Teen Bowler With Learning Disabilities Struggles to Join High School Team
Gabe Solomon, 16, wants to bowl in high school. Gabe, a learning impaired New Jersey native, attends a non-athletic school. He practices and shows promise, but state laws prevent him from competing for his school.
Gabe lines up his shot, takes his four-step approach, and throws the ball down the lane each week at Hackensack’s bowling center to score ten pins and join a team. Gabe works hard and has family support. His school doesn’t have a bowling team and New Jersey high school sports eligibility rules are the problem.
Like Gabe, many neuro-divergent students and those at smaller schools without strong athletic programs face inequity. Few high schools provide bowling, instead focusing on football, basketball, or track & field. Gabe, a bowler who seeks team experience, struggles without a sponsored program.
The state high school athletic association compels pupils to attend sports-oriented institutions. Gabe bowls in leagues outside of school and prepares hard, but his school doesn’t have a team. Non-traditional or emerging sports students from non-sponsoring schools struggle to participate due to the rules.
Gabe’s family hopes to change this. The school district and state athletic bodies are being asked to provide kids like him more access. They suggest that a more inclusive strategy would allow students at schools without particular sports, especially those with disabilities or learning problems, to join teams or participate alone under their school’s banner.
The lawsuit questions fairness and educational benefit. Can a team sponsorship technicality preclude Gabe from joining a high school team for companionship, competitiveness, discipline, and school spirit? Advocates say schools and athletic associations should let all eligible children play sports, regardless of popularity or funding.
Gabe perseveres at the lanes. Bowls, drills, and improves constantly. His instance highlights how structural impediments can keep brilliant high school athletes from playing. Gabe and others like him may make the team with more inclusive state and school policies.
Sources
NJ Advance Media
NJSIAA official bowling regulations document
