Canan Bademci of Patchogue-Medford is Newsday's Athlete of the Week
Patchogue-Medford's Canan Bademci prior to the start of a dual meet between Middle Country and Patchogue-Medford at Bowlero in Sayville on Wednesday. Credit: Daniel De Mato
Canan Bademci is way too young to remember the 1950s television sitcom “Father Knows Best.”
But when it came to the last few weeks for the Patchogue-Medford sophomore bowler, Bademci’s mother, Bobbie, knew best. Bobbie, who is also a bowler, brings her daughter’s bowling balls to every match, and made a key adjustment before a competition on Jan. 16.
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Canan Bademci is way too young to remember the 1950s television sitcom “Father Knows Best.”
But when it came to the last few weeks for the Patchogue-Medford sophomore bowler, Bademci’s mother, Bobbie, knew best. Bobbie, who is also a bowler, brings her daughter’s bowling balls to every match, and made a key adjustment before a competition on Jan. 16.
“My mom didn’t tell me, but she did tell our coach,” Bademci said. “She decided to sand down my [Idol Pearl bowling] ball before the match, and before I got there.”
Sanding dulls the ball and helps it grip the lane better, according to Bademci. When Bobbie suggested she use the ball, she balked at first, but eventually obliged (with a gentle nudge from Raiders coach Chris Varley). She was certainly glad she did after she rolled games of 243, 226 and 279 for a season-best 748 series against the combined team of Smithtown/Kings Park in a 24-16 win for Patchogue-Medford.
“I tried it and I found my mark,” said Bademci, who is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. “At the end of the match my mom came over and said, ‘You know I sanded down your ball for you?’ And I was like, ‘No way.’ ”
Bademci added a 731 series versus Sachem on Jan. 21 with the same ball. Her lowest series of the regular season was a 622. Bademci, who had six series of better than 650, finished the season with the top average (222.0667) among Suffolk girls bowlers. She also has the third-highest series (748), and is tied for third-highest game (279).
“She just really turned it on our last few matches,” Varley said. “She’s picked up all her spares, and when she gets on a run with her strikes, she’s tough to beat. She just ended the season in a great way for us.”
Patchogue-Medford had a bowl-off with Middle Country on Wednesday and teammate Gianna Guido rolled a 654 series, while Bademci added a 611 series as the Raiders earned a 21-19 win and automatic berth into the Suffolk girls bowling championships on Feb. 8 at Bowlero in Sayville.
“Bowling is probably one of my favorite things to do,” said Bademci after the bowl-off match. “It helps me a lot, especially in life ... It takes me away from everything else. It makes me happy. Right now, I’m on cloud nine.”
Bademci, who started bowling at the age of 5 — but was “never allowed to use bumpers” — made the Raiders varsity team as a seventh-grader. Last season, she was ninth (209.5172) in Suffolk during the regular season and made the Section XI All-Star team that finished second.
Now, the 15-year-old is focused on the Suffolk championships.
“We all love bowling, and it’s good not to have the pressure on us now,” Bademci said. “We can just go in and practice on the lanes, and focus on the lanes, and then come in on county [final] day and just blow it out of the water.”