Every time Kassidy Johnson steps up to the line at Black Diamond Lanes during practice, she has a checklist of sorts.
Getting strikes. Picking the corners.
"I'm aiming for strikes and spares," said the 15-year-old. "I feel like I've improved since I started."
Ditto for her Black Diamond teammates - Paige Meise, 16, Megan Reimer, 17 and Lezzyl Aquino, 16.
As Team B.C., they're aiming for strikes and spares in the senior girls team division at the five-pin Youth Bowling Canada (YBC) championship in Toronto from May 2-4.
It'll be a tough grind for them as they'll compete in 21 games in a three-day span - seven games on the first day, nine on the second day and five on the final day.
"Hydration and rest are key for us," said Meise.
They'll also go up against the defending champions from Saskatchewan who are returning for the second straight year.
The national limelight is nothing new for the Prince George foursome.
As B.C.'s representatives at the 2013 YBC championships in the Lower Mainland, they rolled to the Canadian junior girls banner, beating Quebec for top spot. They had an average team score of 810.29 and won 16 out of 21 games.
They won the senior girls B.C. title last month in Langley with a four-game score of 3,759 points in their first year of eligibility.
"We all believe we can do it again," said Johnson. "Everyone has kept up their high level of play since 2013."
Two years later, they're older and wiser. They know how to support each other when the going gets tough.
"When we're bowling good, we're all bowling good," said Meise. "When we play poorly, that's not good. We try to help each other out and focus on our own game to help out the team."
Setting various goals has also been key.
"We usually try not to get a game under 900 points combined," said Aquino. "We have a total in mind. We also try not to get frustrated and stay mentally focused."
They're also capable of rolling to individual scores of 300 points per game.
They'll have some help in Toronto on both the mental and physical side of the game thanks to their longtime coach, Chito Tecson.
A coach for the last 14 years, Tecson has seen them grow up in the bowling alley and was there for them even before they were crowned national junior girls champions.
He's seen a lot of improvement in their game since 2013.
"It's the way they bowl. They do what I tell them to do," said Tecson, adding he's helped them improve technically. "They're more focused than before. I did do some work on their technique.
"With my familiarity with the team, I can come down to their level. We get along fine. I talk to them and they listen. They focus on what they should be doing."
The team members will practice three more times prior to departing for Toronto on Thursday. That's where fine-tuning the mental side of their game will come in, said Tecson, who has high expectations for them.
"I'll show them how to focus and control their emotions," he said. "I want them to focus on the game. I want them to bowl one game at a time."
"(Their) last game was an 890 average. Anything between 850 to 900 is possible. I know what they're capable of. I want them to succeed."
The senior girls squad isn't the only entry from Prince George and Black Diamond Lanes competing in Toronto.
Jaydn Arnett, 11, won the provincial YBC single girls bantam title last month in Langley with a five-game score of 996 points to qualify for nationals.
She competed nationally in Winnipeg in 2014 as part of a Black Diamond bantam girls team so she's familiar with the atmosphere.
"I'm not nervous, I've been there before," she said. "I know what it feels like. I'm excited."
She said she's worked on her technique in the last year, slowing her delivery down from the time she picks up the ball to when she throws it.
Her personal-best score this year is 317 points and she'd like to reach a similar score in Toronto.
