NORFOLK, Va. – A new season is less than two months away, but before the Norfolk State bowling teams kicks off practice for the upcoming 2019-20 campaign, the Spartans welcomed a special guest to campus. Former collegiate All-American and current professional Gazmine "GG" Mason spoke to the team last Thursday on the third floor of the NSU Student Center.
 
Mason shared her personal journey with the NSU players and the hurdles she's had to overcome in the sport of bowling, from finishing last at a tournament during her youth days to getting kicked off the team at Nebraska during an All-American season. Mason is now a member of the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA), and blazing a trail as the only African-American on the full-time PWBA circuit.
 
Along the way, Mason has met numerous celebrities and has worked tirelessly to not only promote and elevate the game of bowling, but to empower other African-Americans in their bowling careers.
 
Her journey began in Providence, Rhode Island, a state that had no high school bowling. Thus, Mason had to hone her craft in travel leagues and tournaments throughout the area. One tournament in particular stood out, as she not only came in last, but received a trophy for that noteworthy finish.
 
"That was definitely a motivator for me," she said. "My parents put that (trophy) in my room. I saw it every single day. I told myself, if I want to get better and get a college scholarship, I have to put in way more hours and actually take it seriously. Not just go to practice and go through the motions."
 
In the end, that hard work paid off. A Rhode Island state champion, she received a scholarship to Nebraska, but before long she thought about transferring during her freshman year. She stuck with it, and her advice for players now?
 
"Just don't give up. You never know what the outcome could have been," Mason stated. "If I had transferred mid-season to another school, who's to say I would have been starting in the national championship. Things happen the way they are supposed to."
 
Later she added, "Whatever you guys are going through at the time, just know that it doesn't last. As long as you keep working and stay persistent, really work hard and don't give up…I know it's cliché, but it's so true. Great things can definitely happen while you are here."
 
She started for the Cornhuskers at the 2014 NCAA Championship when they finished as the runner-up. Nebraska won the title in 2015 during her sophomore year, but again it was not smooth sailing to get to that point. She was kicked off the team for a short while that year before making amends with the coaching staff. And again, she had a lesson to share with Norfolk State's bowlers.
 
"If you are struggling, don't hold anything in," Mason said. "You have your parents. You have mentors here. Bottom line, communicate with your coaches, because that will make things easier for yourself, for your teammates, and for your coaches as well."
 
She led Nebraska to runner-up finishes at the 2016 and '17 NCAA Championships and was a three-time All-American at Nebraska, the first African-American bowler for Nebraska to earn All-America distinction. It was during that time with the Cornhuskers she made the USA junior team.
 
Her journey continued from there, becoming the first African-American to win a gold medal in singles at the World Bowling Youth Championships. She also won gold at the Youth Pan American Bowling Confederation Championship in 2015, which includes players from North and South America. That voyage has taken her to a variety of places and allowed her the opportunity to meet new people.
 
"This taught me that, not only just bowling but whatever you are passionate about, it can really bring people together. I made friends from Colombia, Pakistan, Qatar, and even Sweden too."
 
It was during this time she started the group Black Girls Can Bowl 2 in 2017, a way for people to lift each other up and share their success stories. The idea began during her time on the junior team.
 
"When they called up the (USA) Junior Team and Team USA, I saw no female or male of color," Mason stated. "That personally bothered me because you always want to see someone who looks like you up there doing well. I definitely congratulated all those who made the team. I didn't envy them, but it would have been nice to see someone…who looks like us make it."
 
She also started Got Game, LLC last fall – her nickname GG is short for Got Game and was given to her by a youth coach – to assist with her quest to promote and elevate the sport of bowling. As the Got Game website states, "GG is a keen believer that projecting positive energy into the world will advance the human race," with the Got Game logo "designed to symbolize global equality for all."
 
Her newfound fame – ESPN's The Undefeated did a mini-documentary on her this summer – has allowed her to meet celebrities such as George Lopez, Chris Tucker, NBA star Mike Conley, Ice Cube, and Cedric the Entertainer. Mason has taken on various speaking engagements, including at Lebron James' I promise School. She even knocked out Chris Paul in the CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational last January.
 
Her story is still evolving, and she took time out of her busy schedule to continue her mission of empowering people in the sport of bowling. She finished her presentation to the NSU team with one last round of advice.
 
"If you guys have an ultimate goal and you are all working 110 percent together, you can accomplish some incredible things you can't even imagine."