Day 1 – Youth Open Team Event Location: Super Bowl | Morning Session Recap

Day 1 – Youth Open Team Event

Location: Super Bowl | Morning Session Recap

We kicked off Day 1 of the Youth Open this morning with the Team Event at the Super Bowl, and if there’s one word to describe it—it’s real. Not just real bowling scores, but real emotion, real grit, and real conversations that reminded me what this whole journey is about.

🎳 Bella’s Start

Bella opened Game One with a 169. The rhythm wasn’t there, and it showed. She was holding a lot—not just the ball, but emotion. Pressure. Expectations. But like I told her afterward, “If you can get through that, you can get through anything.”

We saw some big scores from other players—Anika bowled a 225, and Sebi had the front 10 in one game. Bella had to navigate that mix of personal struggle and watching others soar. That’s tough. But she stayed in it.

🎯 Game Two – Loosening Up

By Game Two, Bella was starting to find her groove. You could see her loosening up. Her energy was shifting. Strike, 8-spare. Strike, 9-spare. The movement was better. The mindset clearer. She was beginning to flow again.

🔥 Game Three – Elliot’s Run and Bella’s Finish

Game Three brought the moment of the morning.

Elliott Gordon, last year’s U15 Boys Champion, came out hot and stayed hot—front nine strikes heading into the 10th. He left an 8-split on his first ball but stayed composed and struck out for a 278. Big-time performance.

Bella also closed strong with a 205, giving her a 558 series overall. It wasn’t her top-scoring day, but it was one of her most mentally tough. She overcame a lot of outside noise and emotional stress—and kept showing up.

Her team finished with a 2473, while the pair next to us—her friends—put up a blazing 2663. They looked locked in and have a real shot at taking the whole team event.

🍗 Real Talk at Chick-fil-A

Now we’re here at Chick-fil-A, refueling and resetting before singles and doubles later at 11:00.

While waiting for food, the real gold came through conversation. Hannah shared her experience being the glue for her bowling team back home. She’s not just the anchor—she’s the motivator, the positive voice, and the unofficial coach. And she feels the weight of it when others spiral.

She talked about losing her coach nearly two years ago—how he wasn’t a pro, but he believed in her and taught her the joy of helping others. Now she carries that torch by mentoring her teammates.

We dove into self-talk, body language, team energy, and what happens when teammates give up. Hannah’s wisdom—about mindset, leadership, and emotional strength—was nothing short of inspiring.

Next Up: Singles and Doubles at 11:00

We’ve got a break, some breakfast in our bellies, and then it’s back to the lanes.

Let’s keep it rolling.