The EYT Phenoms Are National Champions

by Diandra Asbaty | Jul 20, 2022 | 0 comments

I’ve won some pretty special things in my life but I’m not sure anything compares to the award that was bestowed upon me around 9pm, last Thursday night in Grand Rapids, MI.

5 years ago, the cutest group of bowlers asked if they could name their team the EYT Phenoms and represent the EYT in the Youth Open Championships as well as USA Bowling. EYT was where they were learning to win. And lose. Together.

Landin Jordan
Abigail Starkey
Griffin Jordan
Gianna Brandolino

These kids and their families wanted to bowl in other states with the Elite Youth Tour on their heart. As a team. Together. So they went… to represent the EYT on a National level. I was flattered. And in the beginning, it was cute more than anything. They were little. They had funny cheers. Their parents held up big signs with their faces on it. The girls pulled their socks up to their knees. It was fun.

At the EYT, it was a great honor to watch them grow with their game as eager 10-year-olds. Sometimes, I would find them after a defeat with tears in their eyes. I would put my arms around them and tell them that these are the moments that will lead to the really good ones. I don’t know if they believed me then, but I got a sense that they trusted me. Last week, their faces were more determined than anything. This was it. 5 years later. Their very last shot at winning the USA Bowling Nationals. Still as the EYT Phenoms and with the Elite Youth Tour pumping out of their heart. Although the word “cute” still came to mind, the cheers from the crowd reflected their strong will and determination on the lane. This time, there were no funny signs with big faces. The socks weren’t pulled up to their knees.

One of the main reasons I built the Elite Youth Tour was to build a platform for kids to shine. Where they would learn how to win. And lose. And pick themselves up from the approach after feeling the devastation of defeat.

5 years after starting out on their quest, they were smarter.
They were more experienced.
They knew how to win.
They also knew how to lose gracefully.
They had GRIT.

And they had become best friends. The besssssst of friends.

They also had a multiple-time National Champion on their team now, someone who will end up being the winningest bowler in Elite Youth Tour history.

At last week’s championship, I watched them the entire day. Double Elimination. Many matches came down to the tenth frame. It always ended the same. They would find a way. But the TV show final wasn’t looking promising. They were down 2-0 to a team that I would bet on any day of the week. That team had Jos, Mateo, and other extraordinary bowlers from across the country. They also had incredible power. Two-handed power, right-handed power, left-handed power. Just… power.

The EYT Phenoms had 2 girls. I would describe their games as more athletic in style. They were precise, fluid, consistent, and strong. But the other team had the power. The odds were definitely stacked against the EYT Phenoms. As I watched the other team compete, I marveled whenever any pin remained standing against that level of power. If I saw those 15-year-olds throwing such a powerful ball straight at me, I would get out of the way too. They were GOOD. And they were up early 2-0.

Until they weren’t.

The EYT Phenoms found a way to tie up the match. As I watched from the back, I saw and felt the tension when they lost the first two games. I wanted to run down there and make them shake it out. I knew they would bowl even better if they could find a way to relax through the stress of it all. And then I saw the assistant coach, Julie Brandolino do exactly what I wanted to do. That made them smile too. And I loosened up along with the team.

The head coach, Anthony Jordan, communicated quietly and confidently to the team. I was in the front row and couldn’t hear a word, he spoke so softly to them. I could see the effect that calm presence had on the team too.

As so it was. They began the final game with a sense of calm determination. In the final game of their final chance, they were down again. This time by 20. They needed a double from the best u15 bowler in the entire world. The same bowler who – many matches earlier – had also needed a double in the tenth to stay alive. For a second, they appeared lost on the lanes. Even I wondered for a moment how he would do it. But he did it. Because that’s what champions do. When they are lost on the lanes, they guess. And they commit to that guess like it’s not a guess at all, but a certainty. And it worked for them in every one of the three matches I watched that day.

He took his time. He slowed his heart. He took deep breaths. He carried himself with a sense of confidence that I’m not even sure I’ve ever seen him have before. And over the last 8 years, I have watched a LOT of his bowling.

And then they won.

If their 10-year-old selves could have been there watching from my seat, they would have admired their grit. They would have been inspired by their collective team performance. They would have wanted to be them. They would be so proud.

My heart was bursting for them. For both coaches. For all of the parents and grandparents sitting behind them that took them to every practice or tournament. And for the Elite Youth Tour that they believed would show them the way. It showed them the way. It showed them the competitive lane patterns. And, most of all, it showed them what they were made of.

I always knew that this was why I built EYT. But I could have never imagined it would feel this way. The tears. I had so much I wanted to say to them at that moment but my tears choked me up. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. As I retell this story, I have tears streaming down my face again just remembering that feeling.

After they won, they came up to me as a group – all excited with rosy cheeks and their big trophy in their hand. Landin held out the trophy to me and with so much sincerity said, “We want you to have this. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.” My heart burst even more as I hugged them all with tears in my eyes. They were all National Champions.

This trophy is symbolic. It symbolizes a dream I had over 10 years ago when I created EYT as a space for kids to shine… eventually on a national and international level.

As the team gathered around me excitedly, I told them through all my tears how incredibly proud I was of their grit. And how exciting it was to watch them compete. They have paved the way for other 10-year-olds coming onto the scene who aren’t sure if they have what it takes to win on a national level. They are proof that it all has to start somewhere. I also reminded them that it was just the beginning of some really special team wins in their career. Representing EYT doesn’t stop at that win. It goes on when they win their very first collegiate national championship and professional title and Team USA medals.

No matter what other wins are in the future, I told them to keep this one in their pocket forever. Because none will feel quite like this one.

When I am not showing their trophy off at the Elite Youth Tour, I will be keeping it right next to my most meaningful things… My Queens trophy, my medals, and – most importantly – my heart.