Photo by Lester Smith
James Mark points happily to the score board during the Suffield High School’s Unified Bowling party on May 19. That’s Athletic Director Michael Bosworth at the left and Principal Steve Moccio in the right foreground.
This was unified bowling, with about 16 students attending from Suffield and many more from four nearby high schools to amplify the fun. Bradley Bowl has 44 lanes, so there was plenty of room.
About half of the bowlers were athletes with special needs, the others were there to share the activity as helpers. There were also a number of adults – para-professionals and other assistants – watching from the café level. But Athletic Director Michael Bosworth and Principal Steve Moccio were down at the lanes, bowling enthusiastically with the students.
Some of the bowlers were assisted by the retractable bumpers flanking each lane, and there was plenty of satisfaction for a spare, even if the second ball caromed three or four times off the bumpers before knocking down the remaining pins.
With pizza for nourishment and lots of high fives for encouragement, the two hours flew by, and at noon it was back on the buses for the return to conventional schooling.