I eventually got a bit bored with running and found that it was very hard on my body at times.  It became more difficult to recover from longer runs and injuries became a yearly phenomenon. Eventually, I had to admit to myself that I peaked as a runner at about age 40 as my injured left hamstring became a speed governor. I could still run for fun, but could not really compete, which was half the fun for me. I was fairly certain I wouldn’t be qualifying for the Boston Marathon anytime soon…

Due to this nagging hamstring injury, I rediscovered swimming at age 43. I was in the pool “water running” to rehab my most recent hamstring strain, and thought, “Why don’t I do a few laps?” I swam breaststroke in high school for three years and always enjoyed being in the water. My passion for swimming was reignited in no time. I found out I could swim hard and not injure myself. This led to several master’s swim meets and two state swim meets (see my other article, http://sportales.com/swimming/masters-swimming/). I had become a slow runner and a fast (breaststroke) swimmer. A friend of mine had done several indoor triathlons mentioned them to me and said he was going to enter a sprint distance triathlon and asked if I might be interested. I thought, “Maybe I could work on my freestyle speed and endurance.” To become a triathlete, I would also have to add biking to my skill set.

 I had purchased a road bike in 2006 on Amazon.com for $269 when I first aspired to “Swim, Bike and Run”, but never got to it. You can see my entry level road bike here: http://www.amazon.com/GMC-Yukon-Road-Bike-Frame/dp/B000FDBP9M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1256476228&sr=8-1    Life seemed too busy with our fourth child born 12/20/06. After the bike collected dust for two years, I sold it to a friend of mine. He brought it over and sold it back to me when I begged him (at the same $100 price). Now, I had a bike and I added this training to the mix. I was still running about 5 miles per week, and participated in local 5K races (although my days of running them in 22 minutes were long gone). I was already swimming three days per week and after a few months training, I could swim the long distance freestyle needed for even the shortest of triathlons. The sprint distance triathlon usually includes a half-mile (800 meter) swim and since freestyle is the fastest stroke, all triathletes that compete swim freestyle, not my favorite stroke (breaststroke).

The road bike training was hard. I was amazed that the winner of the bike segment would finish the twelve mile bike ride in about 30 minutes (about 24 mph average). I could only manage 16 mph average and had to slowly build up my mileage from 5 miles to 8, then 10, then finally twelve miles (the distance in most sprint triathlons). I worked on low quantity, high quality biking so that I could fit it in among the swimming and running training. I biked hard and picked a hilly course near my home so I could get it done quickly in forty minutes or so. I completed a few local 5K runs in 25 minutes and felt that was as good as it was going to get  with the bum hamstring. My swimming was coming along nicely and I could swim a mile in the pool in about thirty minutes, so I started to do 200 yard intervals to work in speed.

I signed up for my first race, too tentative to sign up for the three race series all at once. It was called the T-Rex Triathlon series. I told my wife and some friends so I couldn’t back out…

By the time the race was looming, I could swim a half-mile in the pool in fifteen minutes, bike 12 miles in 44 minutes and run a a 5K in 25 minutes. I felt I was ready and my goal was to place in the middle of the pack of the several hundred triathletes at the race. The races were held on Wednesday nights and I left work early the day of the race to get there in time to set up my transition area, get my number bib, and timing anklet. I joined the USA Triathlon Organization as I could already tell that I might like this tri sport despite the training challenges. I had all my gear and placed my running/biking  shoes, socks, and helmet all out on my towel. I had my Garmin GPS watch on the handlebars and my sunglasses there too. A shirt with the bib attached was ready to go. I had practiced and written down the sequence of events during transition and felt I could do them in 60 seconds, although the best athletes do them in thirty seconds.

On the day of the race, it was 93 degrees. That’s right, I said 93 degrees, the hottest day of the summer to date. They lined us up by age groups for the swim start in the cool lake water and I laughed to myself when I lined up with the “45 to dead year olds”, the oldest age group, which would go last so we wouldn’t hold up the younger athletes. I looked out at the turn buoy and thought, “that seems farther than a quarter mile”. The first group was off in no time and the excitement in the air was electric. After fifteen minutes of waiting on the shore and talking to the other athletes, it was our turn…thirty seconds, fifteen seconds, 5,4,3,2,1, GO!!!

I was off and noticed that like during my practice swim, I couldn’t see a thing but my own hands and the feet of swimmers in front of me. I tried not to get kicked and picked a line toward the first buoy, a large blown up pink dinosaur. The water was cold, and it took me two minutes to get my breathing back to normal from the race start anxiety and adrenaline push. I was surprised to find out how hard it was to swim straight and had to look up often to “sight” the buoy’s and keep from swimming dozens of extra yards. I was happy to be in the cool water and out of the 93 degree air. The swim went by very quickly and in eight minutes, I was at the turn buoy. I headed back toward the shore and tried to pick up my pace, but  it was slow going, passing other younger swimmers from the previous group with a five minute head start.  I felt good that I was not “slowing them down”. Soon I was in the shallows and running in waist deep water to the bike transition. I looked at my watch and saw 16 minutes and huffed and puffed my way through the transition. I found out putting on a shirt while wet is hard and remembering all the  transition steps can go right out the window when you just swam a half-mile hard.

I made it out of transition in about 90 seconds and when I got to the “mount zone”, I jumped on the bike with helmet, sunglasses, Garmin GPS watch, wet shirt and wet swimsuit in my trusty running shoes. I had opted to wear the running shoes instead of getting clipless pedals and bike shoes, since I stunk on the bike anyway and would be nowhere near the leaders off the bike. I pedaled away for the next forty minutes trying hard to break the forty minute barrier, not knowing the price I would pay during the run in the 93 degree heat. It felt like biking through the stream of hot air coming out of a blow dryer. I made it in 39:59…I was amazed at all of the “time trial” triathlon bikes that cost $2000 to $8000 and thought of my $259 Amazon.com road bike as the bikers passed me in droves.

I dumped off my helmet and racked my bike. since I already had running shoes on, my second transition lined up with the best at about 30 seconds. I was running, or sort of running. My legs felt like lead and I had to stop and walk after only two hundred yards. I walked and ran for the next few minuted, marveling at the heat and the energy drag it produced on top of saving nothing on the bike. Little did I know that I would turn in the slowest 5K time for me in ten years time at over thirty minutes. The last mile was dire and I thought back to the morning when I told my wife goodbye and said that I loved her and reminded her where the life insurance documents were. No kidding, I thought I might die, even though I was going fairly slow. I think I walked about a third or more of that 5K and learned a valuable lesson about “bonking” (a cute word for crashing and burning on the run of a triathlon). I saw the finish and crossed the line having been passed by some of the folks I passed on the swim.

I had done it. I was not dead. I sat down on the ground as the volunteers took off my timing anklet. They said, “Are you OK?” I said “I think so, where’s the water?” I saw a few friends who had come to volunteer while they worked up the nerve to enter the series and smiled my best “it was a piece of cake” smile, knowing that it was one of the hardest things I had done and certainly rivaled any prior half-marathon I had run. I knew something else too. I knew I would be back and that I would be faster next time. I was already analyzing my mistakes and planning out my training changes. My final time was 1:29 and I met my goal of placing in the middle of the 250 triathletes at number 121 of 250. The overall winner was done in 1:04 and the ace of my age group (45 to 49 males) was done in 1:15. The first female was done in 1:10 and the first woman in my age group cam in 15th overall at 1:11. I was happy to share the lake and the road with these fine athletes. Then I started thinking about how I could become one of them…

Identification Required for Masters Athletes in Accreditation Process

Only the athlete competing is allowed to confirm participation and only the athlete is able to receive their official accreditation.  No one else is able to to do this as the organisers have to follow international rules and confirm the identity of the masters athletes. 

However, upon showing identification to receive accreditation which is now just a blank pass and shows no sign of identity for the holder of the accreditation pass, the athlete then just produces a blank pass to confirm who they are when confirming their entry at the Athletics centre. 

Masters Athletes Receive Blank Accreditation Passes

Reports from various athletics competitors suggest that the accreditation officials had only 2 printers and 2 laminators to work with during the accreditation period from Wednesday 7th October to Saturday 10th October.  During that time, 1 of the laminators broke and the long queues were caused by system failure to cope with the volume of images and therefore lengthy printing times.  After news reports of 5 hours waiting times on Friday, officials binned the idea of printing the accreditation passes, so any accreditation passes issued on Saturday are blank.

It’s interesting that only 2 printers are used when the NSW State Government and the Federal Government collectively contributed $8 million Australian dollars to host the games in addition to the $220 registration fee collected from each of the 28,292 participants.

World Masters Games Athletics Confirmation Process

The confirmation process at the athletics centre requires masters athletics competitors to reconfirm their entry in their events.  However, reconfirmation must occur in person, at The Information Centre (TIC) in the Athletics Stadium at Sydney’s Olympic Park in Homebush.  Masters athletes are only able to reconfirm events which are no more than 1 day away or if it is a track and field event to occur after 12.30pm, up to 2 hours prior.  Failure to confirm excludes the masters athlete from the event.  Failure to appear for the event also exludes the masters athlete from further events later in the week.

Problems With Masters Athletics Confirmation

The difficulty in confirmation for many local masters athletes is the time required to travel to Sydney Olympic Park to complete what should be an online procedure.  Many masters athletes have entered the World Masters Games as they are in Sydney, but may live up to 1 or 2 hours drive away.  Accomodation is expensive and was not thought to be necessary at the time of entering, public transport usually takes longer than driving time and parking costs $20 per day at the Sydney Olympic Park.

Furthermore, the staff are unable to check the identity of the masters athletes with blank passes anyway.  There are no computer systems at confirmation centre, the masters athletes just have to sign next to their name and are sent on their way. 

World Masters Games Athletics Ex Stadia Events

The masters athletics schedule was kicked off yesterday with the 10km wheelchair race and the 10km mens and womens road running race.  Bibs and timing chips were issued on Saturday, but these had to be returned to be recoded for the 8km cross country race on Tuesday, which means all masters athletes competing in the 8km cross country must return to the stadium on Monday to pick up the new recoded chip.  Failure to pick up the chip by 5pm on Monday means exclusion from the race. 

Needless to say, the cross country races are to be held at Paramatta Park and wont start until 1.30pm but masters athletes still have confirm ex stadia events by 5pm the day before.

Masters Games Staff Attitudes Hardly a Welcome to Australia

So far, what should be a flamboyant celebration of sports participation for all ages carries an air of raised eyebrows and horror amongst the athletics competitors at the unnecessary rules continually thrust in their faces like school children.  The referral to the athletics booth following accreditation was to a girl with a lower lip piercing and an attitude of a school teacher lecturing to what were upbeat competitors wanting to get involved in the party, about the rule book and that it should be read front to back.

From the athletics booth, masters athletes have to walk through the Health and Lifestyle Expo to the very back around the corner, after asking the directions of other athletes, to collect their backpack, which is thrust at them with a less than “Welcome to Australia”. 

After lining up at TIC at the Athletics Stadium for another 30 minutes, a woman comes to ask part of the line who is running in the 10km.  Several masters athletes put up their hands in the hope they would be taken to another shorter line but instead were berrated in advance about the $50 fine which would be imposed if the timing chip wasn’t returned straight after the 10km race.  Needless to say their were at least 5 officials collecting these tags on the completion of the run so that wasn’t a difficult task to achieve.

Better Days to Come

It has been an embarrassing start to the worlds biggest multisport event which has attracted a record 28,292 competitors from 95 different countries.  Hopefully the opening ceremony and days to follow will present a better time for international masters athletes who have paid a significant amount of money to be here.  It’s a far cry from the party given in the 2005 Edmonton World Masters Games, however.  Despite the banners around the city and the sparse newspaper advertisements, there are still many taxi drivers and retailers unaware of the existence of these special games.

In being married to Chris, she has one of the most challenging family dynamics in the world of professional bowling, or in any sport for that matter. Not only do they both rely on professional bowling as their living, they have little twin boys at home to take care of. This truly makes her accomplishments even more astounding because she cannot dedicate her entire life to her profession, because her children and her husband come first. However, some how, some way she still manages to be one of the best in the business. She is quite an inspiration to anyone, never mind those in similar situations, as she is well respected and admired for keeping her priorities in order.

Lynda’s resume of accomplishments is beyond amazing. It ranges from intercollegiate awards to amateur championships, to dozens of international titles to two USBC Women’s Queens Titles. She also holds the distinction of being the only female bowler to ever beat a male pro in the finals of a televised tournament. She accomplished this in April of 2008, when she defeated Sean Rash 258 to 237 to win the USBC Sponsored Clash of the Champions.

Lynda is a fierce of competitor, who thrives on winning and striving to be the best in her sport. She displays a fiery determination and enthusiasm that is fun to watch and down right contagious. She has an undeniable love and passion for the game that all true sports fans and athletes can relate to.

She is without a doubt one of the most admired, respected and popular bowlers on the tour. She has all of the wonderful qualities that make her downright likable, enjoyable to watch and fun to be around. She is warm, genuine, down to earth, and fan friendly. Besides all of that, and perhaps most importantly, she has found a way, to take care of both her family and bowling career with great success.

All photos have been approved by Lynda Barnes

Bio

Lynda Barnes

Home: Double Oak, TX

Age: 41

Career Highlights and Championships

• 1995 U.S. Amateur Champion
• 1998 USBC Queens Champion
• 2005 U.S. Amateur Champion
• 2007 U.S. Amateur Champion
• 2007 US Open Semi Finalist
• 2008 USBC Queens Champion
• 2008 USBC Clash of the Champions Winner (Defeated Sean Rash)
• 2009 Qualified for PBA Women’s Series
• 2009 U.S. Open Television Finalist

The Interview

About Last Season

You did not qualify for last year’s events. How difficult was it for you to sit out? Did you attend any of the events?

It wasn’t incredibly hard to sit out because I was home with my family. One of our twin boys was diagnosed with Diabetes last year so we had plenty to deal with. I was just excited that the women had something to compete in. I did not go to any events.

Did it bother you that you only had one shot to qualify for the series via the U.S. Open?

No, it didn’t bother me. I felt that it was the same opportunity for everyone and you knew what you were signing up for. I did like that this year you had qualifying rounds for two more spots in each event. That made it possible to earn another way into the tournaments.

Do you think the last year’s series met expectations as far as fan attendance and viewers go?

I’m not sure how many people were expected to attend the live events, but I was personally disappointed by the lack of attendance. I know there were many reasons for this, (weather, economy, etc), but I held hope that everyone would watch the shows and help increase our numbers there.

I was told the women’s series did pretty well in the television ratings on ESPN. What do you think about that?

That does not surprise me. I think that many players can relate to the women’s games physically and mentally. The series has the best of the best and it is just fun to watch that level of athlete compete.

What would you have changed about the series if you could?

I would like to have bowled and won one…. just more tournaments, more opportunities and more money. You asked!

What did you learn from last year regarding where the sport of bowling is and where it is headed, especially for the women?

I think last year shows the women that there are people out there that are willing to fight for a ladies series/tour. The issue is getting the women to truly commit to supporting this fight and get them to enter the tournaments. They can’t have tournaments if they only get thirty entries. Those numbers do not give anyone a good enough reason to support a women’s series/tour.

About this season

What did you think about having the first five women’s PBA events all in Detroit?

I didn’t understand the idea until I walked into Thunder Bowl Lanes. What a great place to host these events. I was honored to bowl in a center with so much bowling history behind it. Did it have some issues? Absolutely, but you don’t know until you try. The PBA has to do something different to make the tour better and stronger. It would be far worse if they just kept doing the same thing and kept watching our numbers and sponsorships decrease.

Do you think fans across the country (other than in the Detroit area), who like to see the women bowl in person, were be disappointed because they did not have that opportunity for the first five series events?

I’m not sure of what the numbers were/are in other areas. I can tell you from the past (2000 season) we didn’t have many spectators come out. I am sure there are some that are disappointed. These are the people that we need to get to fight for the women’s tour. We need numbers to create an outside interest. The bowling community needs to get together and help our sport.

What do you think about allowing two more women to qualify for each event, increasing the number of women allowed to compete to twenty?

The more women the better. It gives the women who may have had a rough week at the US Open an opportunity to still compete. I felt like this was an opportunity for more women to come out and support what the PBA and USBC are trying to achieve. I am not sure we lived up to their expectations. The number of participants in the qualifying rounds was not very high. Again, I completely understand with the economy and everything going on, but if we want a tour we have to support what they are doing.

About the sport of bowling

There is lots of advertising in bowling journals, bowling magazines and bowling web sites for the pro bowling events, but very little in mainstream sports media. Do you think this should change? If so, how would you go about changing that?

We need interesting stories and people. We need to learn how to promote not only ourselves, but our sport in a positive light. We need people to get out and create a buzz. I hope it will change but, again, I think the bowlers themselves have to take on some responsibility and treat our great game like a sport. There are so many different levels to our game and we need to respect the best of the best. Until we start within our own community it certainly isn’t going to happen outside of it.

Why do you think it is so difficult for bowling to break into mainstream sports?

I don’t think “mainstream” understands how difficult our game is. Like golf, we do have our own hidden bunkers and trees to contend with. It is very difficult to get people out there to understand how great these players are just by telling them on the ESPN telecast. I think we need more education to the general public, and our league bowlers.

If you were asked to make appearances at bowling centers around the country to promote the sport bowling and the women’s series, would you?

Absolutely!!!! As long as it didn’t interfere with my kiddos

How far away would you say the women are to getting their own tour back and getting all finals matches on television? Is this a goal right now?

I’m sure it is a goal for everyone involved, but I would imagine that the low number of entries in our tournaments didn’t help our cause.

Why should fans watch the women pro bowlers?

Because they are the best of the best and they do it for the love of the game.

None of the ladies out there are doing it for the money. There are some that do okay, but they aren’t building their retirement fund by bowling seven weeks a year. Besides that, the accuracy and knowledge that these women players have is absolutely amazing. They work hard at all aspects of the sport.

Who in your mind is the best women’s bowler on tour?

Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, no question. She has an amazing intensity and desire to win. She knows her game and equipment almost better than anyone I know (only Chris would be in that same category for me). She reads lanes and makes adjustments incredibly fast and is just amazing to watch. (No, she didn’t pay me to say all that)

If you could have one dream match for a women’s championship, whom would it be against?

I don’t really have an answer for this one. I just really love living the dream and bowling for a title. Sounds corny, but the rush you get when bowling for a title is unbelievable in itself.

If you could choose one partner for a women’s doubles tournament, who would it be?

Kim Terrell-Kearney. She is just a great friend and an amazing competitor. We have a blast and still work hard at getting it done. If I couldn’t have her it would be anyone that I have bowled with on Team USA. Those girls are all about getting it done.

More about Lynda

Now that you are back in the women’s series, how difficult is it to be a full time mom and a pro bowler, especially with your husband being on tour? How do you manage it?

We do it with lots of support from our family and friends. Chris’ mom and stepdad (Bill and Joy Willey) have made it possible for me to have it all. I feel very fortunate to have them around to help us. I always feel a little torn when I bowl. I love to bowl, but the kids come first in my world (next to Chris of course) and I hate to be away from them. I only bowled two of the first five women’s series events because school started and Troy got his omni pod for his Diabetes. There was no way I was going to miss either of those two happenings.

As far as Chris being on tour it actually makes it easier for us. With both of us being out in Detroit we were able to bring the kiddos and the entire family. It made the down time far more enjoyable. It’s always nice to know you are loved whether you win or lose.

You have a unique situation in bowling, having a husband on tour who is arguably the best bowler in the world. That must make for some interesting situations and conversations?

I won’t say it’s always easy, but how lucky am I that I get to learn from the best? Whenever he talks about bowling I pay attention. He is just so good at what he does and I always learn something. It is great to be with someone who understands what you are going through, good or bad. I think we balance each other out really well and hopefully we give our children something to be proud of.

How competitive are you with him?

We really don’t have the kind of time to worry about being competitive with each other. We both hate to lose, no matter what we are doing, but we try to take the team approach more often than not.

What are your proudest moments in bowling?

Winning the USBC Queens tournament twice. I even enjoyed finishing second in tournaments, because I was genuinely happy for the person who won.

How many 300 games have you bowled in competition?

I couldn’t tell you. I think six.

You are the only women’s professional bowler to ever beat a man on television for a championship. How did that feel? What went through your mind?

My main thought was please don’t fall down. It was an amazing night. The crowd was so supportive and so into every shot. I felt like I was just having a blast. I really just wanted to put on a good show and try to keep it close. Sean is an amazing bowler and a great friend. I enjoyed the competitiveness and the respect he showed me. I will always be thankful to the delegates in the arena that night-I feel like they willed the pins to fall for me-sorry Sean.

Would you like to bowl your husband on television in a one on one match someday?

I wouldn’t mind bowling with him. We had an opportunity this last year in the Clash of the Champions tournament. We talked about it a lot, and okay, threw down about it quite a lot. Any bowler that good I would rather bowl with than against.

If you had one message to give to those that do not watch the women or who do not follow bowling at all, what would it be?

Go out and bowl seventy-five games in a week with a fifteen pound ball, average 220 and then tell me its not a sport. Seriously, it’s one of the best sports in the world. Its physically, mentally challenging and a blast!

To learn more about Lynda Barnes, you can find her on Facebook.

For Part one of this series on Professional Women Bowlers, which includes an exclusive interview with Diandra Asbaty, click here.

For Part two of this series, which includes and exclusive interview with Jodi Woessner, click here.

The moves are the same as regular volleyball

The serve: A strike that sends the ball over the net in an offensive manner to start of a rally. A serve must be made from behind the back line of the court (although you may jump over the line as long as you’ve finished the hit before you touch the ground in your court.)

Set: When the player traps the ball in a trampoline like effect with the hands above the head. Bending her elbows down before quickly pushing them back up forcing the ball upwards

Bump: When the player hold both hands together in front of her and hits the ball with the forearm of both arms.

Spike:  A very hard offensive strike to the ball usually made from very close to the net with the goal of driving the ball straight into the opponents’ court and thus scoring a point.

The rules are much like those of regular volleyball.

• The court is divided by two by the net in the center each team is assigned a side.
• The goal of the game is to make the ball touch the ground on the other team’s side whether inside their court or outside of it after they’ve touched it.
• Both teams have two player, and though they do switch who serves each time they score a point on the other teams serve, they do not have to rotate positions, nor are there any rotation errors
•   A match consists of a best two of three set format. A set is won by the first team to reach 21 points with a two point advantage. The first team to win two sets wins the match, and a third set tiebreaker, if necessary, is won by the first team to reach 15 points with a two point advantage.
• You cannot set a serve.
• You cannot set the ball over the net unless it is high and non offensive

The world authority on beach volleyball and regular volleyball is the FIVB and you can check out their website here for more information on the world of beach volleyball.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

In the 1990’s Jodi excelled in the amateur rankings, especially in and around her home state of Ohio, winning several titles. But last season, seemingly out of no where, Jodi got on a incredible roll that had all pro bowlers, including the men, wondering who she was and where she came from. 

She started things off by becoming only the sixth female bowler to ever win a PBA Regional title that included the men bowlers, by winning the Central Regional Open. In the championship match she defeated men’s bowling great Jason Couch, to take the title.

This win seemed to serve as the catalyst for what turned out to be an incredible season. Immediately after, she qualified for the women’s series by finishing in the top twelve of the U.S. Open. In the open she wound up finishing in the top eight.

A few weeks later, in one of the first women’s series events of 2008, she made it to the finals of the Chameleon Championship and finished second. Then she won her first ever Women’s PBA title, taking the Women’s Shark Championship, by beating arguably the best woman bowler in the world, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. Following that win she capped off her season when she finished second in the Women’s Series Showdown. 

By the end of the 2008-2009 season she won a PBA Regional title, won her first Women’s PBA event, and finished second in two other events. Not a bad first full year with the PBA. No wonder everyone is taking notice.

It is hard to believe that at thirty-nine years old, Jodi has just begun to hit her stride and realize her potential. The sky is the limit for Jodi as she continues to climb her way up the rankings and into prominence in the world of professional bowling.

Jodi is one of those bowlers that anyone can emulate. She has a picturesque classic style that anyone can learn from. She is fun to watch with a fierce competitive spirit that really draws viewers and fans in. She has that eye of the tiger look that true champions are made of.

She is incredibly fan friendly and wants to let everyone know how much she loves what she does and how great a sport bowling is. She not only strives to continue her winning ways, she wants to help promote bowling however, and whenever possible.

All photos approved by Jodi Woessner

Bio

Home: Oregon, OH

Age:     39

Pro Career Highlights and Championships

2008 PBA Central Region Storm Products / Beechmont Toyota Open Champion (sixth woman to win a PBA regional event that includes male bowlers)

2008    Qualified for PBA Women’s Series

2008    U.S. Open Television Finalist

2008        Women’s Chameleon Championship: 2nd place

2008        Nominated for U.S. Bowler All-American Team

2008        Women’s Shark Championship – Winner

2008        Women’s Series Showdown – 2nd place

2009        Member of the Bowlers Journal All American Team

2009    PBA Women’s Series Exempt Player

2008 US Open

The Interview

Tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming a pro women’s bowler.

I didn’t take the ”normal” path by going to college and/or bowling for Team USA.  I got a full time job right after high school, started bowling adult leagues/tournaments then a few years later decided to try my hand at the LPBT (Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour) Regional program.  After only a few tournaments, I won my first title in Baltimore in 1993.  As I remained working full time, I continued to bowl as many regional tournaments as I could along with a few national stops here and there until the women’s PBA tour folded in 2003.  When I heard about the Women’s Series two and a half years ago, I decided I wasn’t getting any younger. So, if I really wanted to test my talent against the world’s best, I needed to do it now.  My first attempt in 2007 wasn’t successful, but with the (BIG) nudge of my husband, Aaron Hawkins, and a lot of work getting in shape and bowling in as much as I could, including starting to bowl PBA Regional tournaments to gain more experience, I was successful on my second attempt.

You are one of only six women to ever win a PBA Regional Championship. Tell us a bit about that. How did that feel? 

That was an incredible feeling!  As I indicated in my last answer, I wanted to gain more experience before the 2008 Women’s U.S. Open, and I knew PBA Regional tournaments would provide that, not only considering the lane conditions but also the competition.  I bowled in my first PBA Regional in Detroit in June 2008 and finished in the top eight after winning my first match on Sunday morning then losing the second.  Two weeks later I bowled in the PBA Central Region Storm Products/Beechmont Toyota Open in Cincinnati.  Again, ”just to gain more experience.”  Even after leading the A squad at +333 pins, I didn’t feel safe that I was going to make the cut (top 16), because the B squad was so much stronger considering all the exempt players.  I figured if “I” could shoot that high, there were at least sixteen guys on the B squad that would, too!  Well, after everyone laughed at me, I ended up qualifying second. Then after sixteen games of round-robin match play (which I prefer over the bracket-style format) on Sunday, I was in fourth place and had to make my way through the very tough stepladder finals.  I beat Ken Abner, Brian Waliczek and then Emilio Mora Jr. before facing Jason Couch in the championship match. He started off by striking in the first eight frames, but I hit my first nine! In the tenth frame he left a seven pin, and then missed the spare! I sat there in disbelief that I had not only won a PBA Regional but just beat Jason Couch to do it!

2008 PBA Central Region Champion

Was participating in the women’s series last season what you expected? What was it like? 

Considering I had little experience competing on the women’s tour, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  I will tell you, though, that I knew I had a lot to learn and I did learn a lot!  I was so happy we crossed with the guys because I don’t think I would have learned as much only bowling with the women.  The guys were very willing to provide input after practice sessions and in between blocks since we weren’t competing against them.  Plus, I had the added bonus of my husband being with me. Chris Schlemer of Storm Products assisted me as well.   

What was the most difficult part about it and the most rewarding part, besides winning your first pro title of course? 

The most difficult part was feeling inferior.  I knew most of the girls and some of the guys, but had never bowled in a setting like that.  After a short time, that feeling started going away, but I felt like a fish out of water for the first few weeks.  The most rewarding part was getting over that and feeling like I was accepted and respected.  I have a ton of new friends, both professionals and spectators.  I’m certainly not done yet, but I feel such a sense of accomplishment and can’t ever look back and say what if.

Was that the first time you bowled live on television? How nervous were you? 

Yes, that was the first time I bowled live on television.  It was very nerve-wracking not only because of the anxiety of the match, but I also felt so rushed since we bowled our match after the guys were finished.  We were there all day bowling on the practice lanes. Then once it was our turn, it was rush-rush then over in a flash.  I learned so much in that short amount of time, though, and knew if I had another chance, things would be different.

What was the first thing you thought of when you realized you won your first pro title? 

Honestly, how to react!  That day was odd because I was so calm compared to the first time.  I just had a feeling that no matter what, I was going to have a good showing (unlike the last time) and really thought I was going to win.  Once it actually happened, I didn’t know what to do, where to walk, what to say.  I wanted to say hi to my mom and grandma who were at home, but I couldn’t find the camera! 

Camaraderie and a family type atmosphere seem to be an integral part of the PBA. Was this the case with the women too?

Yes, several of us would hang out after bowling or on our days off.  It’s all business on the lanes but off the lanes, we have a lot of fun together!  That’s the time when I can pick some of their brains as most of them have competed in far more than I.

Even though it was your first year, how did you feel about the turn out at the events? 

Considering we bowled with the guys, I thought the turn out was great!  We had many positive comments about how they were getting the best of both worlds. 

You had an awesome year, winning a regional title, your first women’s title and coming in second in two others, what are your expectations for this year? 

Well I’m in it to win it!  I want to have a good showing and continue to learn as much as possible.  I have a lot to prove to myself since I never competed full time prior to last year.

Has there been any talk about what the PBA’s goals are for the women’s series this year? 

Considering they expanded the field from sixteen to eighteen, plus two more qualifiers per event, it’s obvious they want it to grow into something much bigger. However, I have not spoken with anyone directly regarding the goals.     

How do you feel about having the first five events of the 2009 series in Detroit? 

For the PBA, I think it made sense.  It certainly was more cost-effective and considering the state of the economy, it was better than the alternative.  Detroit is a great place to bowl.  I used to drive up there twice a week for three years to compete with and against some of the best (Aleta Sill, Cheryl Daniels, Lisa Bishop, to name a few).  Plus, it worked out perfectly for me. It’s only fifty minutes from my house!  Since I didn’t have enough vacation time left, Owens Corning worked with me so I could continue working my “real job” in between the times I bowled.  It was tough some days, bowling a few hours, working a few hours, bowling a few hours, but much better than having to make a decision between one or the other! 

Does this year have a different feel than last year? 

One of the biggest differences for me this year was not crossing with the guys.  I missed that since I learned so much from them.

If you were asked to make appearances at your local bowling lanes to promote the women’s tour, would you do it? 

Absolutely!!  I do everything I can from promoting the PBA/USBC through making sure all my friends are aware of the tournaments, to throwing the first ball for the sixty-four-team high school league, to working a junior bowling camp in the summer. 

In your mind, who is the best woman bowler right now? 

That’s a tough question right now because the World Series of Bowling just ended and there were a few women that dominated.  Since there are many people out there that don’t want to know the outcome until the shows air, I’m not going to mention names.

If you had to choose one woman partner for a doubles match, who would it be? 

I’ve always admired Lynda Barnes and Kim Terrell-Kearney from the days of the Women’s World Team Challenges.  They are class acts both on and off the lanes.  I would be thrilled to bowl with either of them in a doubles match!

If you had to choose one woman opponent for a finals match, who would it be? 

Choose? I really don’t know how to answer that question.  I guess Carolyn Dorin-Ballard comes to mind, of course, since I beat her for my title, but that doesn’t mean that would happen again. They are all so good!  I concentrate more on what I can control and not who the opponent is or what they are doing.  I certainly put that philosophy to the test when I beat both Jason Couch and Carolyn.  As people always say, in order to be the best, you have to beat the best!

Why should bowling fans or sports fans in general watch the pro women bowlers? 

More of the typical league bowlers and even open bowlers can relate to the women’s games more than the men’s games.  I hear time and time again from female and male spectators that my game resembles theirs.  Also, I believe sports fans are impressed with the intensity and athleticism of the women.

As a pro bowler, if you had one message to send out there to existing or potential fans about the sport of bowling and the women’s series, what would it be?  

My message is that it doesn’t matter what path you take, if you have heart, desire and ability, make it happen!  You can’t wonder “what if”.  I am so grateful to the USBC and PBA for starting the Women’s Series and providing me with that second chance.  I cannot tell you how many people over the last year have asked me “where did you come from”.  I’m sure there are many people out there just like me.

If you want to learn more about Jodie Woessner, you can find her on Face Book and My Space.

Click here to read part one of this series on professional women’s bowling.

Diandra Asbaty: Top Women’s Pro Bowler

Every bit as competitive, entertaining and exciting as the men, any women bowler can wow you at any given moment in any given event. Fans love to watch the lady pros because most of them can relate to their style and technique. Besides that, they are fierce competitors who are downright fun to watch. They go out week after week not only to win but to prove they belong back on the tour full time. Although they are on their way, there is still work to be done, as they try to get the attention of not only more bowling fans, but mainstream sports fans.

This Season

Slowly but surely the women have built momentum through a new women’s series of events that has increased three years running. In 2007- 2008, they had four PBA (Professional Bowlers Association), events, plus two USBC (United States Bowling Congress) sponsored tournaments: the U.S. Open and the Queens. Last season, the number of events increased to eight PBA sponsored events and the two mentioned USBC tournaments.

This year, they once again kicked off their season with the U.S. Open, which was held in Las Vegas in early August. From there, they embarked on the new month long World Series of bowling, which included five of their tournaments. All of these were held in Detroit, MI, from early August through the first weekend in September.

After a few months off, there will be two more PBA sponsored Women’s events in January. Then the season will come to a close with one more PBA event and the USBC Queens, both in April.

Like last season, this gives them a total of ten tournaments that include national television exposure on ESPN. Even though the number of events has not increased this year, there have been some significant changes to help bolster the competition and give more women a chance to bowl. Last season, sixteen women took part in the series events. This year there will be twenty. Eight qualified last year with tournament wins, twelve qualified by finishing in the top twelve of this year’s U.S. Open and two more will be added in a qualifying round before each event.

The U.S. Open will be televised over five consecutive Sundays starting at 2 PM EST, September 13th. You will see the top twelve qualifiers battle it out head to head to crown this year’s US. Open Champion.

Then starting on October 25th, you can see the finals of the five PBA Women’s series events held as part of the World Series of Bowling. Here is the television schedule.

• October 25th 1 PM EST: PBA Women’s World Championship
• November 15th 1 PM EST: PBA Women’s Viper Championship
• November 22nd 1 PM: PBA Women’s Chameleon Championship
• November 29th 1PM: PBA Women’s Scorpion Championship
• December 6th 1PM: PBA Women’s Shark Championship

After the World Series of bowling events, the women take some time off, and come back to participate in the annual Don & Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship, in Medford Oregon, with the finals being televised on January 10th at 1PM.

One week later they will compete in the PBA Women’s Series Earl Anthony Memorial in Dublin, California. Their championship match will be part of the ESPN television show on January 17th.

Their season finally comes to a close with the PBA Women’s Series Showdown, and the USBC Queens, which will both be held in April. Exact dates and television coverage have yet to be determined. So, stay tuned.

The eighteen women that have already qualified for this year’s series of events are as follows.

2008 Series Champions:Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Jodi Woessner, Liz Johnson, Michelle Feldman, Missy Bellinder, Stefani Nation, Wendy MacPherson

2009 U.S. Open Top Finishers:Amanda Fagan. Aumi Guerra, Clara Guerrero, Diandra Asbaty, Jennifer Petrick, Kelly Kulick, Lynda Barnes, Shalin Zulkifli, Shannon O’Keefe, Shannon Pluhowsky, Tammy Boomershine

If you are a fan of bowling or a sports fan in general, you need to check out the women’s events in ESPN. It is guaranteed that you will not be disappointed. Their competitive spirit and fiery determination are contagious and at times mesmerizing.

The best marketing tool and advertising vehicle to help promote the women pro bowlers are the women themselves. No one can talk about their sport with the kind of passion and desire that truly portrays their love for the sport as they can.

So what about the women bowlers? Who are they? What are they all about? What do they have to say? Here is an exclusive interview with one of the most talented and popular professional bowlers in the world, Diandra Asbaty.

All photos courtesy of Diandra Asbaty

Bio

Home: Chicago, IL

Age: 29

Career Highlights and Championships:

• 1999 & 2001 U.S. Amateur Champion
• 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005: Top 10 finisher in USA Bowling National Amateur Championships:
• 2004 & 2007 World Ranking Masters Champion
• 2006 AMF World Cup Champion
• 2007 PBA Women’s Series Great Lakes Classic Champion
• 2008 Qualified for PBA Women’s Series
• 2008 US Open Television Finalist
• 2009 US Open Television Finalist
• 2009 Qualified for PBA Women’s Series

Other Accomplishments:

• USBC Silver Certified Coach
• USBC Youth Spokesperson

About Diandra:

Diandra is one of the most popular professional bowlers in the world, including the men. She is not only admired for her bowling accomplishments and titles, she is recognized for her passion for the game and for being incredibly fan friendly.

She is one of the most technically sound bowlers you could ever find. Her technique is textbook perfect and can be used as a prototype for teaching and coaching anyone who wants to learn how to bowl or improve their bowling skills. If anyone is looking for a classic, effective, winning style to emulate, they need look no further than Diandra.

Throughout her college, amateur and now professional career she is one of the most decorated women bowlers of the modern era. Her resume of success is long and impressive.

She has traveled the world to not only bowl, but to promote her sport. She has appeared on television shows such as Good Morning America, WGN Morning News, Chicago Tonight News, FOX News, ABC News and NBC News, to spread the word about her sport. She has been interviewed in print by magazines and newspapers like: ESPN Magazine, US Bowler Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, and USA Today. She is a true ambassador for the sport of bowling. She will do just about anything to help make bowling more popular and is always open to new ideas to help accomplish that.

Diandra is a true professional who epitomizes the kind of passion, desire and determination that is admired among her fans and peers. The fire in her eyes while competing can send chills down your spine. Her unflappable composure and focus are the stuff true champions are made of.

To top it all off, Diandra is as down to earth, warm, friendly and genuine as anyone you could ever meet. Success has not gone to her head as she continues to excel in her game and promote her sport as much as she can. She is in tune and in touch with her fans and does everything she can to accommodate them. She will stop what she is doing to give an autograph or take a picture whenever asked. The crowds around her when she is bowling are among the largest on tour including the men. She communicates and touches base regularly with her fans through Facebook and several of her own web sites.

The Interview

About the 2008-2009 season:

How do you think last year’s events went? I’m just glad there are tournaments for women to bowl. The tournaments were well run and competitive.

Were you pleased with the fan turn out at the events? I was a little surprised that there were not more fans from stop to stop. In some pockets of the United States, bowling is more popular than others. The places that stood out to me, as far as fan attendance goes, were Medford, OR and Detroit, MI. The response to the events was positive. The men don’t mind us out there and the PBA welcomes us to their TV show.

What were your goals for the season? My main goal going into the Women’s Series was to enjoy it, and to make sure other people could tell I love what I do.

What would you have done differently if you could? I didn’t particularly have a great women’s series swing. I would probably focus on my equipment to understand what I could have done better. The lane patterns, oil machine, didn’t match up to my roll.

The word is that the women’s series did pretty well in the television ratings while on ESPN. What do you think of that? Well, I’m pretty sure at least one person flipping through seeing women’s bowling stopped to watch that maybe wouldn’t otherwise.

Did you learn anything from last year regarding where the sport of bowling is, and maybe where it is heading, especially for the women? I learned that it has a lot of great bowlers looking to make a living at what they love to do and what they are best at.

About the upcoming season:

How did you feel about the U.S. Open also serving as the qualifying grounds for the entire PBA Women’s Series? This makes sense. Why not make the US Open the Tour Trials. Everyone interested is there, and we are competing on tough conditions.

What do you think about having the first five women’s PBA events in Detroit all in the course of one month? It makes sense to have all stop in one city to cut down on expenses.

Do you think fans across the country (other than in the Detroit area), who like to see the women bowl live will be disappointed because they will not have that opportunity for the first five series events? No, I think that the women bowling fans out there will be happy to just have women’s bowling on television.

What do you think about allowing two more women to qualify for each event, increasing the number of women allowed to compete to twenty? I think giving more women a chance to compete is great. Since we don’t have a women’s tour, why not allow the opportunity to more women?

About the current state of the sport of bowling:

There is a lot of advertising in the popular bowling journals and web sites, but very little in mainstream sports media. Do you think this should change? If so, how would you go about changing that?When you figure this out, let the PBA, USBC and me know. That’s what they have been trying to do for years. Bowling isn’t the easiest sport to break through mainstream.

If you were asked to make appearances at bowling centers around the country to promote bowling and the women’s series, would you? Most definitely. I’m sure all women bowlers would take the opportunity to promote the women’s series and reach out to those that may not know about it.

We often see men pros like Tommy Jones, Del Ballard, and Chris Barnes helping out the women. Is this something they do on their own? The guys on tour don’t do anything because someone tells them to do it. They genuinely want to help the women. Every experience I have had with them has been positive. I’m honored to bowl next to the best bowlers in the world, and learn so much from them.

How far away would you say the women are to getting their own television contract back and returning to bowling all finals matches on television? Is this a goal right now? I don’t know for sure, but I’d guess that this has been the goal for a long time. These would be questions to ask the PBA.

Who in your mind is the best women’s bowler on tour?Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. She understands what she wants her ball to do and how to get it to do it.

If you could have one one-on-one match for a championship, who would it be against?I had that in 2007 against Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, when I won my first professional title.

More about Diandra:

What other countries have you bowled in?Portugal, Dominican Republic, Australia, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, England, to name a few.

What are your proudest moments in bowling? I won my first professional title for my grandma who watched live from her hospital bed. Right after I won, I drove right to her hospital bedside and gave her my trophy. I also held a fundraiser for one of my best high school friends, who had a baby with a very rare syndrome, Cornelia De Lange Syndrome, in 2008. I planned it in a month and raised over $25,000 in one night.

How many 300 games have you bowled in competition? Five

Why should bowling and sports fans watch pro women bowlers? They can relate to our games easier than they can relate to the men professional bowlers. We keep things simpler.

If you had one bowling message to give to current and potential fans, what would it be? There is a lot about bowling that you probably don’t know. The more you know the more intriguing it is. It’s a lot more complicated that most people know.

Diandra Tidbits

Diandra has a very successful sportswear clothing line called Kaizen By Diandra. But as she says, “It’s much more than athletic wear. It’s a philosophy.”

You can easily find or contact Diandra at either of her three web sites or on Facebook:

kaizenbydiandra.com
diandrabowling.com
iamdiandra.com

You can find tons of video clips of Diandra on You Tube. Just do a Diandra Asbaty search or to her web site where there are links.

You can catch Diandra on television for the first time this year, Sept 13th on ESPN.

1. Sleep. I know it sounds lame, but getting your daily 8 hours of sleep (maybe 9-10 if your a teenager) can really help you get an edge on the game. If your well rested, and playing against someone who just woke up from about 35 minutes of sleep, you probably will win. If your like me and have insomnia, you should ask your parents to go and get you some sleeping pills, they help you sleep really nice.
2. Food. If you have a game in the next few days, you probably shouldn’t be eating chips, or drinking pop. Eat a well-balanced meal. Maybe a banana and milk, or a peanut butter sandwich. I know its tempting to eat junk food but laying off it for a few days is great for the body. A few health foods, like a banana(great for potassium, which helps you not cramp up) or milk(great with protein which will make you strong). Are really the best thing for you.
3. Practice. Everyone tells you to practice, but it really helps you in the long run. Practice isn’t fun but you need to stick with it. Like they say, “practice makes perfect”, and that’s true. So try to be the first on on the field, and the last one off.
4. Friends. Invite your friends to see you play, it might motivate you to try harder. It might seem like a lot more pressure, so just imagine them in their underwear. They are your friends, their not there to watch you fail, they want to to succeed. So inviting them can help you a lot.
5. Stretching/Warm-ups. Before a game, you should have a warm-up routine with your team. Maybe take a slow jogging lap around the field and then coming to the field and stretch. Stretching helps you not get injured, and will help you grow taller. 

These tips, will help you preform better, be stronger, and be healthier!

College football and basketball are the big revenue producers for the schools.  Not only do they bring in millions of dollars, but a lot of exposure for the school.  Schools like USC, Florida, Ohio State, Alabama and Texas are just a few of the big name universities with highly successful football programs.  Because their programs are successful year in and year out, they attract the best athletes and bring in lots of money for their school.  College basketball has North Carolina, Duke and Louisville among others that have very successful programs.

The NCAA which is the governing body for major college sports is highly opposed to athletes getting paid.  In fact, the NCAA makes it difficult for a student athlete to receive even the smallest amount of money outside of their scholarship stipend.  Some people feel that athletes should be paid because they help bring in that revenue for the colleges and universities.  Others feel that an athlete goes to school first and foremost to get an education.  They are talented enough to play sports and that is a privilege.

A lot of the coaches of these successful programs receive millions of dollars from the university and from shoe companies and other organizations.  What kind of job could a coach do without great athletes?  Probably not a very good one.  Why shouldn’t the athlete receive some of that money?  After all, they play a big part in the success of the team.  College sports is big business.  Just look at the NCAA tournament and how big it has gotten.  The BCIS championship in football, no matter how controversial, is huge.  A little slice of that pie should be given to the athletes that make it all possible.

The Guinness world records held a special place in this man’s heart throughout his childhood. He was inspired by the people he knew about in the world records and felt that he belonged there too. Unfortunately, he was not the most athletic and as a result, he believed that having a world record to his name would be a dream gone out of control. Come 2009 and now he holds 100 records currently and has set 236 since 1979. 30 years since he made his first official record of 27,000 jumping jacks in New York, Ashrita has been strong throughout.

So what is this sudden spark that makes him master some of the most physically gruelling tasks? As a teenager, Ashrita started to find that Eastern spirituality interested him. So under the guidance of Sri Chinmoy, Ashrita started to get in touch with his inner spirit through Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy of self-transcendence. This positive energy that he accumulated now makes him successful in every athletic task he takes on.

You’ve got to give it up to this man. Okay, you might be a bit sceptical about him, especially if you haven’t heard of him. You might go, so what exactly are his records? You’ve got a point. This man has many records and out of the 236 he’s set, he still holds 100. The rest have been beaten by himself, by someone else or the category no longer exists. His records start from the laudable poetry reading by a group, where Sri Chinmoy’s poem ‘Precious’ was translated into 111 languages and recited, which earned him his place of holding 100 records at a time. The records then continue to a myriad of strange tasks like eating the most M&M’s in a minute using chopsticks. If you take a look at his records here, you may think, these records are very strange. Some of them are garlic eating (the most cloves in a minute), most number of T-shirts torn in half in a minute, most number of grapes caught in 3 minutes by the mouth when thrown from 15 feet above the ground and the most number of jumps on a pogo stick in a minute. Yes, these tasks go from the absolutely wild to the downright bizarre but before you say that this man only makes his name through silly tasks, take a while to applaud him for actually thinking of these tasks before practising to attempt a Guinness world record in them.

Ashrita Furman is truly the master of the weird and wonderful and this man has some grit to continue making world records at the ripe age of 55. He describes himself on his website as Mr. Versatility and indeed, he truly lives up to the name. There really is no stopping this king of the Guinness world records.

I love to do all the fantasy leagues especially the College football pick’em and the NFL fantasy league!  Here are a few players to get for your team and some players who you can skip over. 

The Sleepers

Devin Hester: Farewell Kyle Orton, hello Jay Cutler!  That reason alone is why he will be a sleeper this season.  With the change from a not very good quarterback to a star quarterback he will be getting the ball alot more.  With Hester’s speed and quickness he will be the Bears main target to get the ball to.  So expect great things from this receiver.

Chargers Defence/Special Teams: Last year they struggled alot!  Now with a injury free defence they will turn it around to the old hard nosed defence they had before.  With the return of Shawne Merriman, Antonio Cromartie, and along with 4 defensive players from the draft.  I wouldn’t be surprised to have them in the top 5 defences in the NFL.

Carson Palmer: With his injuries last season he played bad even once he recovered.  Now he is 100% and has a good group of receivers.  Some might not agree, but I see him having a break out season!  So take this chance and let you reap the rewards.

The Busts

Matt Cassel: With the Patriots he was surrounded by the leagues best offensive line and Randy Moss so of course he played great.  Now he is with the Chiefs, and that’s a completely different story!  The Chiefs sure don’t have a great line and they just lost their best offensive player Tony Gonzalez!  So don’t expect anything great this season.

LaDainian Tomlinson: I love this player he is one of the best players in this game!  He is just getting too old and is losing his quick movement.  LaDainian will still have a great season but wait until the 2nd or 3rd round to get him.  Look for Darren Sproles to take alot of his carries this season.

Michael Crabtree: I know he is just a rookie, but I also know everyone has extremely high hopes for him!  Don’t expect to much from him this season though or until he is not in San Fransisco.  It’s not even sure he will play this season.  If he does play I don’t think you will be getting his full effort.

Three busts and three sleepers of this years Fantasy football league.  I know this will help you during your draft and trading.  These players you have to look at and find out the busts and sleepers!