- April 19, 2024
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Seven years ago, Kirk Mowl and Brooke Roberts won the city championships. Today, they are both top bowlers in the area and state. Courtesy photo
Mowl says he never cares for his score at his practices at Ormond Lanes because he plays on much more difficult lanes when competing.
Bowler's thumb (the rolling thumb is usually larger than the other) is a medical condition, caused by repeated pressure or compression of the nerve.
Kirk recently won the 2016 Teen Masters 14U National Championship, which is his biggest win thus far.
It may be respectful that 13-year-old Kirk Mowl could easily beat you in a round, but what about six years ago when his 7-year-old version – averaging well over 125 per round – would have done the same?
Just ask his family members who played in leagues at the Ormond Lanes about the disbelief of regularly losing to their son and grandson who, only a few years prior, need bumpers at a friend’s birthday party.
By 8 years old, he was crushing us,” said Todd Mowl, his father. “It was embarrassing. We couldn’t bowl with him. Since then, I’ve given up trying to play him. I usually make an excuse about my knee.”
By the time he was 9 years old, Kirk increased his average score to 150 – putting him in the ballpark with most high school bowlers.
Kirk credits his already successful bowling career to the demands of a grueling year-round participation calendar. In the next year, he will compete in 30 different tournaments and will drive almost 9,000 miles in the process – not including air miles. But, a great rewarder for he and his peers is they win what other sports can’t – money.
“He already has over $7,000 in his SMART account,” his father said. “So many kids have paid for college with their winnings. Kirk was making money at 8 years old.”
The Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins Online allows for bowlers to earn scholarship money towards a college funding. They can only spend this money toward schooling.
Although winning is the ultimate goal, Kirk has always admired the complexity of bowling. He loves the challenge of rolling the ball down the perfect lane to perfectly collide at the right angle in order to secure a strike.
“It’s so challenging,” he said. “A lot of people don’t understand that once you play with oil machines that come in either short and long patterns, you have to choose the right balls, and it then becomes a puzzle.”
Even with all of the challenges, Kirk has rolled a 299 – missing the final strike in the round by one pin, and he most recently won the national Teen Masters 14U championship, earning him $2,000 in scholarship money.
When asked how he remains humble, Kirk said, “There’s always going to be a kid who’s better than you, and you just have to strive to keep getting better until there isn’t. But once that day comes, then…I don’t know.”
According to his family and friends, he leaves no doubt as to who is the best. When bowling with his non-bowling friends, they usually don’t finish their rounds against him.
“It probably makes them feel the way I used to feel.” Todd Mowl said.
Kirk’s ‘side job’: While bowling consumes most of his time, Kirk Mowl likes to design rooms on his computer. He usually assists his dad, who flips houses.
Worth repeating: “It probably makes them feel the way I used to feel.”
TODD MOWL, on his son's non-bowling friends quitting when playing against Kirk
