Pictured Are From L To R: Jolene Labeau, Shawana Strauss, Mandy Etem-Cirigliano, and Debi Etem. Photo Courtesy Of: Jolene Labeau.
Editors Note: It was a very interesting time for Debi Etem, of Gilbert, AZ., when her daughters. Jolene and Mandy, were growing up in Southern California. In that she not only had one talented bowler in the family, but two of them. Learning how to not show favortism of one over the other. And keep the both of them active and competitive in bowling, was a real challenge. But, this mom, really did know best and prevailed. The family has accomplished a lot in the sport, and her is their tale on how they have accomplished what they have.
By Michael 'Chip' Begg - Managing Editor - thetenpinexpress.com - Director Mesa Metro Association.
Gilbert, AZ. - - - How many times have we all heard the phrase “mom really knows best?” And how many times did it turn out that mom really did know best?
That was the classic-case problem for Debi Etem of Gilbert, AZ, and her two daughters, Jolene and Mandy. However, for Debi, it turned out to be a nice problem to have in that she did not have one talented bowler in the family. She had two of them.
"Let's just state the obvious. It was challenging having two teenage daughters in the family. Bowling gave us all a common ground and relieve some of the teenage distractions," she said of her daughters when they were growing up in Escondido, CA. "Jolene wanted to go to either Wichita State, University of Nebraska or Texas A&M. She decided to go to Cal State University San Marcos and use her SMART funds to stay close to home and train with a local coach. Mandy wanted to go to Arizona State or Wichita State, and once she made the decision to try out for Wichita, she was all in. I was 100 percent supportive of any decision they made regarding college. I always wanted them to have a career that would support any kind of bowling they wanted to do as adults."
It did not take Jolene and Mandy long to be fully invested in the game of bowling. At a young age, both of them were active in city and state tournaments, and making SMART money to help pay for college.
"It seemed like they were both natural bowlers. Both girls are extremely competitive with each other and other bowlers. Unfortunately, at a young age, they had to learn there is only one winner and a whole lot of losers in the game of bowling," she said of her daughters when they were growing up. "All of us agreed on two rules when it came to tournament or league bowling. First, no crying in the bowling center when you didn't win. Tthey needed to learn there is a graceful way to win and a much greater attribute was learning the way to be a graceful loser. Second, five minutes to complain about how you bowled. This eliminated continuing to hash over the outcome of the game and to learn that once the ball laid down, it is out of your control."
Jolene was eight when she wanted to join a junior league. She got started in this league and fell in love with the game immediately. She saved money and purchased a purple plastic ball. It was what the rest of the family needed to get the ball rolling and fall in love with the game as well. When Mandy was ready to start league bowling, the family was already very much involved in the game.
"We are from Escondido, CA. It is about 30 miles north of San Diego. The bowling center where the girls bowled had a very active and large junior program. The director promoted SMART Accounts and any tournaments that were near. We quickly made friends with the owner of the local pro shop, Jim Murtishaw, and he was very instrumental in helping them develop their skills," Mom said of her daughters beginning in the game. "There was also a big scratch junior league at the Grove Bowl in La Mesa, CA., and another large Jr. scratch travel league.
"The girls were able to bowl three leagues in a variety of centers. I think that gave them the best experience for bowling on different conditions along with different environments in the centers," she added. "There was a jr. director in San Diego, Akoni Derige who played a big part in their jr. scratch bowling. He organized monthly travel scratch tournaments, as well as a very large annual 4-day scratch tournament which took place over 4th of July. In fact, many Phoenix juniors came to San Diego for this tournament as well; it was a very successful event. Akoni also encouraged the San Diego junior bowlers to go to Phoenix to participate in their annual tournaments, and arranged for annual trips to Hawaii to participate in their local tournaments and a major junior tournament every December in Las Vegas. Both girls made friends with jr. bowlers that have gone on to bowl professionally, or just enjoy bowling as adults."
When they were growing up in the North County of San Diego, they did not participate in any other sports - in middle school/junior high school, and senior high school – except for bowling. Once both of them put a bowling ball in their hands for the first time, it was like they transformed into dancers while bowling.
Jolene is a graduate of San Pasqual High School and Mandy is a graduate of Valley Center High School. Among some of Jolene's biggest accomplishments in junior bowling are: winning the Las Vegas Junior Invitational in 1996; being the first female to roll a 300 game at Aztec Bowl in San Diego; and being the first female junior bowler to shoot a perfect game at Grove Bowl in San Diego. But, her biggest accomplishment was being selected by the national selection committee to Team USA in 2000. Jolene currently works as a part-time administrative assistant at her church and is a full-time mom of two boys.
"My Team USA qualifying experience was one of my fondest bowling memories. The Olympics are by far my most favorite sporting event. I go nuts when it is an Olympic year and somewhere in the back of my mind, I had a dream to be an Olympian," said Jolene, of her Team USA experience. "After the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, I decided my time had arrived. I kicked everything up a notch or two. Practiced even more frequently and longer, and increased my tournament play. Even though I didn't get to travel around the world with Team USA, and even though I was on the team for just one year. Being a Team USA member changed me and very much changed the trajectory of my life."
Now since it has been a long time that Jolene has bowled in the lime light, she is happy that most of her tournament bowling and league bowling is being done closer to home.
"Being able to feed my competitive nature but also enjoy the recreational fun, too is the enjoyment I get out of bowling at this chapter of my life. Bowling has always been something we've done as a family and is a huge reason why I'm still active in the sport," said Jolene, who also graduated from Cal State San Marcos in 2002 with a Bachelors Degree in Communication. "My mom will always be the key role in my bowling."
Mom and her two daughters bowl in a lot of tournaments in the valley and throughout the State of Arizona. The sisters have not faced off yet in the finals of a major event, but it almost happened two years ago in the 2018 Mesa Queens event at AMF McRay Lanes.
"We have not had to face off yet in the finals of a tournament. Now that we are older, there is always that competitive edge, but our support and pride in each other far outweigh dwelling on who won or lost," said Jolene, on what that would feel like if they did face each other in the finals. "Mandy knocked me out of the bracket in the 2018 Mesa Queens and went on through the bracket to win. I very much enjoyed sitting back and watching her shine instead of sulking that it should have been me. Her bowling has matured immensely and now that we are living in the same state, its super cool to compete at the same level. Don't get me wrong. I am an extremely competitive person and I am never going to bowl something without the intention of winning, but there isn't ill-will or entitlement being against my sister."
As the oldest sibling, Jolene has rolled a 300 game against Mandy. It occurred during a junior doubles league in San Diego. Also as the oldest, it was Jolene's responsibility to pick her younger sister up when things did not work out the way it should have on the lanes.
"Being able to keep everything in perspective instead of just staying focused on the moment," said Jolene on how they have picked each other up after an event throughout the years. "Also, understanding and respecting when each other needs: words, space, etc... We are still learning this as we've reconnected now as adults with much more mature outlooks on the game."
Mom also believes it was the 1996 Junior Invitational in Las Vegas where Jolene had arrived in the game of bowling.
"I think their focus on bowling was because of a few things: family support, natural talent, and a driving desire to excel," mom said on the girls' decision not to participate in any other sport but bowling. "For Jolene as a junior, I would say it was winning the Las Vegas tournament. She had to pick up a 2,4,10 spare to win the title match. This was a real showing of Jolene's maturity. As an adult it was making Team USA. This was an amazing experience for her."
It was not long after Jolene's first big accomplishment in bowling that Mandy achieved hers.
"Mandy, as a junior, was so excited to place in the Junior Wipeout Tournament that was held at The Orleans in Vegas in 1997. This was her first big tournament to earn scholarship! But, a close second was when they both bowled a draft scratch league and Mandy was drafted by Jolene," said mom of Mandy's first big showing. "What made Mandy so happy was that ‘Mom didn't force Jolene’ to draft her sister. This was an awesome display of their love for the game of bowling and even for each other as sisters. As an adult for Mandy, it was winning the Phoenix Queens. This was a display for how much she had grown in her ability. I am not sure either girl would say they got extra attention growing up. Bowling was just a natural part of their lives."
Mandy's highest average to date came during the 2016-17 season when she averaged 226 for 99 games in the Ebonite Sun City Scratch League at Lakeview Lanes in Sun City. Her first 300 game came on April 14, 2018 in the Arizona State Women's Tournament at Bowlero Mesa on lanes 9 and 10. Her second one came eight days later in the same tournament on lanes 35 and 36. She rolled her first 800 series on August 28, 2017 at AMF Union Hills. She also teamed up with Kalyn Washburn-Arthurs of Tucson, to the Division A Scratch Doubles event in 2018. Mandy bowled for Wichita State from 2001-2004.
"My most memorable moment as a junior (or the one that made the greatest impression on me), was my sister shooting a 300 game against me and becoming the first female junior bowler to shoot 300 at Grove Bowl in San Diego," said Mandy, who graduated from Wichita State in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Technology. "My greatest memory and the moment I felt like I was a real bowler was when my sister chose me in a draft league, and not because mom made her!"
"Those two weekends during the Arizona State Women's Tournament in 2018," she added, "will always be special and until my recent wedding day, they were my best days."
Mom knew Mandy was bowling in the Arizona State Women's Championships on Saturday April 14, 2018, and had a hunch that is what she was calling her about when she saw her phone number light up her screen.
"I was bowling in a clinic in California and when she called, I knew she was bowling in a tournament. I expected to get this news someday and when Mandy told me she had rolled her first 300 game, I started sobbing," recalls mom, on hearing of the news of Mandy's first 300 game. "I was so excited for her, and wished I could have been there to see it and give her a big hug."
Debi made a little bit of history herself on Friday May 3, 2019 as she followed in her daughter’s footsteps and rolled a perfect game on lanes 9 and 10 at now Bowlero Mesa as well. Jolene added a 279 game on the pair as well before new lanes were installed last fall.
"This was my eighth 300 game. I was so happy to be bowling a great game on the same pair as Mandy. I knew I needed to make good shots and started to get nervous in the ninth," said Debi of her 300 game on lanes 9 and 10 at Bowlero Mesa. "You know every 300 game requires some amount of luck. The bowler has to make the shot, but after the ball crosses the foul-line, it is out of our hands. Thank goodness I was lucky that day and having a 300 game on the same pair was so thrilling."
Bowlero Mesa also went through a major remodeling this past summer where it installed new lanes, put in a new bar, snack bar, and game room as well. Debi has been pleased with the new remodeling project.
"I have bowled on the new lanes, and I really like the new approaches," she says, of bowling at Bowlero Mesa in the Lady Mixers League on Friday mornings. "There is plenty of slide in the new approaches. The coloring on the new lanes is consistent from pair to pair, and the house has put in new pins."
The girls though, would have to learn how to bowl in a different era of bowling.
"When the girls started bowling, there were only wood lanes and approaches available. A few of the centers they bowled in had overlays. The change in lane surface was an adjustment for them," said mom, of her daughters’ adjustments and growing pains they had to deal with in bowling. "They grew up in the reactive bowling ball age, and I am pretty sure neither of them ever had to use a rubber bowling ball."
Mom has obviously been bowling longer than her daughters. As a result of this, she has had to deal with the changes in the game of bowling herself throughout the years.
"The biggest change for me, besides the wooden lanes to synthetic ones and the changes in the bowling balls, is just getting older. My game no longer has the power or speed behind the ball; it has become more of a finesse game," said Debi on how she has been dealing with bowling throughout the years. "I have dropped to a 14 pound bowling ball which is probably the biggest change and help to my game."
After May 3, 2019, Debi now has eight 300 games. Four of the eight have a significant meaning to her. One was rolled on the same pair as Mandy's, one was rolled on her mom's birthday, one on her birthday, and one in a California Women's State Championship.
"And all of them were rolled in different bowling centers. I am still searching for the 800 series. My highest so far is a 796," said Debi, of her accomplishments in bowling. "I am hoping that will come in the next five years. I will still be bowling leagues, nationals, and practicing because I love the game of bowling. My biggest concern is where will the game of bowling be in the next five years? There are so many changes that can happen in world scoring, in bowling centers, and in league play."
When it comes to giving advice, mom's really do know best in this aspect of life. And, sometimes, they are not afraid to ask their kids for it if they need it themselves.
"I always tell Jolene and Mandy never stop having fun at bowling. Never stop improving, and never give up," she said, when giving advice to her daughters. "The best piece of advice I got from the girls was 'Mom you are not too old to do whatever you want with bowling.’ It has kept me wanting to stay on top of my game so they would still want to bowl with me."
Debi has taken her desire to learn everything she can about the game of bowling one step further. She has been working for Bowling Dynamics at Bowlero Kyrene Lanes since June 1, 2018.
"I try to absorb everything I hear from Dave about bowling. I have a great opportunity to learn from him," she said, of working for Dave Cirigliano in the pro shop business. Bowling Dynamics has three other locations: Bowlero Via Linda Lanes in Scottsdale, AMF Peoria Lanes in Peoria, and Bowlero Christown Lanes in Phoenix. "I was able to drill the Motiv Rogue Blade I used for my 300 game at Bowlero Mesa. That was a pretty cool feeling."
While she was able to drill a bowling ball for herself that led to her eighth perfect game, she also remembers what the feeling was like in drilling her first one.
"It was a Maxim Peppermint. It was drilled for a conventional fit, and I was so nervous," she remembers. "First it was getting through the fitting. Second, getting through the drilling, and finally making sure the ball fit."
Arizona Bowling News - February 6, 2020.