Bowling Update (3/1/06)

Strangely enough, we didn’t have a bad night, overall. Jean bowled two games well above average. Arvin and I had one game each above our average. However, that was not enough.

All three of us were off in the first game, with each of us bowling significantly below average and the team losing by 123 total pins in the first game alone. All three of us had our high game in the second, and we managed to win by some 30-40 pins or so. And then, while Jean had another good game in the third, Arvin and I fell flat again and we lost, although we kept it a little closer. We wound up losing total pins by around 200. Special shout-out to Arvin who nearly got a 200 (193) in the second game and had a shot to beat my score.

It was a frustrating night for both teams, as no one could find a consistent line. I tried moving right, left, adding speed, adding hook, bowling straighter—not one of the usual adjustments for lane conditions helped. I actually had a streak of 7 straight 9s on the first ball at one point. The strange thing was that I left the 10, the 8, the 7, the 2, the 9—I didn’t have a consistent leave to point me in the direction of what to fix in order to get on a line.

During our four-week winning streak we had all four members show up and bowl every game. In that time, we went 14-2. In the last two weeks we have had one or more person not show or be late and the team has gone 2-6. Coincidence? Before our streak, we had a bunch of missed sessions as well, and we tumbled just as badly—which is why we needed that streak to get back to respectability as a team. And, in case anyone thinks I am picking on my teammates, I have missed some dates and the team has generally done poorly when I’m not there as well.

The season starts in September and goes through the end of April. During that time, there are generally only 3 weeks that are scheduled off—the Wednesday right before Thanksgiving, and two Wednesdays before and between Christmas and New Years. Other than that, you’ve got 34 weeks of bowling. In addition, the summer league starts the very next Wednesday after Sweeps in the Fall league. So there is no time off. There is no room for vacation, personal issues, illness, etc.

Jean and I have some health concerns. Jean also has a busy schedule of vacations, trips, tours, etc. as a semi-retired person (she is retired, but still is active in her church, at choir, and in her women’s club). Tai recently changed jobs, so he has had training and “new job-itis” (where you feel you have to go above and beyond to prove your worth). I now have changes in my own life, which are well documented elsewhere in this web log, that have caused me to miss some weeks. Arvin, bless his heart, is the only one who has not missed a week. Not one, in two fall leagues. Of course, he’s hurt himself during basketball and shown up deathly ill and has usually bowled like crap at times like that, but he’s always there.

My point is, a bowling league is a team activity. And it is obvious that, when our entire team is present, we are much more successful than when someone is absent. Sure, we have bad weeks when we’re all there, but the overall history of nearly two full, 34 week seasons, shows that we are more successful when the entire team is there. The chemistry is good, we have fun, and we just bowl better.

Here’s to hoping we can get the entire team to consistently be present for the remaining 7 weeks of the league.

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On a personal note, I continued one streak while another ended. I managed to bowl a 205 to keep my streak of consecutive weeks with at least one 200 game alive (7 weeks and counting). However, during that streak, I also had a streak of consistently bowling above my current book average which allowed me to improve that average every week. That streak is dead (at 7 weeks). I bowled 157, 205, and 157 for a 173 average. My current book average is 186. So my book average will drop by at least one point and possibly 2. Since one of my personal goals was to reach a 190 book average by the end of this season, and there are only 7 weeks left, I need to refocus my efforts on that goal and see if I can’t start a new streak.