I love when people are able to keep sports in perspective.

In this day and age, few people can do so on a consistent basis.

Donald “Duck” Young was one of those people.

Young lost his battle with cancer Monday at age 70. He had the right attitude toward sports.

To him, sports were fun.

Period.

Anyone who knew him knows what I’m talking about.

I was fortunate enough to get to know him fairly well. Duck and I were in the same bowling league together — Magnetics, now Hardwood Cafe — for a number of years. When our league shut down early in 2019, I never would have guessed I’d never bowl against him again.

Duck prided himself on getting “inside your head” if you were bowling against him. He’d make subtle comments during a match, poking fun at you, give you a quirky smile if you bowled a split or missed a spare.

It wasn’t poor sportsmanship. Duck was just having fun — and everybody knew it.

And when you beat him, he rolled with the punches and could take the jabs as well.

I made the mistake of missing the 5-pin on a spare attempt one night when I was bowling his team. He never let me forget it.

Every time I left the 5-pin since, when we were bowling his team, I’d cringe. I was afraid to even turn around.

He’d break into a wide smile, mumble something about how “no one ever misses that pin twice” or that “it’s such an easy pick-up for anybody.”

Getting in your head.

He got in mine.

To this day, I can’t begin my approach to try picking up the 5-pin without thinking about Duck. The man will be with me forever.

He was a longtime, faithful duck-pin bowler, loving the challenge of it — and, of course, the fun of it.

Duck helped work on the upkeep of Hiland Golf Course for years after his retirement. He was an avid golfer as well.

He had one thing in common with ten-pin bowling, duckpin bowling and golf. He loved the people.

Duck was a people person. After bowling was done on Thursday nights, he’d join you in the lounge for dinner or a drink, talk about how bowling went that night or comment about the NFL, Pittsburgh Pirates or Penguins game being shown on TV.

Again, not in a serious, break the game down sort of way. But in an entertainment sort of way.

Sports are supposed to be fun. Duck got that.

Sure, he’d be upset if he blew an easy spare ... for all of about five seconds. It didn’t take him long to enjoy a laugh while engaging with a fellow bowler or two after missing that shot.

Duck was my teammate in doubles for the county tournament one year. The day before, while competing in singles, I slipped near the foul line and yanked a hamstring.

The next day, bowling doubles with him, I was worthless.

He could have asked me to sub out for somebody else. He never did.

I was terrible on the lanes that day. We all had a lot of fun off it.

I’ll never forget that.

Rest in peace, Duck. You were, indeed, one of a kind.

And if I ever notice the lights flicker or that 5-pin wobbling when I try to pick it up, I’ll know it’s you.

You’ll be in my head regardless.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.