World-class dart player

Team Newfoundland and Labrador youth dart player Robin Barnes is no stranger to pressure darts.

The Heatherton Youth Darts Association member placed first in last year's World Masters qualifier at the Canadian Youth Dart Championships in Quebec, which gave her the right to represent Canada at the Youth World Masters Dart Championships in Briglinton, England.

She was 13 at the time, and although she was eliminated in her opening match at Youth World Masters, the now 14-year-old cherishes those memories.

Robin was in Gander over the weekend competing at the 2010 Canadian Youth Dart Championships, where she had an opportunity to once again qualify for worlds (results were not available by deadline).

When she looks back at last year's world's event, it wasn't the actual competition that she thinks about - it was the lead up to it.

"When I walked in it was television, and it was exactly like it is when you see it on television," she said. "We walked down through the crowd and the lights are shining down...it was nervous and exciting, and kind of surreal."

Robin's coach and grandmother, Edna Greening, remembers when she qualified for the world tournament. When her second dart landed in double 20 to end the match, the grandmother couldn't see because of the crowd that was gathered around watching. When it was announced the game was over, the floodgates opened.

"I was a very emotional grandmother when she won," said Ms. Greening. "I was in shock, I couldn't believe that she had won. Everyone was standing around and watching, and when she won, I just lost it. I didn't even know the dart was there until the chalker said, 'shot dart,' and I was in awe."

Like her grandmother and coach, Robin was also in a state of disbelief when she watched her dart pitch in the double 20 slot. Although double 16 is her favourite kill shot, she had no trouble finding the highest double on the board to advance to worlds.

"I was shocked and very excited at the same time," she said of her kill. "I didn't really think I had a shot at going. I just wanted to play to see what would happen, and I ended up winning it."

Her mother, Sherry, wasn't in Quebec for the event, but remembers very well the phone call she received from her daughter.

"She called me from Quebec when it was over," recalled Sherry. "She said, 'Mom, I just won World Masters qualifiers.' I said, 'No you didn't, Robin.' 'Yes I did, mom,' she said. I didn't even believe her."

Although Robin thoroughly enjoys competing in darts, there's another aspect of it she loves.

"She kept saying, 'Mom, I can't wait to go see all of my friends again,'" said Sherry. "The friendships that she's made through darts are very important to her."

Robin, who also plays basketball, volleyball, softball and ball hockey, has been throwing darts for four years, and never really thought about serious competition until she attended a provincial dart tournament in Gander a few years ago.

It was after that event she believed she could compete against the best youth dart players in the province.

"About three years at the provincial tournament that was held in Gander," she said, when asked about the moment she thought about competing more seriously in darts. "I won that tournament, so that's when I realized this was something I wanted to do more competitively."

Although she's competed at the biggest stage a youth dart player could ever compete in, Robin said she still enjoys the fun that goes with travelling to events. In the end, to her, it's all about having fun and just doing the best she can.

"I really just want to have fun and try my best. That's all I can do."

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