The Severna Park and Broadneck bowling teams competed in the Anne-Arundel County Championships on February 1. Photos by Colin A.J. Murphy

By Colin A.J. Murphy

The first-ever Anne Arundel County high school bowling championships were held at Greenway Bowl in Odenton on February 1, and the Severna Park and Broadneck bowling teams and their families enjoyed a spirited afternoon of strikes, spares, laughter, hugs, and high-fives. What’s known throughout the county as allied bowling, the first-year program allows schools to form a bowling team with a mixture of special-education students and general education students. Along with allied tennis in the fall and bocce in the spring, the winter bowling program has been a tremendous success, providing special education students the chance to be a part of a team, compete in a sport that allows for all levels of ability, and socialize with general-education classmates they wouldn’t necessarily spend time with on a day-to-day basis at school. Approximately 400 county high school students participate in the allied bowling program, according to Greg LeGrand, Anne Arundel County Coordinator of Athletics.

“For me the most important aspect of it is the social aspect,” said LeGrand. “We’re really trying to have kids who have a disability to integrate with kids who they normally wouldn’t play with. Now we see these kids going to lunch together, hanging out more together, and there’s just a much better cohesion between all different kinds of populations of learners. A lot of friendship, a lot of respect, a lot of understanding of walking in another person’s shoes for a while. That part of the program has been amazing, and it really makes you feel good about the kind of kids we have in this county.”

On February 1, it was plain to see the level of sheer excitement on the faces of the students as they bowled throughout the afternoon. Decked out in proper team bowling shirts, the kids looked the part of dedicated bowlers, and never has there been a better balance of competitive spirit and the simple joy of playing sports.

“It’s been pretty fun,” said Kiera Burgett, 18, a student in Severna Park High School’s Functional Life Skills program. “We bowl as a team, and I like to do it.”

The Severna Park and Broadneck bowling teams competed in the Anne-Arundel County Championships on February 1. Photos by Colin A.J. Murphy

Clay White, who coaches Broadneck’s bowling team and is also the varsity boys Head Lacrosse Coach, said one of his favorite things about the program is the support he has seen from the school’s other sports teams. “We had a match earlier in the year, and the varsity girls and boys basketball teams came to our match, and they didn’t just sit back and watch, they cheered on and interacted with our athletes. Our principal [David Smith] has been out, our AD [Ken Kazmarek] is here today, the whole school and really every school is just embracing it like any other sport.” As with Broadneck, Severna Park principal Patrick Bathras and Athletic Director Wayne Mook were present at the county championships, and the football and soccer teams have also come out to support the Falcons’ bowling team.

“The whole thing is really fun,” said Katie Hein, a member of the bowling team who also plays field hockey and bocce at Severna Park. “In our school, things are split up with the special education students and everyone else, so you don’t really get to meet them. So when you’re on the team you get to actually hang out with them, and they all have so much personality and are awesome. I’m just glad they made a program like this.”

For ongoing coverage of Severna Park, Broadneck, and Severn sports follow us on Twitter @SPVoiceSports.

See all of our sports photo slideshows.

Click the Bookmark link to the right to share this article on Facebook.