In five-pin bowling, 300 is a magic number. Anytime a bowler is sharp enough to reach or surpass that total, the achievement is considered something special.
Some people play their entire lives without managing a 300. Others - like Adam Parker - do it when they're 10 years old.
Parker's big moment came on March 24, a week after he celebrated his first double-digit birthday. He was participating in the Saturday YBC program at Black Diamond Lanes and, in his first game, rolled a 305. Along the way, he had seven strikes, including five in a row from the second to sixth frames.
"I tried to (throw) the ball very slowly," said Parker, whose average is in the low 150s. "And the best part is not because of how fast the ball is, but the accuracy. I had very high accuracy.
"I was very proud of myself."
Parker wasn't quite as hot in his second game that day but still tossed a 175. In his last game, he was hoping for at least a 120 so he could hit 600 for his three-game total.
He ended up blowing past 600, all the way to 722. Parker's Game 3 score of 242 was the cherry on top of the ice cream.
"I almost felt like crying," he said, looking back on his momentous day on the lanes.
So how does such a young kid post such huge numbers? According to Parker, it's all in the hand, and there are a few other things to keep in mind.
"These three fingers - index, middle and ring - just roll (the ball) down those three fingers," he said. "And never run. (And your arm should go) straight back and forward."
Keeping the throwing hand straight is another key to success, said Parker, who has been honing his overall technique for several years already, given the fact he started rolling a ball down a ramp at Black Diamond at age three.
The YBC coaches who assisted in Parker's progression this season were his dad, Kyle, and Lee Sheppard. His grandmother Maureen is the YBC coordinator at Black Diamond and, given her grandson's near carbon-copy delivery of each ball, she isn't surprised at the impressive scores he's posting.
"He throws a very straight ball," she said. "He doesn't crank his wrist - he keeps his hand basically under (the ball) and throws it out straight."
Parker, a Grade 4 student at Lac des Bois, will wind up his YBC schedule this weekend. Looking ahead to future seasons, he'd like to qualify for the youth bowling provincials and possibly even get to nationals. But his more immediate objective is to get a new high-single score as soon as possible.
After all, a 305 will only quench a bowling thirst for so long.
"I don't know what I can achieve," he said. "I want to see if I can get over 325."
