300 pins for the win

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sergio A. Gamboa
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FOCE BASE, Fla. --  From a young age, it is quite common for children to idolize their parents; some may even follow in their footsteps. For the Dodson family, it's bowling. Their common thread is bowling.

At 14 years-old, Rebecca "Boo" Dodson, Everitt Middle School student, joined her mother becoming the first mother-daughter 300 duo in Bay County. She bowled her perfect game April 5 at Bowlarama Bowling in Panama City during the Northwest Scholarship Tournament.

Boo has been bowling for five years and fell in love with it as soon as she first put a heavy tri-holed ball in her hand.

"My mom and dad coached me since I started," Boo added. "They are big inspirations to me. They helped me get where I need to be and bowling makes me feel good."

Chong Dodson, mother of Boo, first started bowling when she met her husband approximately 25 years ago and bowled her perfect game about 15 years later.

"She inspires me because she has bowled a 300 before, and I always wanted to follow her footsteps," Boo said.

During the game that would become her first 300 score, Boo's mother was keeping her calm.

"She was doing well, and to keep her calm I was telling her to relax," mom said. "Follow through your rolls and stay focused. Once I saw her getting nervous I stood back and just watched her."

After bowling multiple strikes, Boo had to prepare mentally to stay focused.
"My adrenaline was rushing a lot, but I stayed relaxed; I felt really excited too," Boo said. "My heart was pounding as fast as it could. I just stayed relaxed and looked where I needed to bowl."

Boo doesn't like cleaning out the gutters, so she decided to bowl nothing but strikes that day.

"I was nervous when she got to her last frame," her mother said. "I think I was more nervous than her. My heart was pounding real fast. I was yelling in my head, 'come on, come on;' once she let go of the last ball I knew she had the strike."

Both mother and daughter waited years to bowl a perfect game. For one of them, perfection came early.

"I knew she could do it," said Boo's mother smiling in disbelief. "I didn't think she would do it this soon; not at 14 years old. It took me more than 10 years to accomplish what she did in about five."

Boo expressed her thoughts.

"I think my parents felt happy for me and excited that it was my first perfect game," Boo said. "They have always waited for it."

There were about 30 bowlers participating and more than 100 family members and spectators that attended.

"A lot of people started cheering for her after her game," Chong said. "Most people there were screaming and congratulating her."

Boo's father, Ted Dodson, 337th Air Control Squadron civilian instructor, was one of those people.

"I didn't anticipate her getting a perfect score," her father said. "Other than her being born, this is the proudest I have been of her. She dedicated herself to bowl better this year, and she has done that."