Bowling leagues bring good times with good friends

BY DYLAN JAEKEL Feature Editor

Bowling is an occasional night out with friends for some, a small hobby for others. For a select group however, bowling is more than something for spare time, it is a passion and a time to bond with friends.

At the West Valley Bowl in Tracy, CA, the teams that encompass their local bowling league are dedicated. They spend a night competing with one another, and many spend multiple nights a week practicing for competition. Nights re filled with drinks, laughter and a common love for the sport of bowling.

“So, we start off on Tuesday mornings. Tuesday mornings are strictly our seniors, so if you’re not fifty-plus, you can't bowl. Tuesday nights are for everybody. Then, Wednesdays are more for the professionals, people who are really good. We set out PBA patterns, which are a lot harder than what you see on a normal dayto-day. So that's where you're going to see your professionals, and they're going to struggle a bit; it's supposed to challenge them,” said West Valley Bowl employee Eric Boscacci. “Then, Thursday mornings, we have a no-tap league which is if you knock nine, you don't get all ten, nine counts as a strike. So, I like that one, it's a good little ego boost. And then on Thursdays, that's our wild and reckless league, that's full house, slam packed, and everybody’s drinking, having a good time. And Fridays, which a few of my friends bowl on, that's more like you’re there, you’re getting drunk, you’re having a good time. That's most of the leagues we have. The seniors, for fun, and then really hardcore for the professionals.”

“It's just a fun thing to do. I started in high school; I got a few of my friends out here, and they haven't stopped bowling since. Once you start doing it, you see that it's pretty fun. You want to strive to get a high- er score. Once you bowl one time, it's like Oh man, I got to break 200, I got to go for the 300. It keeps you going,” said Boscacci. “It's a passion of mine, so I think everyone should try it.”

For the team No Sleep ‘Till Brooklyn, their love for bowling started after a friend worked at the bowling alley and told them about the league. “My best friend Justin was working here at the bowling alley, and he was telling me about the leagues and how fun they are. He needed an extra person and asked me to join, and I had nothing better to do on Friday nights, so I said, why not,” said team member Tyler Christensen. Their bowling team started as something to do in their free time but has grown to more. “I started bowling in 2019. I came with one of my friends, Jesse; we just came randomly, and we just consistently started going. I first started off just throwing the ball, and then I started finding out more about bowling, and after I found out more about it, I was just hooked,” said team member Sebastian Arroyo.

Through the formation of their bowling team, the four members of No Sleep ‘Till Brooklyn have not only become better bowlers, but they have become better friends as well. “The camaraderie is great on my team. We’ve known each other for so long. We get along so well, so it’s always fun with them,” said team member Justin Russo.

Though No Sleep ‘Till Brooklyn’s team members are all in their early twenties, making them a younger team, this does not affect their love of the game or the relationships they have formed with other teams. “We’re one of those teams that likes to have a little bit of banter going throughout the night, especially as more drinks go in,” said Christensen. “I would say most teams are easy to talk to and get along with, especially since we’re sharing a past time and hanging out.”

League members are at the alley each Friday night for a good time, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t take their bowling seriously. Bowler Jesse Roy said his competitiveness is a 9 out of 10. “I like to beat my teammates. We kind of have a rivalry to see who does better per game,” he said.

Friendly rivalries have also grown between teams but winning is not the ultimate goal. “There are definitely teams that are close in the brackets with us, and while it can go both ways, it can go our way one night and their way another night, ultimately having fun is more important than actively trying to win the brackets against most of the teams,” said Christensen.

No Sleep ‘Till Brooklyn is going to continue to be a team well into the future, as the members have no plans of stopping anytime soon. “I’m going to be bowling for quite a while. I’ll give it as long as I can continue to come here (West Valley Bowl). I do work, so as long as I have spare time, I’ll always come back,” said Arroyo.

Their found passion for bowling and their bonds with one another is what fuels the team No Sleep Till Brooklyn; the bowling alley bar may also have a hand in their good times.