Tuesday, September 11, 2001, updated at 2:22AM
By St. Clair Murraine
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
“I looked at him and told him, 'Forget it,' " Gatlin said. “I would just as soon die first. I was almost begging (him) to let me get back.”
That's how passionate Gatlin is about the game that he took up 30 years ago. Over the years, he has mentored rookies, coached many junior bowlers and volunteered countless hours to help promote the sport.
Last month, Gatlin was rewarded for his commitment to the game with induction into the Tallahassee Bowling Association's Hall of Fame. A free lifetime membership in the association comes with the induction.
"I was hoping that I would one day get into the Hall of Fame. . . ," said Gatlin, a fingerprint analyst with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. "It's nice to be in there with a select group.”
He has won dozens of trophies in league play. His highest game was a 249.
But his greatest satisfaction, Gatlin said, has come from the camaraderie and friendships he has formed over the years.
As many times as he has gone to the Florida Championships, he has yet to win a state title. Nor did he finish in the money when he played in the 1999 American Bowling Congress national tournament.
Frankly, Gatlin's game is a bit slower than it was just a few years ago, when driving the ball down the lane was painless. He has always endured aches in his back because of weak bones, but the grind of twisting and turning on his deliveries over the years has compounded his problems.
As a result of back surgery in February, Gatlin now plays with nuts, bolts, screws and rods in his back.
"What I have," he said, "is a mini-goalpost in my back."
So is Gatlin ready to leave the game now that he's in the Hall of Fame and plays in pain?
“I don't want to do that,” he said. “I'm only 45. I can be one of those old folks on the front porch playing bingo, but I don't want to.”
So Gatlin continues to play one night a week, in the Friday Night League at Seminole Bowl.
His wife, Teresa, is one of his three teammates. They all praise his dedication to bowling.
"When he commits to something, he is there to carry it through,” teammate Darlene Hawkins said.
Coaching is one of the things Gatlin committed to. He ran a Saturday morning league for junior players for more than 20 years.
His daughter, Keslie, was in the first group of youngsters under his tutelage. She doesn't play on his team, sponsored by Bruce Fire and Safety Equipment Co. That would be too difficult now that they each have their own styles, they say.
But the foundation her father laid was essential to her development, Keslie said.
“I'm grateful he took time out to give me advice,” she said. “If I didn't have that, I would be doing it wrong. He was the only one that would take time out to help each individual kid if they needed some help.”