The Chelsea boys and girls bowling teams faced off against the Saline Hornets on Wednesday, and both came out with wins. The boys bowling won 25-5 while the girls won 22-8. The teams have had pretty good seasons so far, with both winning the majority of their matches. 

“As bowlers, we pick up what we put down,” junior Lily Paddock said. “We never stop pushing for that strike or that win. We have some amazing players who have pushed me to perform my best and for me to do the same for my team.”

This team mindset is what helps the girls team in not just their matches, but every day in practice. 

“This is my first year bowling and everyone is so encouraging,” Paddock said. “When a player is down, everyone is there to help cheer them back up. When we strike, we fist-bump. It makes me happy to celebrate the little successes.”

Something Paddock finds unique about her team is the diversity of her teammates.

“The first thing I noticed about the bowling team is how different we all are,” Paddock said. “I’m close friends with people now that I didn’t even know before I joined the sport. We all come from different friend groups, yet when we get put together on the same lane, we can’t stop talking, laughing, dancing, and having fun.”

Unlike many sports, bowling is about mindset and technique as opposed to the raw physical strength required in other sports. 

“Bowling is a mental sport,” Paddock said. “In the words of Taylor Swift: shake it off. If you don’t strike? Shake it off. Don’t pick up a spare? Shake it off. Your opponent is one spare ahead of you? Get your head in the game, we gotta win. Everything is about learning, progressing, and improving. Team bonding and support are big contributors for this team’s success. We push each other to accomplish greatness.”