OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 4, 2020) – Softball and bowling are two sports that seemingly are completely unrelated. However, at Oklahoma Christian, senior Abbey Parks stands as a common denominator between the two disciplines.
 
For Parks, playing both sports was a simple choice, because it meant she could do everything she loved to do.
 
"I couldn't choose," Parks said. "I love both sports and knew that if I didn't play both I would regret it and would want to be at the other sport no matter which one I chose." 
 
Parks, who's from the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow, started bowling recreationally when she was eight years old and also bowled for her high school team. Although bowling is often viewed as only a recreational sport, Parks said it combines the physicality and precision of softball, while adding another level of intense mind and education training.
 
"I think that anyone is going to stand up for their sport and so will I," Parks said. "Bowling is not only a physical game of being able to place the ball on the target line desired or speed control, but it is a true knowledge game. The education you require to be a great bowler is tremendous. The math and science that goes into bowling is mind-blowing. I'm sure people would agree that college or professional bowling is far from recreational."
 
Parks also fell in love with softball at a young age. Parks said the thrill of hitting in softball propelled her to want to play the sport at the next level.
 
"I loved hitting a double, sprinting to get there, sliding in and being called safe," Parks said. "It's an adrenaline rush for me. I love the race it gives me and the teammates that cheer me on. Nothing is better than sliding into home, getting up and running into your team's dugout as they scream with joy for the run we just scored."
 
Similar to the thrill she gets from hitting in softball, Parks said she loves bowling, because it infuses her with energy.
 
"For bowling, I fell in love with the pressure of repeating shots," Parks said. "When you have three in a row, six in a row, and each time you turn around after you got the next, your team is screaming for you."
 
Although they involve different techniques and skill sets, Parks said her desire to win keep her motivated and excited to compete in both sports.
 
"Most importantly, in both sports, I fell in love with the competitiveness," Parks said. "I loved being a winner and striving to be the best at what I did. I could not accept being second in anything I did."
 
After graduating from Broken Arrow High School in 2017, Parks went to Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, Kan., on a softball scholarship. Although she was recruited to several different schools, Parks said she chose Cowley because her grandparents lived close to the school and it was not too far from home.
 
During her freshman year, she just competed in softball; however, Cowley County added a bowling team the spring of her freshman year. Parks said she never imagined the opportunity to bowl for a collegiate team, but, since she loved bowling in high school and had been successful, she decided to try out and she made the team.
 
"It's crazy the path God puts us on," Parks said. "I wanted to go to a four-year school right off the bat, but I ended up right where I needed to be. If it weren't for Cowley, I never would have bowled, I never would have made it to Oklahoma Christian and I never would have been able to live with my grandparents and help them on the farm for two years."
 
After finishing her two years at Cowley, Parks said she began looking for schools with the option of bowling and softball, especially after reigniting her love for bowling while at Cowley.
 
Oklahoma Christian gave her the option.
 
The bowling team recruited her first, and soon enough, bowling coach James Hayes and softball coach Shanon Hays agreed to share Parks as a dual athlete.
 
Parks said the winning attitude of Hayes – who started OC's bowling program in 2018 – and the reputation of the softball program were the two deciding factors in her choosing to become an Eagle.
 
"I fell in love with the bowling coach's desire to win and knew I was in good hands," Parks said. "The way he talked about bowling made me feel like he could take me to the next level. Once I talked to the softball coach, he was very honest with me and showed great character. I fell in love with the school and was able to play both sports. What more could I ask for?"
 
When Parks transferred to OC, it was only the bowling team's second year of existence. That means that at Cowley and OC, Parks has been a part of building the bowling programs and setting records along the way.
 
"It feels amazing," Parks said. "Being one of the firsts in a program allows you to create traditions as well as set an example for future classes to come. It's amazing to see a program grow each year and one day I will be able to look back and see a program that I once bowled at competing at an even higher level than I did."
 
At Cowley, Parks became the program's first All-Southwest Intercollegiate Bowling Circuit and National Junior College Athletic Association All-America competitor in bowling. She bowled well in her first year at OC, with an average score of 176.16 in 55 games, and helped the Eagles qualify for the collegiate club bowling postseason before postseason competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During her first softball season at OC, Parks – a catcher – recorded a perfect 1.000 batting average, hitting a walk-off two-run home run against Nebraska-Kearney in her one at-bat before the season was cut short. Hays said Parks played well in her first season with the Eagles and continuously leads by example.
 
"She has been a great player who has a lot of power with the bat and has consistently improved defensively," Hays said. "She catches bullpens for our pitchers and gets herself ready for when she has a chance to get in the game. She got one at-bat last year and hit a home run when she got her opportunity. She leads with her example and has a full plate with being part of two programs and being a student."
 
Going into her second year as an Eagle, Parks said she wants to do her best, love what she is doing and win. She said her main motivations pushing her to succeed are her parents.
 
"They have sacrificed so much for my dreams and goals," Parks said. "They have invested in my education and pushed me to be the best in both of my sports. Any time I need the motivation to keep going, I remember my parents' sacrifices that they have made for me."