The Journey To The PBA Begins
bowlingball.com 10/26/2017
Ever since I was 9 or 10 years old, I would turn on bowling on Sunday afternoons to watch Tommy Jones, Walter Ray, Norm Duke, Pete Weber and every great bowler on the PBA bowl and dream to be like them. I watched themcompete in championships for titles and money. To now say that I get to follow a dream of mine I had since then is truly a special feeling.
Now I understand that bowling isn’t what it used to be when I was younger. I understand that there is a lot less money and events. That just makes the intensity of the events higher, makes shot-making even more at a premium, and gives bowlers a lot less time to get points and try for a Player of the Year honor.
I remember my dad got me a coaching lesson and a 9 lb.spare ball one day and told me to try this sport of bowling and see where it takes me. I kinda laughed as I wasn’t really one for bowling at the time, I was one who was obsessed with playing basketball on PlayStation and Xbox, and one day wanting to do something in the world of entertainment or be involved in basketball. I even brought home packets to try out for basketball, and that’s when he got me into bowling. I was just a bowler who had an 9# house ball, house shoes, a 70 something average. I went up to bowl every Saturday morning for 3 games a week. I would hang out with some friends, and go back home and to do my normal everyday routine.
The more and more I got involved into this “bowling thing” my dad had me doing, the more and more I fell in love with it. Getting a new ball for Christmas changed to getting new bowling balls more frequently as I progressed as a bowler. Climbing the ranks as a youth bowler was extremely quick as most youth bowlers who were just on house shots were all there for fun. There were the few whom I got to really compete against and won, amazingly. I found myself averaging over 200 before I was at the age of 14.
I was introduced to sport shots way before I was 15 though, and was told, “If you want to really get better, you’ll bowl on these.” Frustrated up and down, the high’s and lows, from getting to go to Junior Gold for the first time, to bowling Team USA Trials and getting my clock cleaned, it’s all a part of the learning process and learning curve.
I bowled in the JBT Southwest events run by one of the greatest bowling directors, Jeff Hemer. Jeff, you have the patience of a saint as I know I have tested them from time to time as a younger bowler. But you never gave up on me and am very proud to call you my friend. I went from bowling against the best youth bowlers in the western/southwestern United States, to bowling PBA Experience leagues and now bowling with adult bowlers. To all the people I’ve met who told me if I work hard to get where I want to, I’ll get there. I also had just as many naysayers tell me I won’t ever do anything with my life. This isn’t my chance to prove them wrong or prove anyone right who believes in me. This is the chance to go out and bowl my heart outagainst the best, face defeat occasionally, climb the ranks that I’ve learned all my life, and continue till I reach my ultimate goal.
To all my friends, family, coaches, thank you! To all the great people I have had the chance to cross paths with so far, thank you! To bowlingball.com for discovering me on YouTube and giving me a chance to work alongside some of the best in the industry, THANK YOU! It is this great platform of bowlingball.com that I get to announce that I have joined the PBA Tour. Yes it’s going to be a grind, but it’s going to be a hell of a good time. All my content, all everything from me and everyone here, can be viewed right here at bowlingball.com, it’s where bowlers go.
