West Orange Times: Sports Spotlight — Kim Hamilton

West Orange High senior Kim Hamilton has come a long way since joining the bowling team as a freshman. In her last year as a Warrior, Hamilton is a leader for her side and a strong bowler to boot.

When did you first get into bowling?

I started the summer before my freshman year. I only started because my brothers were already on the bowling team. They were telling me they loved it and they were like, ‘Come out with us and give it a try,’ so I was like, ‘OK, one practice,’ and I ended up loving it.

What was your freshman year like on the bowling team?

It was intimidating, because that was a year when we had a lot of good bowlers on the team, so I felt like I wasn’t good enough to be there. They were all actually really supportive of me, so I felt really relieved when they were like, ‘No, you’re doing great — keep going.’

Since your freshman year, what has changed most about the way you approach bowling?

When I first started, I was focused on learning everything that I could do and getting everything down, but now that I know a decent amount of information, I’m coaching my teammates and I’ve found that I really love helping them versus just working on my own shot.

Is there a highlight moment for you that stands out?

Definitely last year when we started the year with not enough girls to bowl a match, and it took us a really long time to recruit everyone. By the end of the year, not only had we recruited enough girls, but we managed to get everybody to do well enough that we won Metro.

Is it added pressure for you to be a leader for the team?

Yes, but also I kind of enjoy the pressure, because it drives me to actually work harder than I would otherwise.

What has been the biggest challenge when it comes to playing this sport?

Definitely staying out of my own head and not getting frustrated when I don’t throw a good shot.

What are the best words of advice you’ve been given about bowling?

Probably that when you start to change things and learn how to bowl, you’re not going to do well for a really long time because your body is getting used to the motions. When people start coaching you, you want to be great all of a sudden and that’s just not going to happen.

What is the mental process for you when you walk up to the lane?

For me, what I find works best is I think about where I want the shot to go beforehand and how I want it to roll off. And then after I actually set up on the approach, I try to clear my mind completely and let muscle memory take over.