When his son, Brandon, made the television show at last year’s Junior Gold Championships in the U12 division, it created a unique dynamic for PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III.

Bohn is no stranger to the television lights, having won 35 career titles, but this time he was sitting in the crowd, watching his son bowl for a prestigious national youth title. Brandon, a lefty like his dad, went on to defeat Rylan Breese, 412-299, in the two-game match to win the title.

“No question that it’s nerve-racking because I can’t control the situation,” Bohn said. “I guess I truly understand what my wife and my parents have gone through all the years I’ve bowled on tour. You put your hands on the seat of your pants and you bring them up and clap when they perform well with a strike or a spare.”

The parenting pressure will be on again for Bohn and his wife Leslie as their three children, Brandon, 13, Justin, 15, and Sydney, 12, all compete in the Junior Gold Championships in the Dallas area throughout next week. Joining them is Bohn’s son from his previous marriage, Evan, 26, to help out.

Brandon, who last week won the Teen Masters JV title, will move up to the U15 division to join his brother Justin, while Sydney will compete in the U12 division at Junior Gold, which will have a record field of nearly 4,000 of the best youth bowlers from across the country.

Even though the Bohn children have grown up in a bowling center, Bohn said he and his wife didn’t necessarily try to lead their children down a path to bowling. They have allowed them to compete in other sports like T-ball, soccer and gymnastics. In the end, however, they have all gravitated toward the sport Bohn has had so much success in.

“I’m a firm believer that a kid needs to be a kid,” Bohn said. “They need to enjoy themselves and not only indulge in bowling, but allow them to do whatever it is that he or she has their heart set on. Most of us who bowl for a living to some extent grew up in a bowling center somewhere. So, the old saying the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, it would only make sense that your kids to some extent would want to pick up on it.”

Three years ago, when the Bohn family got their first taste of Junior Gold, Bohn said he didn’t truly understand the scope of the event. At the Junior Gold Championships, bowlers compete in multiple bowling centers in different parts of the host region, sometimes creating logistical challenges.

“When we went to Indianapolis for Junior Gold, I was only there for the autograph and registration day, and then I had to leave for the PBA50 stop in Minnesota,” Bohn said. “After that year, we roll into Cleveland, and my wife told me ‘you’re not bowling anywhere else, you are going to Junior Gold.’ She said, ‘you may as well put it in your calendar for the next six or seven years as long as our kids are eligible, you’re going to Junior Gold.’”

That means that Bohn will not be competing in the PBA50 River City Extreme Open presented by Ebonite next week. Instead, Bohn will be back in action on the PBA50 Tour starting July 23 at the PBA50 South Shore Open presented by Hammer. Both events will be live-streamed on FloBowling.

As for all of the kids from across the country competing in the Junior Gold Championships this year? Bohn shared some words of wisdom.

“For everyone who is out here at Junior Gold, just please, have an open mind, take a deep breath before you throw a shot and look left and look right and take in the moment and the platform of where you are at,” Bohn said. “Truly know and understand that all of the other competitors on the lanes with you are trying to do the same thing you are, roll a ball and knock down 10 pins. But the most important aspect to never forget is to please go out and have fun because that’s what everyone is here for.”