May 14, 2015
Today marks a historic day for women’s bowling. In 2003 little girls’ hearts were broken when the PWBA was disbanded. Today there is life. The 2015 USBC Queens starts today and marks the first tournament on the revived PWBA tour.
My excitement is two-fold. First, I LOVE to compete. Having more tournaments for women is incredibly exciting. The unique thing about the new PWBA tour is that it allows working women the opportunity to keep their `real’ job AND compete professionally on the weekends. How awesome is that?!
This also gives our top collegiate girls something special to look forward to in their future. I believe one of our biggest selling points at Vanderbilt is that we afford our kids the opportunity to get a degree in whatever they want, which allows them to dictate their future. That means that if they choose to compete AND have a stable career they can do that.
This week is going to be a lot of fun for me. I haven’t been able to compete much lately, but it is a challenge I always look forward to. My first enjoyable experience in Green Bay was the opportunity to bowl as a professional in this event’s Pro-Am. I remember bowling many of these as a kid and being so excited to see who I would have the opportunity to bowl with. This event allowed me to meet so many people that were genuinely thrilled to be a part of our sport. That’s exciting.
It was also amazing to me the number of people who knew of me, not just because I was bowling, but because I am the assistant coach of Vanderbilt University’s bowling team. This is a humbling moment for me because growing up I never would have dreamed of being a part of such a prestigious place and tradition. For that I am grateful.
This event is different than the other PWBA events because it draws a multitude of competitors. High school players, collegiate players, and professionals alike will be competing. That means that I will be competing against current Commodore players, incoming Commodore players, and potential future Commodores! I look forward to seeing what this week has in store. Until next time…
Josie