July 25, 2011
Editor’s Note: Vanderbilt All-American Jessica Earnest is competing on Junior Team USA at the Pan American Bowling Confederation Youth Championships this week. More than 100 bowlers from 16 countries will compete in the tournament, which features two divisions, one for bowlers 20 and younger and the other for bowlers 16 and younger. Junior Team USA will compete only in the under-20 division. Complete information and live streaming are available on bowl.com.
July 18 Blog | July 19 Blog | July 20 Blog | July 21 Blog
This is my final blog for my first experience outside of our country. There were some definite highs (bowling 1400 on the short) and some definite lows (never getting matched up on the medium pattern). Our team won the gold on the girl’s side! I’m so proud of my teammates and everything we accomplished this week.
The bowling has taught me a lot. As I wrote earlier in the week, good athletes learn from their mistakes. I hope I can learn from my mistakes here as I begin preparation for my next international competition in a week.
On a different note than bowling, this week has taught me more about appreciation for what I have. I have seen a country that is poor and doesn’t take anything it has for granted. This opened my eyes to see how privileged I am to be sitting here writing for Vanderbilt Athletics.
As Vanderbilt athletes we do not realize how much the school does for us. Being at this school can be a huge opportunity. That opportunity is to try and help people that are not nearly as fortunate as we are. I encourage everyone to take some time today to really think about how much you have in your life and for all that you are grateful.
This week my family has been my support even though I could not use my cell phones to call or text them. Not being able to hear a familiar voice was the toughest thing when I was not bowling very well. However, the e-mails I got were supportive and uplifting enough to get me through the week.
Be thankful for everything you have and appreciate the perks of living in the United States!
Thank you all for taking time to read my blog this past week!