Last week was a great week for a few reasons, but mostly because It was my birthday week. I woke up on the 29th of July with both my wonderful girls in bed opening presents by both of them. Just to be home with my girls is a good enough present for me. I boxed with Bobby Williams (Ex Australian Boxing Olympian) and sweated like i always do, i had lunch with the nonnas, dinner with my parents, a little party at my sisters and dinner at the in-laws and ate way too much but loved every bite.  I then had to box with Bobby so i could fit into my jeans again.
I got messages and calls from all over the world, from Sweden to Chicago, It’s wonderful having so many friends from all over the world.
The week finished up with a 10 year school reunion. WOW – What a crazy fun night. Seeing people you haven’t seen for 10 years was awesome. We celebrated the night at the Park View Hotel which was appropriate because thats where we would all go for a night out 10 years ago together.
Just like it was back then, the place was awesome, food and drinks were plentiful and the staff extremely helpful – is there a better bartender in the world then Mr Linklater?, if there is, ive never met him.
So the past week was quite an eventful one. Being 27 now, ill need this week to recovery, im not 18 anymore haha.

Be good Everyone

Be good everyone

Thanks for you help

Your mate

Jb

Weighing 9lbs 14.5oz, standing 53cm tall and wearing a pair of deep
blue eyes, Aria Rose Belmonte became our first child.
She also became the first grand child to both my parents and Kimberly’s Parents and she became the first niece
to Kj’s brother and his wife and my sister and her fiance.

As first time parents, we have been thrown into the deep end and we are loving it. No matter how
loud she cries, no matter how late into the night that cry is, Kimberly and I both look at
each other and without muttering a single word know exactly what we are both
thinking – We are the luckiest people alive.

Kimberly and I spent a few nights in the maternity ward at Orange Base. The midwives and doctors
there have been nothing but brilliant. Special thanks must go to doctor Katrina Green who delivered Aria with
perfect precision and care. Katrina, from the deepest part of our hearts – Thank you for our gift!
So this is what being apart of the ‘daddy’s club’ feels like – best club in the world, can’t wait to be a multiple member.

As for bowling news – I leave in ONLY a few days to compete in the 2nd half of the PBA season. To keep my
place on tour I must stay within the top 40 in points and like I have said before the PBA waits for no one.

Oh and to answer a question I have been asked quite often lately – “Will Aria be a 2
handed bowler too” Ill see how she swings a Tennis racquet first hahaha

be good

Last weekend I bowled in Australia’s biggest event. I ended up coming 3rd but over all I felt like for 90% of the event I was in horrible form.
I had picked up a ball twice in 6 weeks before bowling that event. Thinking talent was enough to win. It wasn’t.

It got me thinking, how important is practice. I began to look back at the practice I have done in the past and the form I was in during that practice period.
Every event I had won or every event I felt like I was bowling great in, I was doing some kind of practice prior to those events. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Now its nothing new – practice makes perfect – but sometimes we forget that form is a funny thing that can go away very easily.
When we are in form, we think it will last forever and sometimes we forget the hard work it took to put you in that form. Its a weird feeling, one moment you feel unbeatable, the next you like your brain has turned off the bowling light inside.
Lucky for me, I’m a harder worker and im no quitter.
Since that event I have been practicing everyday, working on the little things that have made me feel like im ‘out of form’.
Going back to basics is the key for me. On top of all this im playing a bunch more sport, like squash, tennis, walking the golf course and touch football to help strengthen my physical fitness.

Another reason or incentive to get back to where i want to be (form related) is because soon i have to bowl back on tour. If I bowl like I did in the event last weekend, I will get run over by 50 other guys…. Then they would probably put the reverse lights on and run over me again just for fun haha.
That is something I WILL NOT LET HAPPEN!

So this got me thinking – how do you practice? What do you do when your out of form and want to get it back?
Leave a comment and maybe your ‘ideas’ may help a fellow reader….

be good