bastemeyer’s is a more youth-oriented bunch.

Being less experienced isn’t necessarily a detriment, though, because that can mean the bowlers have fewer established bad habits that need fixing.

“There’s a lot of real tangible results that can be achieved in a real short period of time,” Bastemeyer said.

When it comes down to it, bowling isn’t as simple as heaving the ball as hard as possible.

Bastemeyer said that it’s not always the most powerful bowlers who are the best; developing spin and momentum and good footwork are just a few of many crucial skills.

“It’s a much more scientific sport than people give it credit for,” she said.

Helpful as that may be, it won’t do newcomers any favors when stepping up to bowl in front of the massive crowd for the first time.

“It does get kind of crazy, a little bit, especially with scoring and seeding and fans,” Carlson said. “It can definitely be overwhelming for the brand-new bowlers.”

First-time jitters aside, both coaches were eager to get the season started — regardless of whether the competitors are in it to crush the opposition or just to have fun.

“That’s the beauty about high school is mostly everybody gets to play,” Carlson said.