Blog Title: Walking In

Blog Title: Walking In

As I was walking into the Bowlero Bowling Center, the sounds of the center greeted me right away—balls rolling, pins crashing, quiet conversations, and that familiar buzz that somehow brings peace instead of pressure. Bella was already locked in. Barbi steady beside her. And I just eased into my place, where I belong—dad mode.

Bella came out firing. Game 1: 267. In total control. Game 2 dipped to 166, a few missed spares and tough breaks, but she struck to finish. Game 3: 215, clean after an early open, closed it out with a four-bagger. Game 4: 220, just one miss in the 10th. And Game 5? 256. Seven strikes in a row. All flow.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, she asked Barbi for some input, and Barbi passed along what I had already seen. The black ball didn’t have the right shape for the block. The red was moving better, rolling cleaner. She made the switch back on her own. And she owned it.

That’s the part I love. She trusts herself. She asks when she needs to, listens, decides, then locks in. I’m not coaching—I’m just walking alongside her, heart full, eyes open, watching her step into it.

Now she’s leading by around 150 pins going into match play. Eight games. 30 bonus pins for each match win. A long road ahead, but she’s ready.

She’s always been ready.

And I’m just grateful I get to walk in and watch.