Centereach resident opens pro bowling shop at Coram Country Lanes

Michael Martell grew up in a bowling center. His mother, Nicole Martell, is a long-time employee of Maple Family Centers, and Maple President John LaSpina recalls the door of his office routinely brushing up against Michael’s playpen. Now 27 and a pro bowler, Michael recently returned to Maple to open a pro shop inside Coram Country Lanes, which is one of the company’s five bowling centers, located at 615 Middle Country Road in Coram.

The Martell Method: Pro Shop and Coaching, which opened May 5, offers bowling balls, accessories, apparel, custom drillings and fittings, lessons, and more. Most recently, Martell was the operator of 39 Boards, a pro shop in West Babylon, where he worked for five years. 

A resident of Centereach, Martell is a seven-year member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) tour and a 2024 PBA East Regional Champion. He is also a 2024 New York State U.S. Bowling Conference (USBC) Open Championships All Events Champion and took 2nd place in the USBC Masters in 2023. He has also been a three-time member of Team USA.

As a member of the men’s bowling team at Robert Morris University in Illinois, Martell helped his team win the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championship in 2016. He later served as assistant coach and then head coach of the Robert Morris women’s bowling team until COVID-19 canceled the 2020 season.

As a college student, Martell began working at Action Pro Shop in Illinois, where he was especially interested in learning how to drill holes in bowling balls and custom-fit them to a person’s hand. 

“As a kid, I never felt that the balls I used fit my hand properly,” he said. “When I got to college, I realized how important it is for the fit to be correct, especially for accuracy.”

Martell is excited to share his expertise with bowlers at his new business. 

“There is so much to give back to bowlers — from knowledge to taking the time to learn what they need as a bowler and a person,” said Martell, who is a USBC certified coach. “My goal is to help bowlers through my experiences to be the best that they can be.”  

He is also thrilled to come home to Maple Family Centers, a third-generation family-owned business owned by the LaSpina family. He grew up bowling and later working at Maple’s original location, which was in Brooklyn. His favorite memory at Maple was the annual Peter J. LaSpina, Sr. Memorial Scholarship Tournament, where he joined hundreds of kids in competing for scholarships.

“At about age 8, I was given the job of videographer, and I was SO excited,” Martell recalled. “I felt important and a part of the team. I enjoyed recording the opening and closing ceremonies almost more than the bowling. From a very young age, I felt that I was cared about and important to the LaSpina family. The LaSpinas know how to make you feel valuable and like you are truly family.”