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Write on!
What do 12-year-old Patrick Renner of Novi, Mich., and 17-year-old Nina LoSchiavo of Staten Island, N.Y., have in common? They both won $2,500 scholarships as first-place winners in the 2007 National Bowling Week Essay Contest sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress and the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America. Entrants were encouraged to relay their best bowling moments or how the sport has positively impacted their lives. Patrick's chronicle of his first year in organized bowling includes his introduction to the sport through a free-game-per-day summertime promotion, the fun he had as he practiced his new sport with his friends, and the growing sense of accomplishment and success they experienced as their novice bowling team worked their way up the league standings to tie for first place in both halves of their fall/winter league schedule. "Bowling has made a positive impact on my life because I feel that I have improved at a sport I like; it has given me confidence," Patrick wrote. "I am pretty proud of the fact that my average went up 27 points from last September to June. I bowled a few really great games, made some new friends and discovered a sport that I love. Bowling has shown me that hard work and perseverance can mean success." Perseverance is a lesson Nina wrote about, too. Her winning essay is an account of her ambitions to compete in the USBC Junior Gold Championships, the realization she faced at the 2006 event that she wasn't as prepared as she thought she was, and her efforts to improve her abilities and regain her confidence in the following year. "I continued working with my coach," Nina wrote. "I learned it may be impressive to be successful, but it is even more profound to pick yourself up after you have fallen. The experience has helped me to build my character. No longer would I throw my equipment in frustration or threaten to quit something I am so passionate about. I learned that immature behavior does not lead to results, but coming to terms with your mistakes can help you grow."
Second-place winners in the essay contest, which included judging divisions for teens 13-17 and kids 12 and younger, are Natasha Doty, 17, of Lincoln, Neb., and Kaylee Biba, 11, of Waupaca, Wis. They each earned $1,000 scholarships for their entries. The opportunity to try out for the high school bowling team inspired Natasha to expand her social network and channel her perfectionist tendencies toward improving her bowling skills. She had been just an occasional bowler prior to working with her high school bowling coaches. "Once having thought of this activity as merely a game, I quickly gained a great respect and admiration for the sport," she wrote. "I never realized such a complex process went into making each and every shot." Her efforts paid off in both athletic and social realms. "As I developed as a bowler – like a caterpillar develops into a butterfly inside the cocoon – not only was I growing in knowledge, but also as a person. I came to realize that not only had I gained teammates, but also new friends, and as the season progressed the camaraderie among us grew." The desire to learn as much as she could about the sport lead Natasha to attend classes and become a bowling coach, achieving USBC Level 1 and Bronze certifications. "Bowling has made me a better person. I am more confident, have more friends, and am able to help others and I wouldn't change that for anything in the world." Personal growth was also a bowling benefit that Kaylee experienced. She recalled her first year of bowling, when she was a kindergarten student. Back then she had a "perfect series" of 0 – all gutter balls – and was encouraged by her coach to try again the next week. She did, and rolled a 102 game. Her coach didn't let her forget the courage she displayed to overcome her disappointment – he presented her with the Coach's award during the league's end-of-season banquet. Kaylee still remembers the lesson she learned back then. "It's not how well you do but how you react to what you do that matters," she wrote. "Sometimes when things are not going well I think back on this experience and realize things could be worse and know that if I keep trying I can do better. When I see a new bowler struggling and frustrated, I tell them about my 'perfect zero series' and it usually makes them feel better." Winning $500 scholarships for their third-place entries are Alora Moore of Antioch, Ill., and Nicole Grube, 12, of Lakeland, Fla. Alora was 17 when she entered the contest and celebrated her 18th birthday on National Bowling Day, August 25th. "Although that doesn't sound that great, Natalie and I were both complete bowling novices," Alora wrote. "We were just happy to be on the team and to spend time together." "One thing I learned about bowling is that it's a sport where there's room for everyone. No matter if you pick up a ball for the first time or have been bowling for 20 years, everyone is welcome. Unfortunately, that is not always the case with beginning golfers." Alora noticed other differences between the two sports. "Golf is a hushed, serious, quiet and reserved sport. Golfers are expected to display dignity, decorum, and etiquette at all times. Bowlers are completely uninhibited, loud, fun and exciting. With nearly 30 girls trying out for the team, I could barely hear myself think while the girls cheered each other on. There's no cheering in golf, only the occasional polite fingertip applause." As with any sport, coaching played a big part in Alora's experience on the bowling team. "Our coaches were great, complaining loudly and frequently that they didn't get their hands on us as freshmen. They worked with us intensely, tirelessly teaching us proper form and often coming in on their own time to work with us privately." Alora's best bowling moment came during one of the school's away matches. She wrote that, after a mediocre first game, "I began to think 'I have two games left to play and it's not the end of the world, I can save it.'" Five strikes later, with the cheering of her teammates, Alora played on. "The entire game I didn't look at my score, even when it was over. I didn't want to jinx myself and choke. All of my coaches stood on the line congratulating me and telling me I shot a 223." "This was the best day of my life. I didn't choke and, most of all, I learned how to have fun while being serious." "What started out as a lark quickly became one of the most interesting and intense experiences of my life. My sister and I bonded in ways that I never expected and we made memories and friendships that will last us our lifetime." The camaraderie of being on a team and learning what good sportsmanship is all about was also at the heart of Nicole's winning essay. "In bowling, you have a lot of team members around you," she wrote. "When they do well they expect to hear 'good job' or receive a high five. Over the three years I have bowled, I am a lot better in my sportsmanship. Now I give out high fives like candy on Halloween. I have also gotten much better at giving my teammates support." Part of Nicole's growth in the sport is the result of listening to her coaches and never giving up. "I used to not have confidence in myself. I used to tell myself, 'Nicole, you know you can't do this, it is way too hard.' Wrong! I know now that I am able if I just practice at it. Having confidence in your life will make everything a lot better." Fourth through 11th-place winners in both youth divisions of the National Bowling Week Essay Contest earned $100 scholarships for their entries. In the teens 13-17 division, these winners are Taylor Maharaj of Patchogue, N.Y.; Christopher Uptmor of Lewiston, Idaho; Colleen Damerell of Rochester, N.Y.; Magie Annab of Pasadena, Texas; David Mullinax of Pelham, Ala.; Kaila Swain of Pleasant Hope, Mo.; LaShea Wangelin of New London, Wis.; and Eryn Swain of Pleasant Hope, Mo. Fourth through 11th-place winners in the kids 12 and younger division are Sarah Leung of Newark, Del.; Madelyn Johnston of Reading, Pa.; Brandon Schwenk of Broomfield, Colo.; Nathan Houser of Morgantown, W. Va.; Tristan Alfred of Manteca, Calif.; Hayley Adkison of Florissant, Mo.; Daniel Palmer of Hastings, Neb.; and Caleb Proctor of Bosque Farms, N. M. All scholarships awarded in National Bowling Week contests are being held for the winners in USBC's SMART program. View the winning entries in the 2007 National Bowling Week
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