The words HARLEM LANES shine big and bright as we approach. My first match of my high school career and my first bowling match of my life is going to be an away game. Facing one of the more decent teams in the division, we had two practices that week before heading uptown.
Quiet as an abandoned house, this bowling alley had no noise whatsoever. There is no DJ; high school kids are not to be found; and no one is bowling. Only the soft whirring noises of the ball return could be faintly heard.
Our opponents are already there, and they’re sitting silently scattered across the four lanes. The A team is all huddled up, as the captain is making some speech trying to pump them up. The B team, however, is completely unemotional; their faces are as blank as a piece of clean paper.
Our captain brings us all together. “Alright, guys, this is our first match. For some of us, it was nice to take a break. Now is the time to get back to business. For the rest of us, this is a new beginning. This is your new chance to shine and show everyone what you’re made of. But listen. We’re undefeated for the past three years. That means we’re going to have to play extra hard to keep that going for four seasons. Alright? Let’s bring it in, bros. Stuyvesant on three! One, two, three!
“STUYVESANT!” we bellow.
The match consists of A, B, and C games. The A and the B of one school play the two from the other, and it is best out of 3 games. Expecting that I would sit out the first match and play with the other rookies on the C team, I am quite surprised to hear my coach’s voice. “Simon! Get up there! You’re on the B team! Let’s do this!”
Wow, B team? Is he crazy? Putting a rookie on the main team? Once again undaunted, I step up to the lane and prepare to do what I always do. Hands shaking and knees seeming to lose control, I grip the ball as tightly as possible as if someone is about to rob me of it. I look ahead, and everything just seems strange. The pins seem further away than usual, and the abnormally glossy lanes shine back at me. The approach appears to be closing in on me, and I am just helplessly gripping a bowling ball.
My pin count in my first ever shot in my high school career: 6. A heavy hit, it misses the 1-3 pocket by several inches and collapses the right side. Now I can focus on the left. Seeing the third arrow as a viable target, I set my feet onto the right board and take my aim. Walking into my swing, I launch the ball slightly too hard, causing it to float down the lane as opposed to rolling it. It never turns left, and I don’t get my spare.
A few more missed spares, and the captain comes over. He signals me to follow him and when we get the point of privacy, he lets me know. “Simon, I know that you can do this, alright? We’ve been through this many times in practice. Now concentrate and don’t let this environment ruin your game. This is your time! Now take advantage and help us beat these guys.”
After massaging my shoulders for a few seconds, he heads back to the A team bench, cheering and high-fiving the other members of his squad. Becoming more motivated than before, I sit back down and think about ways to improve my approach.
A few more misses, and the other team is falling apart. Now is my first chance to shine. Breathe. Hold the ball with control, but not too tightly. The second arrow from the right. The 18th board also from the right. Plant my feet firmly on that board. Left foot in front, four steps. Last step slide with the left. And BAM.
Strike in 8th, 9th, and 10th frames, and I finish with a 160, redeeming myself from a horrendous start, and I spark our B team to victory, 550-532. The A team finish off their end, and we take the match easily 2-0, marking my first ever match sweet.
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