With not even a year having passed since his trip to nationals, Dylan Manderscheid has once again landed a spot in provincials for the 2015 Youth Bowling Canada (YBC) Four Steps to Stardom competition.
Having already been through this type of event last year, he’s not overly nervous, but said he wouldn’t mind winning. He made it to the provincial round by averaging a score of 224 when a lot of people usually only average around 100 or 110. Out of his 11 years of bowling, Manderscheid said the highest score he’s ever bowled was 388. The upcoming provincials will be an opportunity for him to beat his own record, if he can overcome his own weaknesses.
“The hardest thing by far is not getting mad. When I get mad, I start to throw hard and my speed picks up,” he said. “Then you get frustrated because you’re trying to win … the key to winning is maintaining focus and not worrying about winning or if you’re opponent is beating you. You just have to try your best and not get angry.”
Last year, Manderscheid won 16 out of 21 games at nationals and came in second place. Only one bowler from Edmonton beat him. Since then, much of his trepidation has disappeared and he’s now looking forward to the experience.
“When I went to nationals, it was an incredible experience because I got to meet people from different provinces and it was nice to see other provinces and get some souvenirs,” he said. “It’s just a nice way to social with people, make new friends, and make conversation.”
Last year, Manderscheid won provincials by less than 10 pins, so this year the hope is that margin will be wider. If he wins, about 20 other bowlers from across the province will accompany him, all between the ages of 14 and 20.
As usual, Manderscheid will be playing singles.
“I always play singles because you’re your own team and you don’t have to worry about your team playing bad,” he said. “Sometimes (bowlers) spend too much time socializing and don’t focus on the game.”
The competition will be held in Regina and nationals will be held in Toronto and Oshawa, Ont. in May.
