Rosynek Week 9 - Bowling

     My family and I moved to Pennsylvania when I was 8 years old. We moved into Wind Gap, where I would go to school in Pen Argyl School District. Naturally as a child, I wanted to try different sports to see if there were any I would like to do through school. I tried soccer (was very, very bad at it) and softball (I accidentally hit a mom in the face twice with a softball) and bowling and horseback riding. For those who know me, it is common knowledge that I have been riding since I moved here. I love it, and it's one of my favorite things to do in my free time. 

    I started to bowl shortly after I started riding. It was through school, but PASD did not have a team for it; which is common for schools in the Lehigh Valley. Typically, bowling is a fun activity to do on Friday or Saturday nights with your friends. For me, it became my sport. I quickly moved up in leagues and was beginning to get really good as I learned more about it. I always joke with my friends that "bowling is a game of luck, and you don't really have to have a strategy," but I know that's not always true. It requires talent by those who are seriously invested in it. 

    A few years ago (I believe when I was 15), I really hit my stride with bowling. I was the highest girl of the year in my league and I had moved on to having two balls instead of one. I knew how to work them, and I even did well in my tournaments. I was the District 9 Pennsylvania State Pepsi Scholarship Tournament champion, and I was second in the Lehigh Valley Junior Masters tournament. It was all going according to plan, and I was set to go on to my next season on a high. 

    Unfortunately, I suffered a rotator cuff injury that is still haunting me to this day. There are no real solutions besides surgery to them, so I was given physical therapy by my coaches to heal it by myself. Looking back, I really should have listened to them and done the physical therapy when I needed to because now, I'm still not 100%. My father bought me a new ball this past November for my birthday, and we decided to go down to 14 pounds instead of 15 to make sure what's left of the rotator cuff in my right arm can still continue to heal. I wear KT tape on it every time I practice and I leave it on for a few hours after for extra support. It has gotten much better recently and I rarely have to wear my tape. 

    This year, it was a struggle to get over a plateau in my performance. I was only really getting 170's every game and I wasn't doing anything extraordinary like I did before my injury. Quarantine also really killed the flow of my practice and being able to bowl consistently. In January, I started to get better and I've been more confident in my talent. The seasons will end in June, but I plan on practicing at least once a week to make sure that my last year in the junior leagues (18 and under) will not be underestimated.