Staff writer
To build a foundation of bowling within the community, Hillsboro Recreation Commission has collaborated with Bluejay Lanes to begin a Saturday youth bowling league at the alley from April 5 to May 5.
Recreation director Doug Sisk said 17 children signed up for the league, designed for individual development. Participants range from fourth to eighth grade.
“With Bluejay Lanes starting back up, they wanted to get interest in bowling again,” he said. “So the best way to start is with the youth.”
Sisk said the league is set up to give young bowlers instruction and a base to begin learning from.
“I teach them the basics, like lane etiquette, not going while someone else is up, and basic form,” said Austin Jones, a junior on Tabor’s bowling team. “And they know how to put their names on the monitor.”
Jones grew up bowling and working at alleys in Newton, so when he was offered a job at Bluejay Lanes during his recruitment, he was cool with it. Before each session, he lays out cards for each player with their previous weeks’ scores, giving an idea of their progress.
“I’ll talk with them a little, reminding them of where to start, the follow-through, and all the basics,” he said. “Some kids don’t show up every week, so it helps out the other kids by me doing the step-by-step so they know what they’re doing.”
Jones says he hopes bowling gives the kids another option in case they don’t want to play any other sports as they get older.
“I love it,” he said. “Hopefully these kids will bowl for the rest of their lives. You start them off young, and hopefully they like it.”