Relax, find the mark, and throw.
When Jeff Strong is on the five-pin bowling lanes, he follows that sequence of events over and over again. The routine has worked well for him. So well, in fact, he now has the chance to roll for national gold.
Strong, a 15-year-old Prince George resident, will represent B.C. at the Youth Bowling Council national championships, May 7-9 in Moose Jaw, Sask. He qualified for Canadians by winning the junior boys provincial title last month in Kamloops.
Strong, in his fourth year of YBC competition, will be a first-time participant at nationals and likes the idea of wearing B.C. colours.
Yes, there will be pressure. But, as long as he sticks to his formula and keeps his cool, he's not anticipating any problems.
"I like having the weight on my shoulders," said Strong, who plays and practices at Black Diamond Lanes. "[Handling the pressure] depends on my attitude. If I keep my composure usually I do fairly well. If I let my guard down or show any attitude, I kind of get rattled. I just have to have fun."
Of course, Strong would love to win a medal in Moose Jaw. But, his main objective, he said, is to bowl to his average of 225.
During provincials, he posted game scores of 198, 257, 232, 235 and 212 for an average of 227. Strong beat runner-up Josh Burgmann of Nanaimo by 134 pins. In Strong's five-pin career, his highest single game score is 370, which he threw this season.
While provincial placings were based on total pin-fall, nationals will use a match play format. Strong will go head-to-head against the representative of every other province. A win will be worth one point, and, at the end of the tournament, the bowler with the highest number of points will be declared the winner.
Kyle Parker, proprietor of Black Diamond Lanes, knows a thing or two about competing in the YBC nationals. Back when he was a YBC senior, he represented Alberta in the championships. He said Strong can expect a competitive yet friendly atmosphere. Parker also said Strong has the tools to do well.
"I think one of the most important things that he has going for him is that he throws such a well-controlled ball," Parker said. "For a kid his age, he throws a very precise ball. He's got fantastic form. He's quite far along as far as tournament bowling goes."
As for the mental side of the game, Parker said Strong seems able to refocus himself when a game doesn't go his way.
"From what I've seen of Jeff, he has an ability to control those emotions and actually bring himself back," Parker said. "And that's the true test of a good tournament bowler. Nobody can go through a tournament in first place all the way through. Usually it doesn't happen that way. You've got to keep your wits about you and your head on your shoulders and know that just because you get a few bad breaks, there are going to be opportunities to make that up."
Strong, a Grade 9 student at PGSS, benefits from the fact he plays not only in the YBC league but also in Sunday and Thursday adult leagues at Black Diamond.
Originally, he started out as a 10-pin bowler because his dad, Andrew, used to work at the city's 10-pin facility, Strike Zone.
"I've been at a bowling alley since I was about one and started bowling around three," Strong said. "I used to be [at Strike Zone] almost every day.
"Switching to five-pin was tough," he added. "You had to have more control and more balance. It's definitely more of a technical game than 10-pin. I still watch my dad bowl Wednesday night league all the time and if I have an extra few bucks I'll go throw a couple games."
