By: Alison PItman
To many of us, the feeling of slipping on a pair of used shoes and the sound of the bowling ball gliding across the floor reminds us of a fun night out with your family or friends, but to Taeven Quallio it's so much more than that. To him it’s an escape from reality and a passion for an untraditional sport.
Taeven started bowling at 3 years old, but it all truly began with his grandmother. He speaks about his memories of her taking him to a Summer League and how slowly he found himself going to the bowling alley every day with her. “Practice makes perfect,” Taeven states, and his dedication and time spent at the alley since such a young age exemplifies this saying perfectly.
You can catch Taeven bowling at Westy’s Garden Lanes quite regularly, as well as playing and supporting Centennial’s high school bowling team.
As school can be challenging and take a toll on one’s mental health, Taeven says this is a way to distance himself from the heavy workloads. He explains, “It’s nice to just get away from things… so then when I get done, I can work on homework with a clear mind.” Creating the mental distance from school, along with a set time to work diligently is what makes Taeven a great student.
Along with the academic benefits, Taeven also says this sport helps him improve his confidence as an individual. When improving and succeeding in the sport he notes that the attention and applause from the people around him helps him build certainty as an athlete in the sport.
Aside from Taeven’s point of view of how bowling affects him personally, his drive and love for the sport shines through his character, which is what makes other peers and close friends, like Emily Davis, notice the positive affects bowling has on him. Emily says, “It takes a lot of determination and skill no doubt to do what he does. So being able to watch that and know that all his hard work has paid off… is really nice to see.”
As Taeven chases his dreams of becoming a professional bowler, his advice for those beginning the sport is to not let failure get you down and to instead let it motivate you to work harder so you can succeed in the future. This is the type of drive and motivation everyone can learn from and express through all practices in our life.
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