In contemplating the topic for this article, I considered what things a bowler can do to prepare for our eventual return to the sport we love. While some areas have re-opened their bowling centers, many of us are still waiting to get back to the lanes. At first, I wondered where such an article could go, but the more I thought about it, the more an idea began to form. So, I’d like to share with you some of my personal bowling experiences and thoughts during these difficult times and encourage you to please share your thoughts and ideas as well.
With inspiration from BTM’s founder, Bob Summerville, and his Off the Top of My Head editorials, this article will be a mélange of coaching and bowling introspection. I hope you enjoy my mental meanderings as much as I did.
Let me count the days…
Something I began doing on my kitchen wall calendar (yes, I still use one of those!) was to mark each day of staying at home with a marker. At first glance, it might seem to be an emotional downer; why would you want to remind yourself of how many days you have been stuck at home? Why would you want to remind yourself of how many days it has been since you did what we all dearly love to do, bowl?
Think about it this way: yes, it has been a long and difficult road, and yes, we may not be done with that road just yet. However, each day we are still able to cross off another date on our calendars is another day we are still here to be grateful for what we do have: life, those we hold dear, our health, and most of all, our resolve to make it to another day. Another day closer to bowling!
The value of video calls
Approximately a month before New York’s governor mandated us to stay at home, several of my bowling teammates and friends invited me to join a team intending to bowl our very first USBC Open Championships tournament this year in Reno. As things developed, we are now looking forward to next year’s event in Las Vegas.
Prior to the bowling centers being shut down, we began working on our games and team dynamics by holding weekly practice sessions, to get a feel for each other and each other’s games. When we all suddenly ...
This article is only available to Bowling This Month subscribers. Click below to get instant access to this article and all of our other premium instructional content.
Subscribe to Bowling This Month
Already a Bowling This Month subscriber? Click here to log in.
Image Credits: Stylized light bulb illustration (©iStock.com/alphaspirit) is licensed for use by BTM and is the copyrighted property of its original creator.
