Senior Andrew DeIuliis credits his dad for inspiring him to be passionate about bowling.
“My dad has been a bowler for as long as I can remember. He started bowling when he was 13, so he is a big inspiration to me when it comes to bowling,” DeIuliis said.
DeIuliis said one of his most memorable bowling moments occurred when he and his dad bowled together.
“Once a few years back we did a tournament together and we won second place. Even though we didn’t win first, we had a really good time together and I will always remember that moment,” DeIuliis said.
DeIuliis started bowling competitively when he was 10 years old.
“I started to enjoy bowling because of my dad, and at some point, I told him that I wanted to bowl like he did,” DeIuliis said. “My dad then got me into some leagues and everything started from there.”
DeIuliis bowled in leagues, travel teams, and tournaments. Then he joined the Baldwin bowling team in his junior year.
“The season is going well for our team, and we plan to make it to regionals again this year. I think we have a really solid shot, and making it last year has kept everyone in our team in the same mindset,” DeIuliis said. “With bowling, half of it is a mind game, and I think everyone just needs to keep focusing on how they are bowling rather than how the other team is doing.”
Being a senior on the team, DeIuliis has stepped up to act as a leader for the team.
“It is sometimes a struggle for me to act as a leader, because I have always been worse than others, and I learned how to grow by watching others,” DeIuliis said. “But now that I am kind of a role model and everyone almost expects me to be doing well, I feel a bit of pressure to do my best for myself and the team.”
Junior Kelson Kleinhampl said DeIuliis stands out as a leader.
“Andrew is an amazing player, and the whole team looks up to him,” Kleinhampl said. “He consistently is a high scorer for our team and does not let challenges get to his head. He is a leader and motivates his teammates to be their best.”
DeIuliis credits bowling for allowing him to make connections with his friends.
“Before joining the bowling team, I never realized how many people enjoyed bowling, and it has been very cool to connect with people,” DeIuliis said. “People on the team like Angelo Mancuso and Cade Stanko I had known for several years, but being able to connect with them through bowling and seeing them enjoy the same things I do has been nice.”
Mancuso said DeIuliis is a consistent team player.
“Andrew consistently scores well and is always a great teammate. He constantly wants to be better himself and pushes everyone else on the team to be better players as well,” Mancuso said. “He always exudes confidence in close competitive games, and is one of the best players on the team. We were all very impressed by him this year when he scored a 266 against Neighborhood Academy.”
DeIuliis says he enjoys bowling because it is a mental game.
“If you are having a bad streak and you start to let yourself get upset, it can get to you and mess up your performance. For me, being able to stay in the game with a calm mindset, where I am bowling the way I should be, creates a perfect atmosphere,” DeIuliis said.
That approach has helped in school as well.
“This skill that I have learned through bowling has helped me academically, and I hope it will help me in my future career by being able to slow down and be methodical in what I am doing and being productive,” DeIuliis said.
Bowling has always been a big part of his life and it will continue to be, DeIuliis said.
“I don’t have plans to attend college as of now, so I do not think I will be bowling competitively on a school team. But I will continue doing tournaments and always have it as a hobby,” DeIuliis said. “I will miss the competitive edge bowling in high school has given me, and will miss the team mentality.”
