The Touch of a Champion

As a five-year-old girl, Aleta Sill was introduced to bowling by her beloved grandparents at Oxford Lanes, in Dearborn. This bowling baptism was of the right kid at the right time.

She caught fire and was “on the map” by age 12, going on to capture 31 Professional Womens Bowling Association (PWBA) titles, be PWBA Bowler of the year in 1984 and 1985 – and  become one of  the nation’s most famous bowlers.

“I had so many wonderful people who helped me, I wouldn’t be where I am today, had I not had that coaching," Sill said.

She was also the very first lady bowler to reach the $1 million career earnings mark, in 1996, but it took 19 years. "I had to bowl good for a long time. It was a humble living. We wouldn’t get rich doing it, but we loved what we were doing. It was a good run. I wouldn’t trade it for the world," she explained.

The “good run” also included election to Pro Bowling’s Hall Of Fame in 1996, and the National Polish American Sports Hall Of Fame in 2008.

Sill, now 48, and Michelle Mullen, are co-owners of , a seven-year-old bowling pro shop that resides within , in Farmington Hills.

“The pro shop is 960 square feet," Sill said. “It’s a wide, mall-type entrance to make it more appealing, and it’s bright and clean. It’s unique. We have more variety of inventory than 99 percent of the industry.”

Mullen, a force in her own right, is a rarity: a national champion at the high school, college and pro levels. Her 15-year career yielded  four pro titles. She writes for major bowling publications, and is the author of the best-selling Bowling Fundamentals.

Mullen and Sill have a combined 48 years in coaching, with rankings among the Top 100 coaches, at bowlersjournal.com, and they’ve impacted many Michigan high school champions, from 2005 -2011.

“Aleta has coached me since eighth grade," said Samantha “Sam” Maxwell, a senior at and 195-average bowler. “She is very friendly. She makes it seem easy, and explains really well."

“No one in the city (Detroit area) has the credentials we have," Sill said. "We got to work with the best in the industry. We have the means to get them better – the hands on knowledge we’ve gathered through the years. I love coaching. I love helping bowlers and watching them get better.”

“They’re excellent coaches," said Willie Herbert of Detroit, a league bowler. ”Michelle’s worked with my arm swing keeping it un-tight. They use props too, like nerf balls, towels and video, which  compares you to a matching pro’s video. It’s easy to understand.”  

Novi resident Robert Raymond, who carries a 229 average this year, has bowled for 23 years and throughout the state. “It’s the best pro shop I’ve ever seen," he said. "My ball was re-drilled for the best fit, and it’s working out great. They’re accomplished bowlers themselves, so their words mean more to me.”

Aleta Sill’s Bowling World also hosts their  labor of love, the annual  “Bowl-4-Animal Rescue". Their sixth annual event takes place on Aug. 6, and 100 percent of the proceeds goes to the Dearborn Animal Shelter and the Michigan Adoption Network.

Has Sill ever considered  employment outside of bowling? “It’s all I knew," she said. "There’s nothing else I ever wanted."