Fourteen-year-old Jennifer Thorton hopes to beat her brother at bowling. However, she doesn't think she has much of a chance.

"He usually wins," she said. "I should lie, but that would be cruel."

Thorton, her brother D.L. and several other young people attended the first Spare Time Recreation Summer Teen Night Thursday. Bowling, pool, karaoke and laser tag are provided from 8:30-11 p.m. Thursday nights through the summer.

"We wanted to give teens something to do and business is usually slow this time of year," said Greg Justice, owner. "This is a good, clean, safe environment where they can participate in activities, but they can also be with their friends. That's what teens really like to do anyway."

"I was invited by my friends," said Angie Sisler, 15, as some of her friends were playing pool. "It's just fun. If I weren't here, I'd be at home on the Internet, and that's boring."

Kayla Sparks, 14, will be attending Rock Hill High School this coming school year. She said she has made a lot of friends at Spare Time and coming to activities such as this lets her meet people her age who attend school in the Ironton school district.

Sparks's friend ,Breanna Boggess, 14, said she likes to bowl, but she also likes to meet boys.

"They're cute here," said Boggess, who had bowled two strikes.

Her 12-year-old sister, Casey, agreed.

"Woo!" she shouted. Sparks laughed.

Casey Boggess added she plans to participate in karaoke before the end of the night. She wasn't sure as to what song she was going to sing.

"I came here to bowl tonight," Brad Jenkins, 12, said. "There was nothing else to do and I thought I'd have fun here."

"It's challenging to try and hit the pins," added one of his bowling partners, Joey Pauley, 12.

"I bowled my career high game, 223," Jenkins added.

"I keep hitting nines when I so had it," yelled D.L. Thorton at the other end of the bowling lanes as he bowled with his sister, her friend, Jennifer Queen, 15, and another friend.

"I wanted to hang with Jennifer and D.L.," said Queen. "I like it because we can get together in a place other than band camp."

Teens will not be allowed to smoke or drink. Depending on the severity of the incident, their parents may be called, Justice said.

When school starts, he added, there are plans to have activities such as this after Friday night football games. Amelia Pridemore/The Ironton Tribune