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Samantha (Sam) Gainor is a graduate student at Vanderbilt University who earned her undergraduate degree in Economics in May 2021. During the first year of her master's program, she was a part of the women's bowling team at Vanderbilt, for which she has earned Third-Team All-American and Southland Conference First-Team titles. Gainor's experience bowling at a very prestigious university was not always an easy road and she faced many obstacles along the way, which has taught her the importance of hardwork and dedication. 

What made you begin bowling competitively?

It started as something fun for my friend and I to do. Our parents started us on a bumper league when we were four years old. As we got a little older and were able to hold a bowling ball, we got lessons to learn to throw it correctly. From there, around the age of 7 or 8, [we learned] you can qualify for state tournaments through youth leagues. I qualified and my mom took me, and I had a ton of fun and asked to bowl in more tournaments. So, my mom found more and more tournaments. I started getting higher level coaching, and by the age of 12 I was working with one of the top bowling coaches in the world. So, I think I really started taking the sport seriously around the age of 12. 

What was your recruiting process like? Did you find it hard playing a sport that not many schools have programs for? How did you find schools with bowling programs? 

The recruiting process starts with sending a bowling resume and some videos to different college coaches to get your name out there and to be seen. There are a few important tournaments to participate in to get noticed. One of those was the Turbo Tech Collegiate tournament. The tournament put together an athlete book for the coaches who came, and after the tournament all the coaches had booths set up to talk at. The other big event that I participated in was Junior Golds. It's a tournament you must qualify for, and many college coaches also attend this event. 

Although not many ‘big' schools or popular sports schools have bowling teams, at this point in my life I had done research and had watched enough of the Division 1 teams to know my options. I knew who was always at the top and the schools I wanted the most. Also, we are the only SEC school with a bowling team. I found schools with bowling programs by research, word of mouth and just being in the bowling industry, you hear and see things about the top teams. I would watch the national championship each year and that was a way to get exposed to some of the teams. 

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Did you find the transition from high school to college hard? 

I definitely struggled with the transition academically. I knew Vanderbilt would challenge me and I didn't know what I was majoring in when I came in as a freshman, so I took some classes I probably shouldn't have. I also found out that I needed to learn some time management skills and be more organized. Athletically, it was a big change in how we practice and how much we practiced compared to growing up. But the transition I wouldn't say was hard, it was just different. 

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What has made you and your team successful as athletes and students at a top academic institution? 

What has made me most successful is using the resources Vanderbilt has provided both academically and athletically. Taking advantage of the career center and our advisors and other people in athletics to help guide you. Our team has been successful by helping each other and making sure everyone is getting their work done and knows of the resources available. This comes with upperclassmen helping underclassmen make that transition and make sure they understand what options are available to be successful here. 

What is one thing you wish you knew before becoming an athlete at Vanderbilt? 

That plans change and you need to be flexible. I honestly never planned on going to grad school and I'm so thankful I did and have had this opportunity. I also wish I could have told myself to stop worrying. Everything will work out how it's supposed to. It might not work out how you planned it, and that's okay. That's what's exciting about life is you really never know what's next for you. 

What are you most grateful for as a college athlete? 

The relationships I have made and the experiences I have had. I have built so many strong relationships with former teammates I still talk to and go to for advice. As well as our coaches, athletic advisors, strength trainer and many other people in athletics. I have had so many amazing experiences, one of those was fulfilling my dream of not only competing for a national championship but winning one my freshmen year. The moments leading up and that night are indescribable. 

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* Originally published on October 27, 2022, by Andrea Leitner