Hello, professor! I wasn't particularly interested in creating any sort of professional portfolio when you released this assignment, so for the sake of engagement, I have decided to write on a subject near and dear to my heart: BOWLING! I have had the pleasure of participating in this sport for a significant portion of my life, and after a long hiatus, I have finally returned to it for good. This site contains my personal journey with bowling and the progress that I have made thus far. Enjoy!😁

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE BEGINNING

I began bowling in summer of 2013. I was 7 years old and fresh out of luck when it came to sports. I had already tried T-ball, soccer, football, and gymnastics, but to no avail. One day, I was catching up on some cable television when I came across an episode of Regular Show in which one of the main characters placed a wager against death himself and the wager had to be settled through the means of a bowling tournament. In that moment I thought bowling was so cool that I begged my mom to sign me up for a program immediately. Lucky for me, we were right around the corner from a bowling alley that housed one of the largest youth programs in the west valley. I joined as soon as I could and hit the ground running with a composite average of 64 pins. I didn't care about my score so long as I had at least one strike total each league day.

THE MIDDLE

I continued to bowl well into my early adolescence. As with most group activities, I began to lose interest in the sport itself but stayed invested for the social aspect. I met several lifelong friends while bowling, both in my Saturday morning league and in the various state tournaments that I participated in. Despite my efforts, I failed to reach the same level of performance as my peers, never learning how to adjust or improve upon my existing technique. This defecit continued to follow me well into my teens, and when I received word that my youth league was getting postponed due to the pandemic, I took the opportunity to take a step back from the sport.

PRESENT DAY (THE END)

After a nearly 6-year hiatus from the sport, I had hit a low point in my life and needed an anchor/constant in my life to raise my spirits. I remembered how happy bowling had made me in the years leading up to my eventual departure and promised myself that if I returned, I would increase my willpower and technical knowledge to give myself a fighting chance. I fully immersed myself back into bowling, buying a completely new set of equipment and going to the bowling alley 3-4 times every week to practice. I couldn't afford lessons, but I made sure to read up on plenty of Reddit threads and watch tons of YouTube tutorials whenever I got stuck on something. In May 2025, I finally gained enough courage to join an adult league, and I haven't looked back since. I am currently averaging 192 and have been gradually improving on a weekly basis.

YOU COULD LEARN TO BOWL TOO

If any of you have been moved by my incredible writing and would like to try bowling for yourself, please consider the following:

Finding a bowling coach

Building a bowling ball arsenal

Finding a local association

Call the United States Bowling Congress (USBC)

This is a video showing people how to do a basic 5 step bowling approach. It is the most common technique in bowling and can be altered if needed!

EXAMPLE OF MY PRACTICE SCHEDULE

Here is an example of the practice schedule that I currently try to follow on a weekly basis. Many newcomers think that going up to the lane and throwing the ball over and over again is the key to success, but that is far from the truth!

THANKS FOR READING!