When Cumberland County Girls Bowler Lilly Lewis first stepped on the lanes to compete, Lewis said she did not know what to expect.
Lewis had spent three years bowling for fun against friends and family. That all changed last year, when Lewis decided to add a competitive edge to her bowling prowess. Lewis said it almost felt like a spotlight had been placed on her.
“It was a big change because even if I’ve bowled before, it was kind of different,” Lewis said. “It felt like because me and Madison were the only two new people on the team and it felt like everybody was watching us to see how we’d do on our first game.”
Lewis said her decision to join the Jets came after encouragement from her friend and fellow bowler, Madison Woody. At first, Lewis said she hung back, quietly studying her teammates to understand what she needed to do to succeed.
“I was kind of just observant on everybody and trying to see how I needed to bowl,” Lewis said. “I had to watch the form of everybody else and see how I needed to change that.”
Lewis began her first few practices throwing a lot of gutter balls and not hitting many pins. Lewis said she entered her first match-up really nervous, feeling a lot of pressure. But Lewis also said Head Coach Gretchen Daenell and her coaching staff helped Lewis move past mistakes and build belief in herself.
“It kind of just showed me that even though I messed up, the coaches were there to help me,” Lewis said. “And they helped me come over that mental hurdle and be the bowler I am today.”
Lewis enters her fourth year with the Jets determined to keep improving. Lewis said she hopes to bowl a minimum of 120 in every match during her third year.
Lewis will open her season October 7 against the Upperman Bees.