West Boca’s very own Paige Richards, 11th grade, has a passion for bowling. She became the 2020 Girls County Bowling Champion this past season under direction from Coach Scott Breslow. Richards also placed third in the Tri-County tournament played at Sawgrass Lanes in Tamarac, FL.

On her win, Richards was extremely pleased with her performance. “Because we only had five matches this season, every match mattered more than ever. I was so happy that I made it to the county tournament. Getting the win there was such an amazing experience.”

Richards started bowling when she was eight years old, and has since developed relationships with bowlers everywhere in South Florida, from her time in leagues in Broward to her recent victory in West Palm Beach. Both Richards and Breslow mentioned what their experiences in the bowling community have been.

“When I first started bowling, there were kids my age who were way better than me, and I was really nervous. But, after 1 or 2 years of playing, I started making friends at the alleys I played at, and I still have some of those same friends today. I think the bowling community is a really positive group of people and we all connect over bowling” Richards said reminiscing on her time as a bowler.

Breslow also shared his thoughts on the bowling community:”I started a little younger than Paige; I was four. The bowling community is a really powerful and strong group of people. When the Stoneman Douglas shooting happened, I remember being involved in multiple bowling fundraisers and ‘GoFundMe’ pages started by bowlers collecting thousands of dollars to send to Douglas. It was really cool to see the community come together like that.”

Richards also plans on continuing her play in college and beyond. Coach Breslow mentioned that “We are trying to get Paige a scholarship for bowling … I have some connections, and we already have a few places we think will be a good fit, but it’s up to Paige and her family to decide on that.”

Richards was very optimistic about her future in bowling as well, “I would love to keep playing in college … Bowling is something I have a lot of fun doing and having the opportunity to do it after high school would be awesome; maybe even go to some PWBA (Professional Women’s Bowling Association) events.”

When asked about their favorite part of bowling, both Richards and Breslow responded with the same thing: fun. “The best thing about bowling is it’s a non-contact, individual sport indoors that’s fun. Nothing much better than that,” according to Coach Breslow.

“My favorite thing about bowling is just how much fun I have. I used to play basketball, and I just didn’t enjoy it as much as bowling. I definitely have a passion for bowling, and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.”

Richards and Breslow look forward to next season, which starts in the fall, and have high hopes of attending the state championships in Orlando. They encourage everyone to keep bowling safely.