8/27 Blog One-Year Anniversary

Wow, time flies!  Has it really been a year already?  Too bad today was a day when I truly bowled so badly it is un-blog-worthy.  But i still have much to celebrate on this anniversary feast day.

My USBC sanctioned Womens Wednesday league starts again with average setting tomorrow - another chance to reach some milestone goals on record.  Summer league with the Wednesday Women had my IncrediBOWLs team with Mitchie Masanga and Chelo Compendio ending in 7th place out of 8 teams - better than our last year last place finish!  My ending average was 138, which i hope to bring above 150 by year's end, we shall see! 

Our Sizzler league finals tonight had JC Squared (GoPapa Joel and me) in 2nd place vying for top spot against the Rum Rollers  Alas the bowling gods abandoned me tonight and gave me the curse of the open frame: dismal spare shooting plagued me all night and left me with another low low scoring 120 average night, far far away from the 145 average i had earned to date.  Need to work on those spares....  Can't complain coz i had some great nights on this league and know I am still evolving and improving.

Looking forward to our brand new Philly Pinoy Mixed Fall League on Sunday nights at 7 pm.  We have kickoff scheduled on September 8, and just announced the 10 teams out of the 30 participants. We created the teams to have one female each and mixed players of different handicaps to give all teams a chance to win.  Joel and i are co-leads of the Bowling Committee organizing the league: lots of work but very interesting and rewarding to do!  I plan to chronicle the stories on this league in my other blog.

So i guess i have resurrected my neglected blogs just in time for all the fall league activities. I am excited about having another fresh start. Bring it on!

Till next, see yah at the lanes!

07/17 Milestone Monday!!!

Bowled both my first 200 game at league AND my first 500 series on Monday, July 15 at the Sizzler League at the Palace.  Scores were 211, 117 (let down!) and 178 (recovered!), all with my Spinderella Ebonite Cyclone.  Best league night ever for me, truly a Milestone Monday!

This is a welcome improvement from my last blog on one of the worst nights i have had at league in a long time.  After such a dismal display, I decided it was high time to check off one of my goals for this year: to seek coaching from bowling guru Donna Roberts.  I knew I was not going to get out of this rut by barreling through it like I have done in the past = professional help was needed.  I wanted to correct the fundamental flaws in my game so I could move definitively in the right direction, and be armed with the knowledge of what I need to watch out for, so i don't regress again or too badly.

I had my lesson with Donna on June 23, and have been diligently working on the key things she had me working on.  Lots of things to think about, which was not good for me in the beginning, but we had discussed about putting in the minimum six hours of practice (just like our piano teachers told us!).  I had noticed my ball speed increasing, and I was hitting my target more consistently, so it was only a matter of time before my scores reflected an incremental improvement in my game.  Putting in the work helped me get a sense of how "right" should feel, so my new and improved approach could become more instinctive... good to minimize the thinking! 

By this Monday, I had logged in 55 games (both league and practice) since my June 23 lesson, which was more than the minimum 6 hours, but hey, I am a stubborn cookie overcoming many bad habits and striving for consistency.  I had been doing the release drill Donna taught me, and was getting better at keeping my head down through my approach, trusting my swing (do not direct the ball!) and following through strongly, which all finally came together on Monday and made a difference!  

THANK YOU, Donna, my fabulous coach and miracle worker, for making it possible!  THANK YOU, Papa Joel, for watching out for me and sharing this journey with me (go JC Squared!).  SHOUT OUT to Romy and Blue of Pinoy Style, and our opponents from $Money in the Pocket, witnesses to the miracle.

In my typical fashion, i had to get worse before the lesson kicked in and sank in, but the results are worth it!  Hard work truly pays off.  I need to be realistic though = for sure it will be bad again, i have no illusions.  But now i know and believe i can do good and be truly great, coz my inner bowler came out to play this magical Monday and she was super awesome!  I am grateful to be on the right track, getting the help and support I need, and truly looking forward to even more milestones on my journey.

See y'all at the lanes!

6/12 Setback

Had my worst series in a long, LONG time tonight: bowled 101, 122 and 104 for 109 average for the night.  My 150 league average dives down to 140.  

I should shrug it off and move on, I guess, but it is disheartening.  Something was just very off.  Ain't that my trend, improve then get off track, get better then face another setback.  Still hoping for better play and better days....

See yah at the lanes.

5/25 FINALLY, a 200 Game!!!

FINALLY, I have achieved a much awaited milestone: my very first 200+ game.  Yes, this was only practice at Facenda but after getting so close so many times both at league and practice, i can at least say that i have done it.  May this be the beginning of better play and more milestones in my journey to a better game.

See y'all at the lanes!

5/24 Let the Summer Leagues Begin!

Big week, with two summer leagues starting for me: the Summer Sizzler league on 9 pm Monday nights and my beloved Women's League on our regular Wednesday night schedule at 6:30 pm.  The nights are getting quite warm, which could make for some scorchingly hot nights on the lanes....

The Summer Sizzler league was bigger than we thought, with a total of 16 two-person teams.  My GoPapa Joel and I are JC Squared, and we played against the blind scores (140, based on 150 average) of an absent duo.  Playing against another absentee team on the lanes beside us were Philly Pinoy bowling buddies Romy and Blue.  Romy had just played with three Filipina gals (Grace, Alice and Bicoy) on team Lucky Strike at the 6:30 pm Mixed League.  Philly Pinoy rookie AllStar Bicoy currently has an awesome 150+ average on that league, and AllStar Romy had just played 200+ games. 

It took a while for the earlier league to wrap up, so it was 9:30 pm before we could start playing.  Romy and Blue were bowling up a storm beside us, throwing strike after strike. Joel got hot as well and ended up with a 230+ game!  I struggled in the first and last games (bowled 118 and 121, uggh) but got a 194 in my second game - SO close (again!) to a 200 game but not quite.  Romy and Blue were done early, sweeping their opponent.  Joel and I won the first two games and were on the last two frames of the last game when we realized were down by a few pins.  We want a sweep too! Our competitive juices kicked in, with Joel converting on a hugely improbable 3-6-7-10 split, allowing us to win the game by FOUR pins!  Sweep for us too! The guys all had averages in the 190s, i had to be content with my 144 average.  Great bowling, guys, awesome start!

Wednesday night for the ladies started out with a bit of chaos.  I could hear the Mission Impossible theme playing as we strove to figure out how our 8 teams could play on only 6 lanes, since two lanes allotted to us had apparently been assigned to the Men's League!  After much discussion, two of the eight teams, my IncrediBOWLs and the Split Enz, were assigned to two lanes on the other side of the building: poor Shirley was able to work this out for us but she was going to make sure we had our lanes together, as always, by next week.  On the Split Enz are Anjeanette, Sherry and Angela: all great players, and such a formidable opponent to be matched against on the first week, when our averages will be set.  My teammates Mitchie/Carmina and Chelo had had no practice for a while, and so i was voted anchor until my perrenial anchor woman Mitchie could get her confidence back.  Both Chelo and Mitchie played better than I did most of the night though - great for the IncrediBOWLs and a great start for us all!  We tied in the first game then won the second game, then the Split Enz, who had a hard time getting all warmed up, got their groove later on, especially after both Sherry and Angela got done selling raffle tickets during the second and third games.  They wound up winning the third game and total pins, so we lost, 1.5 to 3.5.  Anjeanette and I took a while before we got any strikes, i just struggled the whole night and could not recover like Anjeanette did.  Mitchie got hot in the third game and bowled a 178: that's my madam anchorwoman!  Chelo and I both ended up with a 141 average, what are the odds?  We had great fun, with all the high fiving and dancing we were doing, although Angela noted that I was not as noisy as i usually am, hmmm...maybe coz i was playing awful?

I brought home that night goodies from the Womens Fall League banquet that was held at the Thorndale Inn on May 15, which I missed coz i was home sick with a low grade fever and bad asthma, and could hardly breathe.  My dear Scatterpins did well as the #2 team for both the first and second half of the year.  I got a towel for bowling 60 pins over my average, the 197 i bowled when my average was 136.  I also got $15 for our team rolling a high team series.  Overall I received a whopping $133 in cash, together with a lovely handmade tissue box from Shirley and Ruth, some homemade lotion (which my daughter immediately claimed coz it smelled heavenly!), and some cool giveaways from the bank.  Awesome, I tell you... I truly feel like a winner and am so BLESSED to have found this lovely league!

On a related note, another Philly Pinoy team made its debut on the Tuesday night mixed league.  Angie's List is comprised of Angie (of course!), Raul, Desi and Roy, who is new to the Palace leagues.  Our newbie had awesome beginners luck on Tuesday night, bowling his first 200 game at league with a 230+ no less!  Way to go, Royster, i think that makes you our player of the week!

So we are off to a good start, folks, let us keep the momentum going.  See y'all at the lanes!

5/19 Reflections and Lists

Been doing a lot of reflection as my two leagues have ended regulation play. It has been a good long year since i decided to join my first USBC-sanctioned league on my quest to a better game. This week marks the start of my second year on the Downingtown Womens Wednesday Night summer league.  My GoPapa Joel and I are also set to start this week with the 2-person team Summer Sizzler League on 9 pm Monday nights.  How time flies (well, I AM having fun!).  My journey and my struggles continue, although i know i can, and should, so proudly say that i have improved as a player and hopefully also as a teammate.

My analytical mind gravitates towards lists to summarize my musings, so here goes the first list:


Accomplishments from May 2012-May 2013

1. Became a USBC member, playing continuously at USBC leagues for past 12 months

2. Increased USBC average from 117 to 137 over 12 months

3. Logged close to 1000 games over a one year period, both in practice and through league-play

4. Currently bowling a minimum of 8 games per week, 3 at league and 5-9 for practice

5. Played in two USBC-sanctioned leagues with the Downingtown Women (summer and fall/winter)

6. Played in two unsanctioned leagues, Adult-Child 2012 summer league, and Philly Pinoy 2013 winter league

7. Served as team captain for Bowling for Nachos (with Joey) and the IncrediBOWLs (with Mitchie and Chelo), summer 2012, and for the BowlStars (with Mitchie, Chelo, Liz and String), winter 2013

8. Was ranked #3 female player at Philly Pinoy league (all star player)

9. Increased Philly Pinoy league average from 110 to 154 in one year (graph from my bowling app tells the story...)

10.  Decreased injury and strain to knees and elbows by playing smarter, using correct form

Am I proud?  Heck, yeah!  But i also know i can do better so part of me is still a trifle disappointed.  So my lists continue:


Old Goals I Still Need To Reach

1.  Play my first 200 game (and then the next, and the next...)

2.  Increase my USBC average to 150 and above

3.  Consistently hit the 10-pin spare (and all my spares for that matter!)

It seems to be a shorter list than when I started, which is a good sign.  Why my first 200 game still eludes me is baffling, but part of my saga.  To each his own journey....

NEW Goals To Aim For

1.  Obtain coaching from Donna Roberts and successfully apply learnings

2.  Experience tournament play at least once within next 12 months

3.  Consistently play 450+ series at league (then, next aim is for consistent 500+ series)

4.  Play a 300 game, no-tap or otherwise (almost did!)

5.  Keep improving, keep learning, bounce back quicker from setbacks

My eye saga continues, so I am at risk of losing time at the lanes again.  The fact that i still improved overall despite my hiatus for my eye drama is another good sign.  But I hope if i take time off again, i will not slip down as low or take as long to bounce back.  Or, my most fervent hope is that all goes well and there is NO time off from the lanes!  

I pray, then I play.  I pray as I play.  Let the bowling gods smile on me, smile at my joy and laugh at my persistence.  

See you at the lanes!

4/10 Beach-A-Bye Golly-Wow!

Took a break from the blog for a couple weeks while on vacation in the Philippines but definitely did not take a break from bowling.  Had a date with an awesome bowling alley at the beach place (Pico de Loro) we found in the Philippines, and had a blast bowling with family. Then of course when we came back last week, I played at the Fun Night scheduled for my Filipino League last Friday night.  That was REAL memorable coz I got close to bowling a perfect 300 game in 8-pin-no-tap: was perfect till the first ball in the 10th frame but then threw a dud with my eleventh ball and ended with a 282.  Can't really complain about such a great outcome but, oh! what could have been!  Folks were telling me I should go on vacation more often, if I was to come back playing like that: beach-a bye-golly-WOW indeed!  My GoPapa Joel scored his second perfect 300 game at 8-pin no-tap = he truly is a clutch player, Go Papa!

Alas my mojo ran out after 8-pin no-tap this Friday night, coz I played dismally in lowest score (got a 170, NOT low at all) and in the scratch scoring game (got a 126, uggh, could not hit my spares).  I tried addressing my super awful spare shooting at Sunday morning practice, where my Beast Ball seemed to work best as a spare ball.  I had found sweet spots for the 6-pin and 10-pin spares (my favorites, uggh) at practice also, and had been hitting them consistently.  Had I finally addressed that weakness of mine?  We shall see.... 

So of course I was hopeful for good play tonight, coming back to play with my beloved Scatterpins who were up against the BOB.  It was Sadie, me, Ann Marie (so glad she kept in touch with me while I was on vacation!), and Ruth playing for the Scatterpins, and it was Lynn, Diann, Donna and Kitty playing for the BOB.  We had Ruth's super adorable grand-daughter Emma with us tonight, and we made sure we were giving her high fives with every good ball. 

And boy, was Emma darling our lucky charm tonight!  We ending up sweeping the BOB even through some super hot mama streaks and strikes from the BOB.  I started out cold (was it the jetlag-induced stupor?  not sure...) but I did get some well deserved raps in the butt from Ruth coz I couldn't seem to find my groove and make marks on that first game....  Thanks to the bowling gods, things got better as the night wore on.  Thanks also to Ann Marie, who I was trying to keep up with on the second game.  And thanks to Sadie who lent me some of her mojo on the third game.  I had scores of 114, 157 and 167 for an average of 146 and series of 438, allowing me (thank goodness!) to maintain my league average of 136.  I was hit and miss with the 6-pin and 10-pin spares, but I at least hit more than missed more tonight = good trend for me.

Seems that there are only a couple more weeks remaining for the league, with our banquet scheduled for May 15 and the summer league starting by May 22.  The IncrediBOWLs, my summer league team, is planning a comeback, and hopefully we do better than last place this year (11th out of 8 teams, LOL), all for the fun of playing and for the love of bowling.  I am still on the hunt for my first 200 game in league play, it is just around the corner, I can smell it.  And you know I will share it with you here, where I get to share my bowling adventures with y'all!

Thank you for reading, and see you at the lanes!