Bowling, like many sports, is one which has been predominantly controlled over the years by men.

However, now more than ever, women are competing in the sport which was founded and dominated by their male counterparts for the better part of a century.

While it is rare that opinions will be spewed in this weekly column, this week I feel an exception can be made in order to inform the general public as to the pointless gender barriers which still exist in our sport.

Though I am an employee of Paupack Lanes and a contributor to TWI Sports, the opinions expressed are mine alone.

A Bit of History
Upon its industrial introduction in the early-twentieth century, bowling was a sport predominantly contested by Caucasian men who worked a 40-hour-a-week in factories and offices.

After work hours, the men would congregate at the local lanes, drinking beer, bowling and then, of course, returning to the bar while smoking a cigarette and shooting pool.

As the century progressed, the sport’s popularity began to become greater and, as a result, it began to see its share of airtime on the local broadcast networks. This was, of course, back in the time when a 200 game actually meant something and a 200 average was a credential for stardom.

While the game has become much less challenging than it once was, the issues of gender and discrimination still remain very much at large.

Although the Professional Bowlers Association and the United States Bowling Congress have made many efforts to make the sport more appealing to both genders, the scales still tip towards the men.

An attempt has in fact been made to eliminate this lopsidedness through the invention of the “mixed leagues” where men and women can bowl side-by-side.

In some instances, leagues have gone as far as to require a team to have “at least one of the opposite-sex per team,” as was the case last season in the Sunday Night Mixed League at Paupack Lanes.

This requirement could in fact be referred to as “Affirmative Action for Keglers.”

However, throughout the nation and even right here in Wayne County, discrimination based on gender continues to exist. This is illustrated by the gender-specific leagues which many of the local bowling centers host.

In a traditional sense, wo-men’s leagues have existed during the day to allow the stay-at-home moms or the ladies of the house a chance at recreation while men’s leagues were commonly held at night, following the day’s work.

However, in today’s world, this way-of-life is no longer a given. Women have been members of the workforce for many decades — many of them advancing more quickly than their male counterparts.

Many men are “stay-at-home dads” who are too busy with infant care and family functions at night to bowl in their gender-specific league.

Is This Fair?
While it is understandable why these barriers once existed, they are no longer necessary. This is the case for men’s and ladies’ leagues.

Placing gender requirements on the league is no different than forming a “Jewish League” where Christians, Muslims and Atheists were barred based simply on their beliefs, culture or ethnicity.

For the extreme traditionalist who argues that removing such a barrier will not allow the league to function properly, I refer you to the 13th amendment to the United States Constitution which abolishes slavery — a practice which, at one time, was deemed appropriate and necessary.

If the Constitution can be amended, than why can’t the same be true with league rules, policies and regulations?

The country has grown stronger and greater since the ratification of the thirteenth amendment, as will the sport of bowling if such petty and frivolous restrictions stop being emphasized.

Instead of seeing bowlers as man or woman, let us see them as fellow competitors.

I urge all leagues which exist in the form of a “men’s only league” or “ladies only league” to merge into one, cohesive league where men and women can bowl alongside one another and be judged not on their sex, but rather on their ability to bowl.

That is what is best for the sport of bowling, ladies and gentlemen.