O'Neill ready to make a name for himself

Bill O'Neill didn't even have a passport two years ago. The traveling bug had not bitten him, and his upstart professional bowling career was flourishing on home soil.

Nowadays, he not only has a passport, but also he's filling it up with stamps from destinations in Europe, Asia and South America.

"I've done quite a bit internationally the past year or two," said O'Neill, 27, who definitely has gotten a taste of life outside his hometown of Levittown, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. "I've been to probably 10 different countries in the past few years. I don't mind traveling.''

Based on his outstanding play in the 2008-09 PBA Tour season, O'Neill was selected earlier this year to join Team USA. O'Neill and PBA Tour Player of the Year Wes Malott were the final additions to the team.

Then in May, he learned of his first destination with the 2009 squad. He'll be competing in September Pan American Bowling confederation event in Puerto Rico.

O'Neill is still seeking his first PBA Tour title, but the 2004-05 Rookie of the Year saw exponential growth on the lanes in the 2008-09 season. In fact, he made seven appearances in televised finals. In each of the previous three seasons, he had qualified for the TV finals only once.

It's not hard to see that O'Neill's placement into more championship rounds was directly related to his scoring average. His average game score of 222 was more than six pins better than in 2007-08. Consequently, his earnings shot up from $46,275 a year ago to $91,680.

"I put in a lot of work this summer," O'Neill said. "[In 2005-06] I was 28th in the points standings and in [2006-07] I was 18th. After that season, I didn't do anything. I took it for granted that I would improve. I ended up in the same position in 2007-08, and that really irritated me. So I put a lot of work in this offseason and got some good tips."

O'Neill turned to four-time PBA Tour champion Mark Baker of California to hone his skills in the offseason. Baker has been named one of the "Top 100 Coaches in the United States" by Bowlers Journal International magazine three times, in 2005, 2006 and 2008.

"He's doing a lot of coaching now and has developed a pretty reputable name in coaching,'' O'Neill said. "He knows his stuff. I'm able to release the ball a few different ways with accuracy now thanks to some changes I made in my timing. I wasn't able to do that in years past. I was only able to be accurate throwing it one way. Now I can be accurate changing speeds and release point. That's been a huge advantage so far."

Suffice it to say, O'Neill's extra attention to his game paid off. In 2008-09, he ended the season second on the points list.

"I've been steady out there, but I really haven't made a name for myself," O'Neill said. "In my first few years, I had been on TV a little bit, but this year it was pretty cool to take notice of the work that I put in."

Playing alongside his peers on Team USA-many of whom he watched as a youngster-will be a thrill for O'Neill.

"It was pretty neat to be named to Team USA," he said. "I have so much respect for the guys that they had selected to be on the team, and I've looked up to them for a long time. They've helped me in my career and for me to part of that is pretty special. It's been a long time since I bowled in the team format, but I'm looking forward to it."

O'Neill has had visions of bowling for Team USA for some time. He bowled in the Trials once, but put on a less-than-memorable display. Now he plans to take some positive memories away from his experience on Team USA.

"A lot of the guys helped me out when I first started-Chris Barnes and I were on the same ball staff at the time,'' O'Neill said. "He helped me between blocks, laying out balls, answering questions. He was always trying to point me in the right direction. Patrick Allen and Tommy Jones were always helping me out, too."

O'Neill and his Team USA teammates were able to bond during their recent five-day training camp at USOC headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. They spent five hours bowling each day in addition to attending several classroom sessions that included working with a sports psychologist.

"It was really neat to be there, although I didn't care much for the dorm life,'' O'Neill said. "It was like going back to college. I could have done without that part-going down the hall to take a shower. But knowing the type of athletes who have been there in the past, it was a cool environment to be in.''

Long gone are the days when O'Neill would follow the careers of PBA Hall of Famers Pete Weber ("He was so intense") and Amleto Monacelli ("I loved the way he threw the ball") from the outside. Following in the footsteps of grandfather and father-both avid bowlers themselves-O'Neill doesn't need to look far to find inspiration.

"I'm pretty happy with my career at this point,'' O'Neill said. "I still feel like I've underachieved a little bit. I still haven't won, and that really eats at me. I've put myself in situations to win. It's something that definitely keeps me motivated to keep working on my game. I want to make the show every week and I want to win every week. That's what drives me."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Dave McMahon is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.