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The Perfect Game

By Stephanie Ahrens

EAU CLAIRE – Shaggy blond hair and thick-rimmed glasses draw people’s eyes.  T-shirts with inappropriate sayings make people laugh.  Easy-going manners make people feel comfortable. But its Rob Peterson’s accomplishment and talent that force people to sit up and take notice.       

Outstanding bowler.  Honor student.  Copy editor of the Spectator.  In less than two decades, Peterson has accomplished more than some accomplish in a lifetime.             
    
Life wasn’t always roses for Peterson, however.  Growing up in the small town of Spooner, Wis., he gained attention early in life – by causing trouble. 
    
“I set a record for having 67 detentions in the 3rd grade,” said Peterson.
     
This onslaught of bad behavior forced his parent’s to take action.  Various types of tests were performed on Peterson, with the hopes of finding a source for his behavior.
      
The results of the tests shocked them more than the 67 detentions – they unveiled Peterson’s true potential.
     
Mentally, Peterson was much too advanced for the 3rd grade. To give him more challenging schoolwork, he was skipped ahead a grade.
     
The troublemaker soon disappeared.  By the 7th grade, Peterson gained recognition as he scored a 28 on his ACT assessment tests. 
     
However, even brilliant scholars get bored.  Life in a small town was uneventful and unexciting, according to Peterson.  To fill time in his younger years, he looked for other avenues of interest.  The avenue he found was life at the lanes.
      
Peterson began competing in bowling tournaments at the age of 9, but it took a high school job at a bowling alley to hone Peterson’s bowling hobby into a sharpened skill.  At age 16, Peterson was emerging as a top competitor in fields of grown men. 
    
The recognition he received for his talent was just one of the payoffs. 
    
One of Peterson’s favorite memories occurred when he was 10 years old.  After successfully competing in a bowling competition, Peterson walked away with $800 in prize money to be used for his college education. 
    
This is when his parents realized they were on to something big.
    
“That’s one of THE unknowns…bowling gets you the most scholarships among any sport in the United States,” said Peterson.  Through bowling competitions, Peterson has earned over $6000 towards his college education.
    
Peterson’s bowling has also allowed him to travel.  He has bowled in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Canada.  Last year, his Blugold bowling team made it to nationals in Chattanooga, Tenn., in their first year of real competition.
    
“I can tell you if I like a city or not depending on their bowling alley,” said Peterson.
    
While the pros seem to outweigh the cons, bowling has given Peterson one thing he doesn’t want – tendonitis in his right arm.
     
The condition is often caused by overuse of the tendons and can cause extreme discomfort.  While the pain is worsening, Peterson fights through it for the love of the game.
    
“I’m in a lot of pain, but if you’re doing good, you just toughen up and go for it!” said Peterson. 
    
While bowling has been a giant staple in his life, Peterson has made his mark in other arenas as well.  He has reached great heights scholastically while simultaneously becoming a copy editor for The Spectator, UW-Eau Claire’s student-run newspaper. 
     
Peterson is hoping his experiences in college will boost his chances of getting into graduate school.  While his journalism experiences are vast, Peterson has different dreams for his future career.
   
 “I really do want to teach.  My hopes of grad school are to become an English professor,” said Peterson, “You know, one of the guys that people line up to sign up for.”
    
While graduate school is one dream for Peterson, he can’t quite let go of the thrill of the lanes.  Between college and graduate school, he hopes to spend a year achieving professional status as a bowler. 
    
“My ultimate hopes are doing well enough where I don’t have to go to grad school and just bowl full time.  It’s kind of risky because…one injury, and you’re done,” said Peterson.
    
Being a professional has its literal costs as well.  To compete in just one tournament, it could cost around $1500 just to make it to the preliminaries.  But the price is worth it.  In some cases winning one big competition can make enough money to pay off a year full of losses, says Peterson.
    
While Peterson’s dreams and goals are not completely decided at this point, his sights are set high. 
     
Some say men are born to succeed, not to fail.  Peterson may be turning this saying into stone-cold fact.