By Chris Dietrich
VYPE: Why did you start competitive bowling?
Mia Slater: Because my dad got into bowling, so he had me and my sister do a summer league, and I’ve just really enjoyed it ever since.
VYPE: What motivated you to start bowling?
MS: My dad would bowl once a week and he really liked it so I thought it’d be fun to try.
VYPE: Where do you have bowling tournaments?
MS: All over the state of Oklahoma but I prefer bowling at my home lanes, Sooner Bowl.
VYPE: How do you prepare for a bowling tournament?
MS: I make sure I have my balls, my shoes, my shoe brush, my chalk, my wrist brace, ball cleaners, and a shammy.
VYPE: How do you focus and get in the right headspace for a tournament?
MS: I just remember that it is all for fun and even if I do bad, I can always practice and get better.
VYPE: What do you do to stay in the right headspace under pressure?
MS: I just make sure to breathe when I throw and block out the noise from everything else.
VYPE: What kind of league are you in? What did you have to do to get there?
MS: I am in a league called Bowling Buddies at Sooner Bowl for kids at any age up to 18. I bowl with my sister and another girl. But during the summer, I do an adult/youth league with my dad. My dad knew people at this bowling alley already, so he signed us up.
VYPE: What’s the average bowling score that you get per tournament?
MS: My average is around 110 but that changes depending on the day, the lanes, and how I feel.
VYPE: Do you think there is anything you need to work on? Why or why not?
MS: I need to work on not getting so frustrated with myself because when I do badly, but the person next to me is doing really good, I tend to get frustrated. Technique-wise, I need to work on my throw as I tend to pull the ball towards the left, which leads to a lot of gutters.
VYPE: Do you have a coach or are you self-taught?
MS: There are coaches, but everything I know is from my dad, my dad’s friends who bowl, and watching others bowl.
VYPE: What’s your favorite part of competitive bowling?
MS: My favorite part is getting to bowl with my dad and sister.
