ENGLEWOOD — After raising enough money from community members for equipment and entry fees, a new Englewood elementary school bowling league will compete in a state bowling competition Friday.
David Berkson has taught physical education at Claremont Academy, 2300 W. 64th St., for the past 10 years. He said he incorporated bowling into the curriculum five years ago because he wanted to expose the students to sports besides basketball and football.
Many of them had never bowled before, but they demonstrated natural talent, he said, which led him to form a bowling league for his seventh and eighth graders.
“I wanted to give them an alternative to what they think the typical sport should be,” Berkson said. "Everything in the neighborhood is football and basketball, but if you don’t offer these children an opportunity, they’ll never know what’s out there.”
The team consists of eight boys and girls, and Berkson said he formed the league almost three months ago without help from the school’s administration. He started a GoFundMe account and accepted donations and discounts from friends and colleagues.
The endeavor is not cheap: Team registration for the Illinois Elementary School Association Bowling Tournament costs $75, and each student must pay $20 to participate, for a total of $235. Through GoFundMe, the team raised $230.
That didn’t cover other expenses like bags, t-shirts, transportation or shoes, which can cost anywhere from $40 to $50 per pair. Berkson said a "decent" ball that's "drilled and fixed properly for everybody’s hand" costs about $150 per ball.
Finances were an issue, but Berkson said he has received plenty of help. He said Metro Ford car dealership donated $1,500 and a bowling alley that he plays at with his own league donated 15 balls. Friends have also chipped in, offering whatever they can, he said.
The students practice three days a week in their school’s gym with carpeted lanes, but with their first state competition coming up, Berkson has been coaching them at Lawn Lanes on 68th Street and Pulaski.
Alisha, 13, lives in Englewood and said that she enjoys being on the team because it’s an escape from her sometimes-violent neighborhood.
“It gets me out of my bad neighborhood and I’m going to other places and different environments that I can enjoy,” she said.
Alisha’s brother Ronald, 15, said he joined because his sister did. He had never bowled before but said that he is always improving.
It was the same for Mia, 12, who also was new to bowling said that it was difficult at first, but she has gotten better.
“It’s like 99 percent mental, so you have to focus,” she said.
“I see them getting better, and for them to pick up a bowling ball, basically from scratch, with two and half months and only having a handful of practices on real lanes, they’re winners in my eyes,” Berkson said.
Mark Reed, 62, brought his two granddaughters to practice. He is an Englewood resident and said that he appreciates what Berkson is doing for the students.
“It’s good for them to get away from the neighborhood, that way they will be more open-minded,” Reed said. “[Being on this team] helps them understand, it’s more in life than just sitting on a corner, gang banging or selling drugs.”
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