I am moving to Vass, North Carolina in a month. I was wondering if I should stay youth or move up. I am not sure how the competition is there. So if some youth bowlers could let me know that would be great. Also which bowling center I should bowl at. I have the option to bowl on post also. So many questions but no answers...

Since my last blog I had been struggling severely to make a 500 series every week. I went to two junior gold qualifier tournaments shooting embarrassing 400 series. Also in leagues I was keeping an average of 175 and 169. The highest average I had was in traveling league and that was only a 180. I actually was nervous that my yearbook average was going to be lowered this year. It was only a 179 and I was looking forward to raising it to at least a 190 but it seemed so left field. I could not figure out what was wrong and I was becoming frustrated. I turned to an old coach and he helped me to realize my ball speed was extremely fast and it was preventing my ball from getting to the pocket. This made sense to me right off the bat since at the two tournaments I would adjust all the way to the right but yet I was still not driving in to the pocket. Anyway since then I have been working on my speed getting it down to 14-15 mph instead of 18-19 mph (yes it was that fast?!?!) Getting down to basics was not a bad idea either. I am having to remember to "shake hands" when I throw my ball also. I couldn't believe after almost 5 years of bowling I was being told something I worked on when I first started. But I guess all of us should remember the little things to help us stay on top of our game. I tried to have a wrist guard but it seems like the new "quick fix" for youth bowlers down here and I'm definitely not a crowd follower. Plus practice makes perfect so why just go buy a wrist guard and hope the staying behind the ball problem is solved? uhh enough about that. I have developed a new release and I feel it is going to work well with me. I have been shooting over my average for two weeks now. I finally got over the 600 series hurdle yesterday so I am ready to start getting back in to tournaments and competing. Practice and coaching has helped me so much in the past month!

In the meantime, three exciting tournaments are coming right around the corner. I have San Antonio Youth City Tournament. I am confident in my team and doubles partner so I expect the tournament to go really well. Next State Pepsi Tournment. I qualifed for my 1st scratch spot this year and I pumped about it. This tournament has a junior gold qualifer in it. I am hoping to earn my spot this way. So I am going to have to put up a good fight and bowl well. In the same weekend we have the Austin Youth Leaders Tournament. This will be the second year I bowl this. Last year I came in second for getting junior gold and in the tournament itself I was in the top ten and did well. So much bowling going on in March! Hope I can keep the confidence up and just bowl awesome! Oh yeah and have fun. Duh.

FINALLY! I shoot a 600 in league. Its been sooo long! And the best part is that I was 124 pins over average (now im looking like a major sand bagger, but im not). I picked up all my 10 pins :) and I only had 3 missed spares out of my whole series.

Life is good :)

I haven't figured out why I tend to evaluate my bowling game when I have a bad series. It makes sense to me that someone can progressively get worse rather than it happening all in one league session. Today at traveling league I decided that I need to change my consistent pattern of not practicing and make time to work on things that have made my game worse. As I go through my leagues each week it kills me that I have to think about everything BUT the line that I need to be throwing. Last time I can remember throwing good balls was when I came back from camp at WSU. There was a major transitioning phase because they had broken down my game to the core. For a good month I had a new game, attitude, and outlook on bowling. I couldn't wait for tournament season to start. I was soooo excited. 

Now that excitement has denigrated and I don't know whats going to happen to my game if I don't change something. The last tournament I bowled in was my first time entering in the scratch divison. I wasnt intimidated by the other girls because I bowl league with most of them. So we all knew what we were capable of. When it was time to bowl I spent the ten minutes of practice trying to make my release feel right. I was so frustrated because I could throw the ball right and most of all I didn't figure out where I needed to throw the ball before practice ended. To make a long story short I didn't go plus the whole tournament. The cut for the division was only +1. I wished it was higher because I feel like just maybe if I would have practiced all this time like I said I would, I would have been able to make the cut. In order to not beat myself up about it I thought of something positive to take it all away. I just kept telling myself "I did the best that I could and I had fun"

As I think about my performance in league today, I can't believe I have regressed this much. My average shows it. I'm to the point that I will not be in denial anymore. Im scared that if I don't do something now that this season and my tournaments will go down the drain and I wont qualify for Junior Gold. If I could have picked any season this would be the one that I was supposed to "shine" but all I can see is dullness from me. I don't like how I am perceived by other bowlers in my area. I have come so far and I have nothing to show for it right now. I want to be able to be proud of what I shoot every week and not feel ashamed. I really just want to be someone's fierce competition.

Im going to get a new scheduled started and make time to practice. Hopefully I can find someone to work with me on my game also so I know ill be heading in the right direction. For now I can only be optimistic and keep rolling forward.

Well im still here and ive been gone for a while so i need to catch up with everyone!

 Send me some love!