High school bowling a hit in Plano, Texas
Photo by Sonya N. Hebert/Dallas Morning News
By Staci Hupp The Dallas Morning News
Move over Friday night lights. Make way for Friday night lanes.
Bowling has topped ice hockey as America's fastest-growing high school sport, national athletics officials say.
The blue-collar pastime known for odd-looking shoes, shirts with embroidered names and smoke-filled alleys has found a new foothold with the 18-and-under crowd.
"I try to convince everyone I know to try out," said Ryan Darley, 17, a senior at Plano East Senior High School.
What started as a provincial trend in East Coast high schools a half-century ago has stretched west as demand swells for sports that play up precision over muscle power.
"I think some of our states found that bowling was a way to involve a whole new set of kids," said Bruce Howard, spokesman for the National Federation of State High School Associations in Indianapolis. "There's been growth in other sports, but not really of the same ilk as bowling."
