Junior  Jimmy Mitchell approached the lane for his final frame, a perfect game on the line. He grabbed his black and blue striped ball and threw it down the lane with perfect precision that only a seasoned bowler could accomplish. All the pins dropped.

As an eighth grader, Mitchell was able to say he has bowled a perfect game

“Looking back on that day in eighth grade,” junior Jimmy Mitchell said. “It was Incredible. I was super nervous going into the 12th frame.”

Mitchell has always been around the game, he bowled his first game at the age of one with the help from his dad and now coach, Pat Mitchell. Jimmy basically grew up at the bowling alley, joining a league at the age of three.

“When I joined the league I wasn’t very good at all,” Jimmy said. “To be honest, my first match I bowled a zero but I loved the game.”

Even at that young age, Jimmy and his dad would go and practice , focusing on one pin at a time.

As Mitchell grew older everyone could see him improving rapidly. By the time he was in middle school he was one of the best bowlers on the team. He really got everyone’s attention when he shot a 300 in eighth grade, the coaches of the High School team were very excited for him to get to the high school

“Jimmy grew up surrounded by bowling and exposure to some of bowling’s top professionals,” mother and coach, Angela Mitchell said. “I work for Brunswick and have a lot of involvement with our professional staff players.  Jimmy just enjoyed the game and we never put any pressure on him to be the best.  We actually didn’t start coaching him until he asked and was ready to learn.”

As Jimmy got into high school he became a clear standout on the team. He’s a true leader and gives his teammates confidence.

“He is the captain, he’s a great bowler,” senior AJ Perrier said. “He tells us what we need to work on, he is really good at getting us fired up.”

Jimmy doesn’t take much time to rest in the offseason. Last summer, he was able to qualify and go to the national tournament for high school kids.

“It was my first national tournament,” Mitchell said. “I was able to get all my nerves out and take it all in, It wasn’t my best tournament but I learned a lot and it was a good experience, I’m excited to go back.”

According to his coaches, Jimmy is never satisfied, he wants to keep getting better. He wants to take the time to be consistent with the fundamentals.

“I need to stay coachable and listen to everything my coaches say,” Mitchell said. “If I continue to focus on the little things and work on my ball movement, my game should keep improving.”