Bowling One-On-One with Barbara Lunsford: Never Give Up
Setting goals and having dreams is an important first step towards success and realizing those dreams. Taking action by dedicating to your craft and to your personal development will put those goals and dreams in motion. Barbara Lunsford is one such multi-talented young lady chasing down her dreams through action and wants to inspire others to do the same. I was fortunate to catch up with Barbara and I asked her about her bowling journey.
You started bowling very early on as your parents were bowlers and passionate about the sport. You traveled around with them to competitive events. Share a little bit about how your relationship with bowling began, your journey with your parents and how bowling would end up capturing your interest and inspired you to keep going.
“For me, bowling started when I was just three years old. I was about to turn four and did my first Saturday morning youth league at Pioneer Lanes, Plainfield, IL (now named Plainfield Lanes). My parents are both bowlers, and they are the ones who got me into it from a young age, which I am extremely grateful for. I even remember traveling to places like Texas and New York at a young age to watch my mom bowl major events, which was super inspiring. My dad also ran the pro shop at Pioneer Lanes and continues to run one now, so my earliest memories have happened in the bowling alley.”
“What started my passion for the sport is the fact that there are always ways to improve. There is no right or wrong way to bowl; everyone has their own style and approach to bowling. I love constantly learning new tricks and evolving my form as I go. Of course, I also am incredibly passionate about competing. I used to run cross country and track as well. With all three of these sports, I have put my heart and soul into them and have always strived to be the best I can be.”
In High School you were a high achiever both academically and athletically. You were an Illinois State Scholar and member of the National Honor Society. Also, a 3-time All-Southwest Prairie Conference (SWPC) selection, an All-SWPC JV selection and 3-time qualifier for the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Girls Bowling Tournament. You were ready for the next step and dedicated to developing your game. Talk about how your game was progressing at this stage through High School.
“While I got lessons when I was first starting, high school marks a point where I started taking the game extra seriously regarding competition. I got lessons from Doug, a longtime family friend from the bowling world, and received help from Joliet West head coach Jeff Bailey. I’ve also been fortunate with the experience my parents have and continue to pass down to me. I realized bowling is what I wanted to do at a collegiate level, and this led me to stop running after my sophomore year of high school.”
“My freshman year in high school was pretty rough, but with the work I put in, I was able to average over 200 by the time I was a senior in 2019. This was also the year I started to bowl youth sport shot tournaments. I remember shooting 1246 at my first one and earning a Junior Gold spot for Vegas, which was unfortunately canceled due to the pandemic. However, this experience showed me that the lanes are where I want to be and that I wanted to continue to take my game to the next level, which helped me prepare for college.”
Your journey continues as you have taken your academics and bowling career to the collegiate level. Talk about the relationships you’ve developed in your collegiate journey so far, your overall experience and how it has helped you personally and with the development of your game. Also, what led you to choose the university that you did?
“I decided to further my education and athletic career at Saint Xavier University for many reasons. I was deciding between many colleges, but SXU was the closest to me, while still giving me the opportunity to dorm and be independent. I wanted this college experience to develop and grow as a person. SXU also offered multiple majors of interest, which was a must for me.”
“Regarding bowling, I was impressed with how the team was developing, despite being a newer program. I knew three other girls who committed, and I saw a great opportunity for what we could bring in the future. I wanted to go to a school that could be competitive and allow the athletes to gain more lane knowledge while bettering their games.”
“My freshman and sophomore years in college, to put it simply, were brutal. I wore a huge robotic wrist brace because I felt I was too weak to throw a ball well without it. This limited what I was able to do on the lanes and affected my college performance and confidence. Yet the team and coaches I am surrounded by have always been supportive of each other, always trying to find ways to help one another out for future success. We were able to make NAIA Nationals and ITC Nationals appearances my sophomore year, which continue to be exciting memories I cherish. Such led me to work hard the summer before my junior year to get out of my wrist brace so that I could be a better teammate and improve my game. I could not have done this without the suggestions from teammates, the help from Tony Jordan, and the endless support from my parents and coaches. This has been the best bowling decision I have ever made; my collegiate average increased almost 30 pins because of it.”
“While we did not make it back to nationals my junior year, we have a solid team that will make things exciting this year. At Saint Xavier, I cherish the team environment on the lanes. Having people supportive of everyone’s shots makes all the difference and creates a solid foundation. We are still a newer program but have worked hard to put ourselves out there as one that is highly competitive. Coach Kay, Stephanie, and Isaac have all been influential for everyone on the team, whether it be providing new ideas to work on at practice or giving guidance to how we can grow together, and everything in between. They have believed in me before I grew confidence in my game, which definitely helped me as an athlete and person.”
*Photo from 2023-24 season – Courtesy of SXU Photographer
I’d like to congratulate you on your recent WYBT Championship victory just a few weeks ago in November. The competition was fierce as you weren’t the only one out there trying to win the title. With all that you have learned in the game over the years, you found yourself strategically navigating your way through the tournament all the way to the top. Talk about this experience and what this victory means to you.
“Thank you so much! This is my third-year bowling WYBT’s and it might be my last since I am pursuing professional events in the future. This win meant a lot to me because everything seemed to come together in ways I struggled in the past. I bowled against some really talented competitors, who did not make it easy.”
“In my second match, I was down 37 pins after the first game. I had been trying to throw a different ball on each lane. I was in the pocket with one and not carrying, while the other lane, I struggled getting the ball to finish. I had to think about a plan for the second game and made a ball change that led me to a 233 and a spot in the final match. I averaged 224 in the final match with this same ball. This is a decision I might have not made in the past due to trying to play it safe. Yet in past events, I have a lot of second place finishes and match losses. This was my first WYBT win and really showed me what happens when things come together and when I understand my equipment while trusting my shot making. These are things that will help me tremendously moving forward to recognize necessary changes sooner.”
As a senior in college, you’re currently in your second year as a Features Reporter at The Xavierite and an English tutor at Tinley Park High School. You’re seeking a bachelor’s in English Secondary Education as well as Media Communication with a Writing minor. And of course, you can spin a ball down lane pretty well too. Talk about your passion for writing and about your goals and aspirations as you look head.
“To start with my life outside of bowling, I am a double major and have been fortunate to land part-time opportunities during college for both fields. Writing for The Xavierite has helped me find new friends, new passions, and has taught me a lot about news writing and my style of writing. Tutoring has also been an experience that has changed my life; it is not an opportunity everyone gets. Going into student teaching, this has given me prior experience working with high school students and communicating with them, which has been awesome. Aside from these fields, writing has always been a passion of mine. I have always had the goal to publish a book, ever since first grade when I started creative writing with my own short stories. I currently write a lot of poetry and have a book in the works for that. Hopefully I can get that published in the near future.”
“I wanted to give myself a lot of options for the future, career-wise, but do have plans to pursue bowling as well. I bowled in my first Queens tournament this past summer and will be going to Team Trials in January. Competing is always what I find myself looking forward to the most, so it is not something that I want to stop once I graduate. As of recently, I have met a lot of other young bowlers with similar aspirations, and we motivate each other to keep going through the rough patches. My parents have both bowled professional events and have shared their experiences with me. They always keep things real, never sugar coating anything, which has helped strengthen my own mindset to the point where I am today. The mental part of the game is arguably the most important part, and it can be the difference between a bad tournament and a good one. These are all things I will carry with me when I pursue PWBA-level competition.”
*Photo from the Queens – Courtesy of Mike Gavina
You seem to have your hands full already but what other interests and hobbies might you have and enjoy?
“I would have to say writing is my biggest passion outside of bowling. I have always believed words have the power to change the world and change ourselves. They are what get us through the worst days, acting as lights showcasing the end of the tunnel.”
“My other hobbies include anything art-related, hiking, traveling, and finding new coffee shops. I love spending my free time gaining new experiences in any way I can. Painting is probably my favorite art form outside of writing, but I have also dabbled in drawing and crochet. As far as hiking goes, one of my goals is to visit every national park, at least in the United States. There are 63 of them, and I have only been to three so far, but being outside has always been peaceful and calming for me. This goes with traveling as well. Traveling for me is not limited to nature, but visiting new cities and discovering things I cannot find in Chicago. I would also love to visit a coffee shop in all 50 states – I think I have knocked off almost 10 so far.”
Your experiences with the sport of bowling has given you valuable resources to call upon, and to share. Your experience from your journey so far can help others aspiring to bowl collegiately one day. What advice might you give to those striving to reach their own goals with bowling or in whatever dreams and aspirations they might have?
“There are multiple things I live by. My favorite quote is from Steve Prefontaine: ‘To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.’ I even have the word ‘Prefontaine’ tattooed on my arm to serve as a constant reminder to push through and Never give up. Another thing that has stuck with me is my dad saying, ‘Whenever you think you have worked hard enough’, I finish the sentence with ‘work harder’. Reaching a point in your game where you have confidence is not something that happens overnight. Once this does happen, there is always something to continue working on to improve.”
“My biggest advice for anyone aspiring to bowl collegiately would be to stay true to yourself and never lose your confidence. It is completely okay to have things in bowling to work on. No one is perfect; if we were, the game would no longer be fun (as my dad would say). The most important thing would be to find a program that will help you most as a player – one that has faith in you and is there to help you improve along the way. I would also give advice for young athletes to read up on mental sports books, as they can go a long way to help strengthen one’s mindset.”
Thank you, Barbara, for taking time to share your bowling journey and experiences with your personal development as you continue to pursue your goals and dreams. The way you have handled adversity and committed to the development of your personal growth and mental strength to keep your goals and aspirations in focus and within reach is impressive and inspiring. I wish you all the best as you continue your exciting journey and with all your future endeavors.
“I would like to thank you for reaching out to me about my bowling journey. The love I have for this sport is always growing, which I hope to pass along to other people. To end, I would like to re-emphasize the importance of the mental game. For anyone reading this, I hope you are inspired to reach a higher level of mental strength and continue growing past the darkest days.”
*Feature photo from 11/25/23 WYBT – Courtesy of Cale Ruschf; Opening portrait photo from Queens – Courtesy of Barbara’s Dad
