We’ve all felt it as the years go by: the “harsh truth” that building new friendships - and keeping old ones alive - gets significantly harder as we get older.  Life gets busy.  Work takes over.  People naturally move away, get married, start families.  While it’s not impossible to stay connected, it requires an extra level of intentionality and effort.

The best way to fight the "friendship fade" is to stop waiting for it to happen and start creating the routines that make connection inevitable.  And yes, that's where Big League Sports comes in.

Why Joining a BLS League Actually Works:

• There's a consistent schedule:  Relationship building requires repeated exposure - and the best way to maintain that in your busy life is by being able to add it into your calendar on a consistent schedule.  When you join a BLS league, you aren’t just "hanging out" ... you’re committing to a recurring touchpoint every single week.

• You can turn situational friends into real friends:  Maybe you have a coworker (guilty!) or someone from the gym you’ve been meaning to grab a drink with.  Invite them to join your team!  Seeing someone outside of your usual environment - like bringing them onto the softball field or to the post-game bar - can help develop surface-level acquaintances into real friends.

•  It gives you an opportunity to take initiative:  Most people want to connect, but they’re waiting for someone else to make the first move.  Be that person!  Send a message in your team chat asking to hang out after a game or on a non-league night!

In a league built on good vibes and even better hangs, one bowling team has quietly built a dynasty.  While others chase the trophy, Glory Bowl, led by captain Faith, just keeps collecting it - never dropping a championship match along the way (except the one season they missed the registration window). In a social sports world where parity usually rules, they’ve turned consistency into their calling card.  In a league where everyone wants a shot at Glory (pun intended), they’ve become the team to beat. 

I had a chance to chat with Faith about the team's history.

First of all, tell me how you found BLS - was it through bowling or another sport?
I first found BLS through the bowling league.  A group of my friends decided it would be fun to join a bowling league together.  I google searched bowling league near me and BLS was the first thing to pop up. After bowling I then signed up to do BLS dodgeball, BLS kickball, and BLS cornhole. 

Have you always been captain of your bowling squad or did you take it over from someone else?
I am proud to say I’ve been the captain of Glory Bowl since we first started.

How consistent has your team been over the last 3 years? Do you keep the same players from one season to the next or have you had any changes?
Our team has been pretty consistent over the last few years.  There have been a few players to drop during seasons due to moving further away and a few we’ve added due to that but we’ve had the same core players for the last 3 years. 

What’s been the toughest championship moment during this run?
The toughest championship moment during this run was realizing that one of our players was going to miss the championship due to a work trip.  Usually that means an automatic loss since we didn’t have a backup sub.  I had to ask the captain of the other team if they would allow us to alternate the 6th spot.  Most teams would decline that request.  They graciously offered up an alternative.  They would play all 6 of their players but drop their lowest score so it would be a true 5v5 format.  Luckily, a snowstorm hit that weekend and our teammates flight was delayed so badly he missed his conference that he was supposed to go to.  He canceled his trip and was able to make the championship.  This was the one championship our team was definitely not confident in winning at all if we had to play down one player. 

Is that the closest you've come to thinking the streak might end?
Definitely.  Thankfully fate and the snow gods were on our side and our team ended up playing extremely well in the championship. 

What does being a captain in a social sports league mean to you?
Being a captain in a social sports league means a lot to me because it’s more than just a recreational sports league.  I love that it brings the community together - people from different backgrounds, jobs, and friend groups all connecting over something fun and active.  There’s something really special about creating a space where people can show up, compete, laugh, and feel like they’re part of a team.  I value the balance of competition and camaraderie.  I’m competitive and want us to win but I also love just hanging with my friends once a week to catch up - which is hard to do now that we’re all getting older.  I’m very proud of the team I’ve put together and how far we’ve come and all the success we’ve had together. 

How do you balance competitiveness with keeping things fun?
There were seasons where we would go undefeated in matchups.  And there was last season where the competition had increased significantly and we fell to 5th in the standings and had to climb our way back to the top.  So we’re not perfect - but it doesn’t have to be and we can have fun without it being the end of the world if we don’t win every single game.  We know what it takes to get to playoffs, and then we know what we need to do to win the championship.  There are games where our best players have off games and our average players have their best games.  Each time we pick each other up and support one another and that’s what’s most important.  We cheer each other on if a player gets a strike or if they get a gutter ball (mostly laugh) but still it’s never a negative. 

What keeps you coming back season after season?
We keep coming back because we want to keep the streak going, see how many more we can win. I think if we lose one, we’ll probably hang up the cleats and call it. But why stop while we’re hot? 

I assume your team (if not all, at least some) have played in other bowling leagues!  What makes BLS different from other bowling leagues?
We have NOT played in any other bowling leagues.  We are loyal BLS bowing league players and don’t intend to play in any other leagues.  Why would we?!

For Faith and the Glory Bowl crew, the trophies are great - but the real win is showing up every week with the same core crew, ready to compete, laugh, and (mostly) cheer for each other ... even the gutter balls.  Three years undefeated in championship matches isn’t just skill: it’s chemistry, loyalty, and maybe a little help from the snow gods.

Click Here to register for your spring leagues!