Last summer I initiated a project to get a bowling team formed at my high school because we only had an intramural group that didn't compete with other schools. Here in Indiana bowling isn't at the varsity level for high school students, and so high schools aren't required to sanction a school's bowling team if one is formed. Eventually, we got a team formed, but my high school refuses to acknowledge its existance. It's a little ironic because last summer I went to the school athletic director to discuss forming a bowling team and he was all for it as long as we could support ourselves without money from the school (and we did). Even throughout the season he would stop me in the hall and ask me how it was going, etc...however, he seems to be the only one that cares the school has a team. He gave us permission to put up fliers around the school to advertise try-outs; every single one of them was taken down within a few days they were put up, and I also sent in an announcement for the school news but it was never broadcasted. The team took its own photos for the yearbook and the yearbook director himself told me that we would have a page for the team; I just got my yearbook and the team is not in there. The intramural club is, though, and so are all the other independent teams that my school doesn't sanction, like rugby and hockey.

Does this go on at any other high schools/colleges? Actually, the high school boy's team that won state in Indiana two years ago had a similar problem - their school wouldn't even display the trophy on campus.

I know a lot can't be done in a case like this (unless someone out there has an idea lol); I was just curious to see how other high schools treat their bowling teams.

Regardless if anyone at my school cares about going to the meets, etc., it just makes it difficult in a case like this to find people in a school of 3,000+ that are bowlers that might like to go out for the team. We basically relied on word-of-mouth to get the try-out dates known, and I fear that we'll have to do that again.

If anyone can offer and help, I'd truly appreciate it!!

Lindsay <><

Look like you should take it up with State School Board and acknowledge the problem with them about how unfairly your school have poorly treated the accomplishment and educational value of having a bowling team. If they won't listen.. then go one step higher and take it to court or something. Maybe the school by then will acknowledge the success that their students have achieved.

If you ask me, you and your teammates are being treated unfairly. Bowling is a sport whether they like it or not. The school should be ashame of 'hiding' or destroying the game of bowling for other to have interest in.

Lindzee1113,
Sorry to hear that your school is treating bowling this way. You need an adult either from the school or the PTA on your side. If your school has a PTA, ask to address them on this. Check with the athletic director again. You may want to bring up the fact that scholarships are now being awarded in bowling as well.
The squeeky wheel gets oiled.
Don't give up the fight.

I grew up in Bay City Michigan a very big bowling city (30,000 population 6 bowling centers). I didn't bowl in high school but I never remember hearing about the existence of a bowling team even though we were in contention for the state title many years. Unfortunatley very few young people give the sport the recognition it deserves and this attitude is carried on by many adults. I'm behind you to do whatever you can to be appreciated as the athletes you are.
Putting up flyers at your local centers may be more helpful than around the school. Also speak to any youth coaches in the area and tell them what you are looking to acomplish. Good luck!

Lindzee

See if your state has an organization that handles high school bowling. What you described is not uncommon here. The people that handle high school bowling in your state may provide you with all the documentation to start with. You might also contact Bowling Headquarters at bowl.com to get some help. They may be able to point you in the right direction with guides and information. Texas is a club sport state and many of the high schools here have football as a religion:). That is about the only thing they consider. Our program is run with the help of an afterschool program called STEPS or Skills TO Empower People Socially. This helps because the school district already recognizes their work and sees it as a value to the students. You might look for someone like this at your school to be your sponsor.

Smash49

At my school we're just seen as a club. The school really doesn't care about us in anyway. I also play ice hockey for my school and it's the exact same way. They won't let us in the homecoming parade anymore and our principle feels we are a disgrace to the school. As for the bowling team....I don't think the principal knows we exsist.

Well i have a good story. Our school has been around 31 years, and we have never even had a bowling club. Us bowlers had no high school team to speak of. I got sick of it, so I started a bowling club. Now it is going to be a varsity team sport against all other Kansas teams. I think high schools who are against something you like are complete a$$holes. I get made fun of at school because instead of football or wrestling, im doing bowling. they shut up when i flash my 300 ring though. Anyway, do what you can to make it better, bring it up to the district, not just the principal. Hope i helped at all'

Colton

When I was in high school, I lettered in bowling, but the teams from each high school were formed by the youth association. Each team competed against each other, and it was a traveling league, so we got to bowl in 3 of the 4 centers in my town. We won the championship the year I bowled with the team, but when we wanted to display the trophy, we were told it was ok by one vice principal, but the athletic director said we couldn't. So we just decided to just display it in the center, but you can't give up the dream. I love to bowl so much that I am starting a collegiate program at Colorado State University-Pueblo in Pueblo, Colorado, so if I can do it, we all can do it. We need to prove a fact that bowling is a sport.

Our school has a similar, but not too similar, situation. We have a bowling team, and we're actually really good. Bowling is a club sport here in Wisconsin, and we're not supported by our schools (at least we're not). The lanes that we bowl at for home school meets pitches in more than the school does, for instance giving us a coach bus to travel to a meet. Anyway, I'm really disappointed that the school doesn't want affiliation with us. In 2004, we had 2 teams in the state tournament and they took 1st and 2nd place. We also had the individual state champ in 2004. This year, we made it back on the TV finals for state and finished 3rd place. There's only one other team in the state that's made the finals as much as we have over the last couple years, but yet, the school wants nothing to do with us, and they refuse to display the 3 conference championships we've won, or any of our 3 state tournament plaques. I don't need to worry about it though, I just wrapped up my senior bowling year.

Lindzee,

Our school has a similar situation, although bowling IS regognized as a sport here in my section of Upstate New York. As much as we are regognized as a Varsity team, life is not that fun for us. The athletic director, instead of hiring some of the Gold level coaches in our area who are more than willing to coach us, highered an assistant football coach/lunch moniter to be a sort of dignified babysitter. He knows about as much about bowling as the chair I'm sitting on. Firstly, he only looks at total pins in tryouts, not even caring (probably because he doesn't know about...)form or spare picking. I was cut as a 7th grader, although better than many of the kids that tried out, simply because I was, to my disadvantage, a seventh grader. He seems to be out to get the older, but lesser bowlers, some sort of bragging right their on a varsity sport. We are hoping to get enough support to throw him out this year.
Don't give up though, with enough support, you can make anything happen