That's a strike! 5-year-old Concord boy being dubbed a bowling prodigy
CONCORD, Calif. (KGO) -- He may only be about 4 feet tall, but that certainly hasn't stopped Zane DeCelles from making a name for himself in the local bowling world.
The Concord-based 5-year-old only took up the sport in June, but regularly bowls games around 170 to 200.
"Because I like to get strikes," Zane said.
RELATED: 4-year-old goes viral recreating famous movie scenes during quarantine
Zane's mother, Joanna, says she doesn't know where his skills come from.
Neither she, nor Zane's father, are bowlers.
"We just did the kids' bowl for free and we just started coming here everyday. And it turned out, you know, he's really good," Joanna said.
With our cameras rolling, Zane bowled multiple spares and strikes, sometimes even getting three in a row.
His skills have grabbed the attention of other bowlers too.
Joanna says some have even dubbed him an upcoming prodigy.
"They just called him 'the natural'. He's never had a lesson before, and somehow he knows what he's doing," said Joanna.
To contextualize Zane's abilities, he normally bowls with a 12-pound ball. But at only 48 pounds, that's a quarter of his body weight.
RELATED: No prom? No problem: North Carolina 7-year-old holds special event for his nanny
Drawn to his natural talents, Zane has also gained several mentors over the course of the summer.
Keen to pass on their knowledge to the next generation.
"When you find somebody this young, he inspires wanting to give you a helping hand," said bowler, Doug Schuster.
And while no one knows what's coming next for Zane, his mom says she'll continue to support his dreams no matter where they lead.
"I always told him as long as he's having fun we'll keep coming back. And if he decides he doesn't want to bowl anymore, we're good," said Joanna.
If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
