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When Bill Rowe picked up his first five-pin bowling ball at age two, he had no idea it was a sign of things to come. "The five-pin ball is smaller than the ball used in 10-pin [traditional] bowling," Rowe explained. "In five-pin, the ball is only about 4.5 inches across and weighs two to three pounds."

Rowe's parents were big 10-pin bowlers and passed the love of the game on to him. At age six, Rowe participated in organized five-pin bowling, and by age 12 Rowe had moved up to 10-pin bowling. A year later, at age 13, Rowe competed in his first junior tournament.

Competitive bowling appeals to Rowe in a couple of ways. "I like the competition -- I like to compete while having the chance to travel and see the world," he says.

Diana Teeters is a former professional bowler from Louisiana. She says that professional bowling is exciting, yet challenging. "I like performing under pressure in front of an audience. I love the game of bowling," she says. However, Teeters notes that the biggest challenge for her is "being able to live with the ups and downs of your performance."

Teeters took up bowling at the age of 10. "I have always had the drive to be the best at whatever I do, so when I took up bowling at age 10, I kept striving to get better and better."

What clinched it for Teeters was seeing other women bowling on television. "When I saw other women bowling on national television, I knew then that this is what I wanted to do. So, the desire to be one of the best bowlers in the world provided my driving force."

Teeters has had to weather some storms in her bowling career, one of which was being sidelined by an elbow injury. But that experience also provided her with an exciting moment. She managed to come back from the injury to make the finals in the 1995 U.S. Open.

For those who are interested in bowling professionally, Teeters recommends a qualified coach, and one you respect and trust. "You need a coach to teach you the fine points about the game and to make sure that your bowling form stays sound." But she adds that good coaches are hard to find.

Dave Schroeder isn't a coach, but he's been with the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) since 1993. Schroeder gets to see all sides of professional bowling, especially the public relations side.

"Professional bowling is a grueling lifestyle," says Schroeder. "One that can be difficult to adjust to. Touring pros travel and play in 25 to 30 tournaments a year, and sometimes they are gone two or three months at a time."

If you want to be the best, you'll have to commit yourself completely, says Schroeder. "You'll need to put time and effort into bowling -- that means practice and putting in the necessary hours."

Practice is only part of the equation, says Schroeder. "There is also a lot of stress, and then there are the expenses. You have to pay entry fees, for food and lodging, plus transportation."

Some top professionals actually purchase a motorhome so their families can travel with them. "You should have an understanding spouse," says Schroeder.

But competing in a tournament doesn't mean you'll end up "in the money" either. "Only about one-third of the field ends up getting a paycheck," says Schroeder.

Some bowlers supplement their incomes by agreeing to be spokespeople for companies that produce bowling balls and other bowling gear, like Brunswick or Ebonite. Rowe, for instance, is a paid sponsor for Ebonite. "The amount of money varies -- it's really up to the company."

Rowe bowls in international competitions and has competed in the Commonwealth Games, the Olympics, and the Pan-Am Games.

Teeters encourages others to bowl professionally "only if they love the game and are willing to sacrifice a lot of other things in their life. To truly be a professional in anything, you must have the discipline to practice and learn and keep at it constantly."

Finally, Rowe offers this sage advice for wannabe professional bowlers: "It's a good way to build friendships and international competition builds a lot of character, but realize that it is just a sport and there are more important things in life.

"You'll need to prioritize and put things into perspective," adds Rowe. "Because when it comes down to it, bowling is just a game no matter how you look at it."