When I lived in the small town of Dyer, I remember how much little Diandra loved meeting professional bowlers at local pro-ams. As a kid, looking up to the professional bowlers, I really wanted the chance to interact with those elite bowlers. And when I did, those interactions stayed with me. (The good AND the bad.)

These days, I am so grateful I have been able to leave my mark as one of those bowlers. It’s something I don’t take for granted.

A couple weeks ago, I met a young girl, Madison, from my hometown of Dyer whose parents had driven her all the way to Grand Rapids to bowl the PWBA pro-am, and to watch me bowl. That meant about a 3 hour drive, each way.

She bowls at the bowling center where I practiced as a youth bowler. Stardust Bowl III. Back in the day, I had bowled in a league with Madison’s dad. Just before the tournament, her mom, Melissa reached out on Instagram and told me they would be attending the first days of that tournament. Their daughter was especially excited to see me bowl.

When I saw Madison there on practice day, I made an effort to talk with her. She even helped me carry my equipment and her mom took pictures of her helping with my bowling balls. The next day, they returned for the first half of the day, not missing a frame that I threw. Every time I turned around, she was there. I would occasionally go back and talk to her, sort of taking her through my thought processes for each shot. Hoping she could see that it wasn’t easy out there, and sometimes (a lot of times) it all comes down to some good guesses.

I appreciated them being there just as much as they appreciated me talking to them.

And I just remember how good those interactions felt when I was a kid.

When it was time for them to leave, Madison said she was going to try to convince her parents to return a few days later, for the start of the next event.. Well, she did convince them to do the three hour drive again. (After getting her chores done, of course.) This time she was there for all 12 games. Literally. TWELVE GAMES. By the time they left at 10pm that night, I could feel how much the experience had impacted her. And also me. 

I also saw that the photo we’d taken the day before was already her screensaver. 

I didn’t make the cut that day but being able to inspire someone in such a positive way. That, to me, is the ultimate win.

The next week I got a care package together for Madison. A few bowling balls, a few jerseys, and a personal note from me.

Mom Melissa told me that my jersey went right into a shadow box and is already on her wall in her room. I’ll be honest that in those moments, my mind is still blown a bit.

Even as I bowl part-time, I am leaving my mark.  

Good scores or bad, I define impact as success.

But a part of me sometimes can’t believe that there are still little girls out there who have my jersey hanging up as inspiration. There are so many great young female bowlers. And they choose to be inspired by me.

The truth is that I (or any of us) never know when or where I’ll make an impact on someone. I realize that there are people out there who might admire me for one reason or another.

A few weeks ago in Cleveland, towards the end of the day, I saw a couple sitting there watching near where I was bowling. Before I bowled, I chatted with them and I think I probably made a joke about them being able to pick me if they didn’t have a favorite yet. While I bowled, I continued interacting with them, giving them high fives and just generally appreciating them.

Later, he posted on my Facebook page.

I asked him if I could share what he wrote.

“Diandra. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for spending a few moments to talk with Cindy and myself this past Saturday at the Cleveland Open. You asked us if we had any faves. We do now. We understood that all the competitors had a job to do that day. Everyone has their own pre-game routine, etc. But even between rounds, none of the other competitors seemed to even care that there were people who came to see them. Cindy and I drove two and a half hours each way to enjoy the day. You were the icing on the cake. Good luck this weekend in New York, We’ll be rooting for you.”

I’m so glad that he reached out with that message.

His simple message just confirms how powerful even the smallest action can have. I  honestly didn’t think twice about our interaction. I was just being me. But to them, it had so much impact. That’s why you’ll always find me doing my best to interact with the people who come out to watch me bowl.

I’m certain that most professional bowlers or even very talented collegiate bowlers do not understand this power they hold.

We don’t “have to” have those interactions. But when we do, showing that acknowledgement and appreciation for them – that a little bit of effort to interact really does go a long way. 

And I think we all can agree, bowling needs more true fans.