Layoff Leads Bowler to Live His Dream

The news came in the form of fliers passed around the plant. Two days before Christmas last year, 900 layoffs. Tom Smallwood knew that was it for him. He was done working on the line, done bolting seat belts into trucks at General Motors outside Detroit.

It was never his favorite job, anyway. It wasn't the dream. But what now? He was married with a 1 1/2-year-old baby daughter, Hannah. No one spoke to him personally, but he took the flier as saying this: "Merry Christmas and goodbye."

Fortunately for Smallwood, the dream had never died. You know the dream. Maybe you gave it up because you just didn't think it would work out and couldn't bring yourself to try. Or maybe you found the right spouse, as Smallwood did, and had a kid, and somehow it just got pushed down, buried under reality.

You wonder every once in a while what would have happened, and maybe even if it still could.

After five months without a job, Smallwood decided to go for it. Bowling. He always thought he was good enough.

He was right. On Sunday, he won the World Championship in Wichita, Kan., one of the sport's majors, throwing 244 in the final game to beat Wes Malott, the reigning PBA Bowler of the Year.

Imagine what Smallwood was thinking in the 10th frame, after he had thrown a strike. He needed only 8 pins on the next two balls to win, with TV cameras pointing at him. Was he thinking about everything he had been through over the past year? Everything that had led to this moment?

Every bill he was unsure about paying?

"Never thought of that while I was bowling," Smallwood said. "But it crosses my mind about every second of every day I'm awake now. Last year, if you would have asked me what would be a great story, my miracle story, what would I do? It would never have gotten to this."

Meanwhile, you could see his wife, Jen, on TV. She was the one sitting there, rocking back and forth, pleading with God, back and forth, just one more strike, please. After he had thrown that first strike, she felt as if someone had just stabbed her in the stomach.

Rocking, rocking. What you didn't know was what else she was thinking: "Oh my God, am I going to vomit in my lap?"

Well, he got the strike. She didn't vomit. And the winner's check was $50,000.

No, bowling doesn't produce the massive checks of other some other sports. But if that amount ruined the story for you, then you aren't paying attention.

Think of last Christmas at the Smallwood house. Think of this Christmas. How many people do you know who have lost jobs and turned that into a way of making the dream come true?

"It was the worst and best day of my life when I got out of there," he said. "It's insane how the moons have lined up. I'm a 32-year old rookie."

In talking with the Smallwoods, you get the distinct impression that Jen has been the one pushing the buttons.

She talks about when they were dating, and Tom was always out looking for a tournament to bowl in. A couple of times, he almost got on tour. She told him they couldn't just be boyfriend and girlfriend for 15 years.

"He said, 'I guess I'll come live with you then.' "

She is the story of a bowling widow. They got married, and then had Hannah. And it was time for him to find a steady job, she said. He says he understood. He was turning 30, and the bowling thing was done. That was OK with him.

In other words, he lied.

"I hated bowling," she said. "Well, I shouldn't say I hate it. But it was like gambling your paycheck every week."

Sometimes he would come home having won money, sometimes he just lost the entry fee. She wanted him to bowl, didn't want him to bowl. Encouraged him to practice, wanted him to earn a living.

He got the job at GM about two years ago, and for the next year, he rarely bowled.

"It was OK; it was a job," he said. "I got paid. It's so hard to stay sharp when you have 13-, 14-hour days, with the commute, and have a 1-year old. I spend as much time with her as I can. It's hard to get motivated in practice, you're staying sharp for no reason.

"Many, many, times I was talking to my wife about how frustrated I was at work. I told her I feel like I could be in the top 100 in the world."

Her response?

"Go practice."

"Many, many, times I was talking to my wife about how frustrated I was at work. I told her I feel like I could be in the top 100 in the world."
-- Scott Underwood When he was laid off 360 days ago, the Smallwoods still had income from Jen's job with a group of local radio stations and Tom's unemployment.

But there were nervous times. And then Tom said it:

"I know I told you I'm done [bowling]. But this is my chance. I'm going to search for jobs, but if I can't find something by June, I'm going to try to bowl on tour."

He put out resumes. Home Depot, Lowe's. And he started practicing again. Apparently, he was driving his wife crazy.

"No one wants to see her spouse sitting on the couch, watching the hunting channel when you're at work," she said.

In June, he took the final plunge. Tour Trials. It's a weeklong tournament with a handful of tour spots as the prize. Entry fee: $1,500.

"She (his wife) was very supportive," he said. "She believes in me more than I do myself. But she was also adamant: 'This is your last chance. I love you. I support you. But we have a 2-year old.' If you don't make it, you will have a job within a week."

Tom was one bad week of bowling from saying this for a living: Would you like fries with that? Well, you know how it went from there. He made it. He has been on tour, successfully, all fall. But Sunday was the big one.

And a funny thing happened. GM called to see if he wanted to go back to work. When he said no, the person on the other end asked what he was going to do.

"I'm a pro bowler."

He heard laughter.

"You can watch me on TV on Sunday."

Dream fulfilled.

Email me at gregcouch09@aol.com