Bowling One-On-One with Jackie Matsutani: In the Spirit of Gaman
(Jackie Matsutani, Renee Matsutani. Arya, Luna. Jackie, Renee and Henry Matsutani)
Strength comes through in actions, and in life, we are all subject to challenges, adversities and losses every day. It takes great strength, patience and tolerance to keep on going. It takes even more courage and dedication to follow and fulfill your dreams and passions in bowling and in life. Jackie Matsutani is one of the strongest, humble and most creative people I know, let alone one of the most talented bowlers in the game. I had a chance to catch up with Jackie and I asked her about her bowling journey.
Share how your personal journey with bowling began and what helped lead you on the path to passion for the sport of bowling?
“My maternal grandma (we called her Nana) and her siblings were bowlers. One of her sisters even managed a bowling center in Hawaii, so I guess you can say it’s in my blood, Haha. When I was about 7 or 8 years old, Nana signed me up for a bantam league that she took me to after school. Back then I wasn’t super interested in bowling. I didn’t really fall in love with the sport until I joined a Jr/Adult league at Diablo Lanes in Concord, CA., with my mom [Renee Matsutani] when I was 12. My mom thought the league was a perfect opportunity to bond and keep Nana’s memory alive after she had passed (and to keep me from playing video games for hours). After our teammate and her dad started taking lessons with Al Louie, my mom suggested we give lessons a try too. Al believed I had a lot of potential, and he really ignited my passion for the sport and desire to improve.”
Your love for bowling truly gained momentum during your youth stages when you bowled Jr. tournaments and all the way through high school. This is where the development of your game really started to take off to new levels. Share some of your successes and challenges you experienced as a youth bowler prior to college.
“I bowled A LOT growing up. My second year of bowling was when my mom and I started bowling tournaments together. I remember being so nervous for my first tournament. I was concerned about getting injured because my body wasn’t used to bowling more than six games in a week. But after that tournament, I wanted to bowl as many of the Jr/Adult tournaments as I could, my favorite being Debbie Haggerty’s summer tournament held at the Stadium in Reno, NV.”
“In my sophomore year of high school, I got my first introduction to sport patterns through joining the PBA league on recommendation from the proprietor Eric Hattrup. It was through that league that I met one of my biggest supporters, Sean Street, who became a mentor, math tutor, and like a second father figure to me.”
(Jackie Matsutani and Sean Street)
“During my junior and senior years of high school, I signed up for the bowling elective to fulfill my P.E. requirement (and also to get some extra time to bowl). At the end of my senior year, I was selected for my graduating class the Exceptional Athlete Award, which came as a surprise since I had expected the award to go to a football player or wrestler, as those were the sports my high school was known for. But I was so grateful to my coaches for nominating a female bowler from a PE class for that award.”
“Throughout high school, though I was seeing improvement in my game, I remember struggling (and still do a bit) with confidence issues, thinking I wasn’t good enough to be at NCJBT (Northern California Junior Bowlers Tour) or PacCoast, two prominent local youth scratch tournaments. I was bowling against some of the best youth bowlers in the area, many of whom had started before I did, so I tended to feel like I was behind. But what reassured me that I belonged among them was becoming a 2x NorCal All-Star (and getting ceremoniously roasted by the MC Mike Hillman) before going off to college. It felt like a good send off before starting my studies and collegiate bowling career at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA.”
The momentum continued from your successful experience bowling through your high school years. At this point, you’re off to college. Your parents encouraged you to focus on academics in the early going to help you get settled in and acclimated to the new collegiate environment, and to maybe give bowling a break for a while. However, your passion for bowling and your heart had other plans in mind didn’t it? Also, what ultimately led to your decision to choose Cal Poly (California Polytechnic State University)?
“Funny story about that actually! When I was visiting and applying to colleges, I first learned of collegiate bowling after sitting in our hotel room and serendipitously stumbling upon the women’s ITC championship match on TV between Wichita and Lindenwood. I didn’t want to travel out of the state for college, so I looked up California colleges with bowling teams, and Cal Poly was on the list. Once I accepted my offer, my parents told me not to join the bowling team my freshman year so I could focus on studying and acclimating to college. During the club showcase the day before classes started, I met the team’s captain Kaylene Bishop (Folks), who got me in touch with the team’s coach Joe Barket. I tried out, and when I told my parents I had made the team, they were shocked yet somehow not surprised I didn’t listen, but ultimately supportive of my decision to commit to the team.”
(Image Credit – Renee Matsutani, Cal Poly)
Today, you’re one of the top bowlers in the East Bay region of Northern California. You’ve been averaging in the 210-220 range in very competitive local scratch leagues. With all the improvements in your game over the years, you’re still committed and dedicated to your craft. You’ve also faced incredible adversities in life. Talk about your development and progression now as an adult bowler and how you continue to raise the level of your game today, even through adversity.
“Right when I was transitioning as an adult bowler, the biggest challenge in my life came during my sophomore year of college when my dad [Henry Matsutani] passed away. He didn’t get into bowling until about a year before he lost his battle with depression. But he was still one of my biggest supporters. And despite going against his word, he was still proud to support me at my very first college tournament in Davis CA, and joining us in Las Vegas, NV for the Collegiate Shootout and Glen Carlson Memorial over winter break. I like to think if he was still alive today, we’d be bowling in a beer league together, or I’d see him in the crowds at tournaments, chatting with other parents who were cheering on their adult kids.”
“My mom was ecstatic when I could finally join her for adult tournaments. The first one we signed up for was a women’s state tournament in Southern California, in 2013. There, we fortuitously met Michelle Silver who recruited me for her women’s Nationals team, which was my first time bowling that tournament. I was so nervous and humbled being a part of her team and getting to cross with Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Cathy Dorin-Lizzi. I was the youngest on our pair, but Michelle and the rest of the team made me feel welcomed and comfortable. They helped me out with ball choices and adjustments, and even recommended ball layouts that would work for my game.”
(Image credits – Renee Matsutani, USBC)
“After college, I was so excited to bowl more adult leagues and tournaments. I still felt I had a lot to improve on, so I continued seeing coaches like Bill Hall, Mark Baker, and Mike Jassnau whenever they were in the area.”
“I really started seeing improvement when I bowled the Showcase league at Diablo Lanes, the most competitive scratch league at the house. Sean [Street] recruited me and we had an outstanding team two years in a row, placing 2nd in our last year. The competition was fierce which elevated my mental game, but our team found a way to have fun and keep the mood lighthearted.”
You’ve achieved (4) 300 games in your career. Please share some details about the most memorable perfect game you’ve had.
“The first one I shot was at Clayton Valley Bowl in January 2017 and definitely the most memorable. I wasn’t even supposed to bowl that night, but was asked to sub. I don’t think I realized I was on track for a 300 until the 8th frame. 10th ball was when the nerves really started to kick in. On the 11th, I was so nervous that I tugged the ball pretty bad, but miraculously got a Brooklyn strike with the 10 pin slowly falling into the pit. Looking back at the recording my mom took, it’s hard to tell exactly which pin pushed the 10 into the pit. I like to think it was my Dad’s doing, Haha. I couldn’t feel my body on the 12th shot, but somehow managed to throw it just like the first 10. My teammate Matt Kauffman shot 299 that same game, so we had one heck of a team score!”
Just a month ago in Dublin, CA, you finished in 6th place at the PBA Women’s Earl Anthony Classic. A successful mission overall. Talk about this experience, the competition, the grind of it, and overall what you took away from this experience?
(Jackie Matsutani and Sunny McHugh – 2024 PBA Women’s Earl Anthony Classic)
“That was such a wild experience! Folks have been saying I should bowl the Earl Anthony regional for years, even more so since they recently added the women’s division. Despite having participated in PWBA events in Santa Rosa after college, I still felt I wasn’t good enough for this event and would give excuses as to why I couldn’t bowl it. This year when my teammate Sunny McHugh asked me to bowl with her, I didn’t really have an excuse not to. This was the best my game had been in a while, so I thought, “heck, why not!”
“The practice session went really well and I found a great line. I told my mom that it was the best I had thrown the ball in a while, but that confidence slowly faded when I started having fit issues during the first three games of competition. By the end of game four, after coming off a really tough pair, I was second from the bottom. I just decided to let go of the pressure I was putting on myself, focus on making good shots and picking up my spares when I could. Once I bowled a couple 220+ games back-to-back, I had pulled my way into the cut! A couple more big games guaranteed that 7th spot.”
“Match play felt a lot more nerve wracking even though you’re only focusing on beating one bowler each game. Nerves got the best of me during a few games and I missed easy spares which cost me a couple matches. However, I was still proud of my performance overall, and I proved to myself that I was capable of bowling well in these PBA events.”
“As mentioned earlier, I’ve previously bowled at the PWBA events in Santa Rosa. That was my first experience at the professional level. I didn’t do well at all, but it was still a humbling experience. It’s funny that despite that experience, my brain still told me that I wasn’t good enough for the PBA regional. Brains are weird things, aren’t they?”
Yes, very complicated and weird to say the least! As you look ahead, talk about some of your personal goals and aspirations in the sport of bowling? What’s next for Jackie Matsutani?
“My biggest goal now is to win a regional! My long-term goal would be to keep my body healthy enough to continue bowling for as long as I can.”
“My favorite tournament each year is JANBA (Japanese American National Bowling Association), which is like a weeklong celebration within the Japanese American bowling community with many different events. I think it would be pretty neat to complete the grand slam.”
I know that you’re an advocate for mental health awareness, and you also are quite artistic too. You have quite the following with your digitally created character: Mellow. Please share some of these interests and hobbies you have and enjoy outside of bowling.
“I LOVE cats! I have two kitties at home, Arya and Luna, whom I love to bits, even though they are mischievous troublemakers. And since I advocate for and spread awareness about mental health, I’ve become known as the ‘mental health cat lady’.”
(Mellow and friends. Artwork created and copyrighted by Jackie Matsutani)
“Outside of bowling, I’m also an illustrator and animator. I’ve been drawing basically since I could hold a crayon, but only started taking it more seriously at the start of the pandemic. For the past year, I’ve created a social media following for my cat character Mellow, who brightens viewers’ days with his playful antics. I’ve also been doing a lot of commissions not just for illustrated prints but also for bowling jersey designs! It’s been a lot of fun learning the logistics of the design and printing side of things.”
“To this day, I still love video games, mostly RPGs and puzzle games. In a way, I feel like that’s another thing that’s kept me connected with Nana since she was the one who got me into video games after she bought a N64 for my cousins and I to play on. She loved joining us in Mario games (and winning most of the time).”
(Artwork created and copyrighted by Jackie Matsutani)
“Going along with the art and games is live-streaming on Twitch. I fell in love with streaming in 2021. I only started because I wanted a way to hold myself accountable for creating and to share my process with viewers. It’s something that brings me a lot of joy outside of bowling, and I’ve met some of my closest friends through the platform.”
Who are some bowlers you look up to? Whether it be family, friends, league members, and or professionals you’ve admired, and why?
“In no particular order, some bowlers I look up to are Norm Duke, Kelly Kulick, Lynda Barnes, and Daria Pajak. All are top tier athletes, and exemplary human beings. They’re all super down to earth and easy to talk to, but still remain fierce competitors. Kelly was probably my biggest idol growing up. She was one of the first pros Al showed me during our lesson when working on my mechanics, and I loved watching her compete on TV. She left a lasting impression on me when she won the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions.”
(Renee, Kelly Kulick and Jackie)
“Locally, Dan Sasaki. Dan is an accomplished bowler in the area whom I’ve learned a lot from and am honored he continues to ask me to bowl Mixed Doubles at JANBA with him. His dedication and love for the sport continues to inspire those around him.”
“Lastly, the list wouldn’t be complete without my mom. Without her push after Nana passed away, we both probably wouldn’t be bowling. She has been through so much loss in life- more than any person should in a lifetime- but continues to push forward and finds ways to be happy. I don’t think anything could keep her away from the sport. Both she and Dan really embody the Japanese ‘Gaman’ spirit of enduring and persevering.”
Bowling all around the world continues to gain momentum both recreationally and competitively at all levels and ages. As a highly respected bowler in the bowling community, you continue to inspire people all round you to improve their own game. What advice might you give to those with similar goals and aspirations in the sport?
“Thank you so much! I’m so used to looking up to others that I’m always amazed to hear I inspire others! I have a few pieces of advice – Get a coach. Coaching is NOT overrated and does make a world of difference. Practice picking up spares! Spares can make or break a game, so it’s just as important to practice spare shots as it is strike shots. It never hurts to be kind and humble. Sure, it’s great to win, but we can’t win 100% of the time. So let your true character show through how you celebrate wins, both yours and others. Just have fun! Brush off mistakes and laugh. Win or lose, you will have had a good time.”
Thank you Jackie for sharing your incredible bowling journey. What you have accomplished in bowling and in life while facing head on life’s challenges and adversities is inspiring to all. It does take a huge amount of endurance, perseverance, and courage at the least to keep moving forward, let alone thrive as you have. It’s a great pleasure to know you and I wish you the best of luck ahead and with all your future endeavors.
“Thank you so much for the opportunity to share my experience with Bowling One-On-One reader! I’m honored that you asked me to participate! Best of luck on the lanes!”
