Div-II senior, bowling average: 170, starter

Here's the deal. The PWBA currently has thirty-four members total. That's in the entire country. If you've joined the ranks of collegiate bowlers (of which there are only 600) and have made it to your senior year, then you're an excellent player. But at the Division-II level, with an average of "only" 170, your chances are not that great. Professional bowlers typically average more than 200 points per game.

Div-I senior, bowling average: 180, starter

Being a starter at a Division-I school with an excellent bowling average doesn't mean you're going to become a professional. Those thirty-four players in the PWBA—they are not thirty-four new players. In fact, some of them have been bowling for decades. So, even if you wanted to move on as a professional, the odds of a place opening up are slim to none.

Div-I senior, bowling average: 190, All-American

With stats like these, there's a genuine opportunity for you to become a professional bowler. However, you'd likely have to work your way in rather than be recruited. Non-PWBA members can register to play at PWBA tournament events. But, unlike members, you cannot just sashay into events automatically. There's a limited amount of space for guest participants. If you win a few competitions and rack up enough points, you just might get the attention of the PWBA and qualify for a membership.

Div-I senior, bowling average: 200, NCAA Championship winner

You've got the numbers, the passion, and the grit to move forward. By winning an NCAA Championship, you've put yourself in the bowling spotlight. The PWBA just may come calling. There's no guarantee of a professional career, of course, but if you play a few tournaments as a guest, you've got a great shot at a membership.

Div-I senior, bowling average: 200+ (top 2% of collegiate bowling averages nationwide), All-American, NCAA Championship winner, MVP

Your PWBA membership card may already be in the mail. If you've made it this far and excelled, you're a natural candidate for the professional leagues. The members of the PWBA, USBC, and PBA have likely been eyeing you for a while now, so if you want a career as a bowler, strike while the pins are hot.

Ever hear the phrase, "one in a million"? Well, you'll need to be exactly that if you want to go pro. Think about the best high school athlete in your district of 10 high schools. The absolute Big Man in the area. He gets headhunted so hard by colleges that he can barely spare time for his school work, let alone friends. Then, he gets into college and is a total all star there...of the 12 best all stars on his team that year. Well, guess, what? Only one of those guys will be a pro in five years...if this is a top class of athletes out of the the past several years.

So, even if you're in the 95th percentile of all NCAA athletes in your sport, you've still got a snowball's chance in a microwave of going pro. Not to mention actually mattering at all. More than likely, you'll still be struggling to eke out a living on the bench for a year or stuck on a farm team until you're forced to look for other work. We could bludgeon you with more data and stats, but as you dream about success, just make sure you're hedging your bets.

In other words: enjoy that "alternative" career, Shmooper. (#realtalk)