Funny this should come up. Two of my friends and I have just finished our second year of college as well, having been avid bowlers in high school. DP3 once mentioned that college is an important time for bowlers, because one of three things always happens:
1) The bowler starts bowling collegiately with other good bowlers, becomes better and then basically stays at a high level of bowling, either going pro or bowling in tournaments, etc.
2) The bowler realizes his/her inability to compete at a truly high level and becomes content with bowling a league a week like most bowlers.
3) The bowler realizes his/her inability to compete at a truly high level and stop enjoying every aspect of bowling. Bowling isn't important to him/her anymore and quits.
I myself have gone through the second option, while another friend literally just decided to quit, and the third friend, while he won't go professional by any means, has become a member of the B team at his college and his game is continuing to improve. You sound like you're where I was about 5 months ago, i.e. inbetween choices 2 and 3 and trying to decided which path you'll follow.
The breaking point for me was when I realized that though I didn't really care about bowling, I still wasn't upset when I bowled and I could at least get a rudimentary enjoyment out of the act of bowling. I no longer bowl with the thought in mind of "Okay, getting a 700 tonight by playing 20-5 at 16.5mph with 45 degrees of side roll", but rather I just...bowl. Like you, though I'm not nearly as into bowling as I was a few years ago, I couldn't see myself just flat out quitting because it's been part of my life for so long. My physical game, like you, is as good as it's ever been, and there's nothing wrong with my mental game.
The breaking point for the friend who quit was when he realized that going to the league we joined this summer brought thoughts of "Damn, I have to go to league tonight", and he kept questioning why he was spending money on it. He realized that if you're not enjoying something and paying money for it, you should stop doing it.
I think what you need to ask yourself if "What do I feel when I remember it's time to go to league?" If your thought is along the lines of "Ahh, crap, league's in an hour, hope it doesn't take too long" then I'll be blunt and say you should quit. If your thoughts are along the line of "Ahh, I hope that I can shoot well, but I don't know that I can" then I'd recommend doing what I did, and in effect, get over yourself. It was tough for me to acknowledge that I'm not going to be a high caliber bowler no matter how much time I put in, so now that I'm not bowling with the thought of "Compete! Compete! Compete!" I find I can actually enjoy bowling again. I'm actually now open to the prospect of joining a league or something when I go back to college, which I never would have thought of a year ago.
Oh, for reference, since you sound like me, I guess I have been on a hiatus since I haven't bowled the fall/winter/spring season in a few years...All the hiatus did for me was make me eventually come to this conclusion rather than get my old drive back. Like I mentioned, I think you're at the point like I was where I realized, yes, I'm better than most bowlers, but I'm not good enough to enter a Regional and compete, and like I said, I had to get over myself and realize there is nothing wrong with being good but not great. The problem is that I didn't have the simple goal of shooting a 600 or 700, my drive for bowling was to continually improve and exceed my limits.
But physically and mentally, I've probably hit my limits, and I'd be willing to bet you have too. So I was in limbo, since I completely lost the entire reason I've been bowling for all these years, i.e. to push myself and see what I'm capable of. But you know what? I actually, in a way, enjoy bowling more now because I'm not constantly analyzing and criticizing myself and every little thing I do during a game. I'll admit, right now I'm not doing too well, but now that I've "reset" I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to return to my former level, and given my new serenity, I might actually become better since I can think with a level head all the time.
A lengthy novel of a post I know, but it seems like you're going through what I did, and it tore me up for quite a while until it just hit me one day. And like I said, funny that this topic should come up, since I logged on because I'm going to be selling my quitting friend's equipment and a bunch of mine this week, since I don't want/need it any more.
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- Andy
Edited on 6/21/2009 10:12 AM
