Day One | Staying Steady Inside the Swings

Day One | Staying Steady Inside the Swings

Day one of the Team USA Trials is in the books, and if I had to sum it up in one word, it would be focus.

This level has a way of exposing everything quickly. The shots that feel great and don’t strike. The ones that look perfect and leave splits. The emotional swings that come just as fast as the scoring swings. Bella experienced all of that today, sometimes within the same game.

Early on, she had to work. The reaction wasn’t there right away, and instead of forcing something that wasn’t showing up, she made a simple decision to trust what she knows. Going back to the Purple Hammer wasn’t about comfort, it was about clarity. Once she committed, the lanes started to make more sense, and the confidence followed.

The middle of the block brought adversity. One low game erased a lot of hard earned pins, and that can rattle even experienced players. What stood out to me was not the score itself, but her response. She didn’t spiral. She didn’t rush. She stayed in the moment and kept competing frame by frame.

Late in the day, she showed exactly why patience matters. After a rough start to one game, she reset, trusted her decision, and put together a big one to climb right back into the plus. It wasn’t perfect bowling. It was intentional bowling. There’s a difference.

The final game didn’t allow her to string strikes the way she wanted, but she finished strong enough to walk off the lanes composed and confident. That matters over a five day event.

For her first ever day at Team USA Trials, Bella averaged 209, shot a high game of 257, and proved she can adjust, respond, and stay grounded when things don’t go exactly as planned. She ends the day in 46th place, which equals 46 points in this format. With four days still ahead, today was about setting a foundation, not chasing a finish.

This week is long. The patterns will change. The pressure will grow.

Day one wasn’t about perfection.

It was about learning how to stay steady when the swings come.

And they always come.