Everyone has had their opinion in the last few months about whether there are more wheels or doors in the world. The internet split into two sides on this topic, and there are many more on which people disagree equally. A debate I recently started on campus was whether bowling is considered a sport.

My friends and I like to go to $5 Glow Bowling on Wednesdays at Clearview Lanes in Elizabethtown, Pa. I interviewed three individuals that like to go bowling. Sophomore Amelia Wittmaier, usually in attendance at Wednesday Bowling, confidently said, “I’m sorry…The sign at Clearview says it is…So it is.” She is correct. There is a warning sign at Clearview stating they are not liable for any injuries that may occur during this sport.

Sophomore Isaiah Eddings, with a high score of 160 in one round, said, “It can be, but if you’re playing by yourself, no.” I thought this was an interesting approach, since bowling is used for both a recreational activity and a competitive sport. Eddings meant that friends bowling against each other or in a league are considered to be participating in a sport, but not individuals getting their own lane to bowl alone.

I responded, “You are on the Etown men’s volleyball team. If someone practices by themselves, is that no longer a sport?” He said yes, and that it becomes practicing a sport instead of an actual sport. I disagree with this. I think if you are playing a sport, it does not matter if you are not competing, especially if you are trying to improve at that sport!

A junior that would like to remain anonymous chimed in with, “If it involves balls, it’s a sport.” I agree with this statement. However, it is not accurate when determining if something is a sport. Cheerleading, running, swimming and gymnastics are all sports that do not include balls.

I conducted a poll of students at Elizabethtown College with this question. The results were that nearly 80% of students say that bowling is a sport. This made me do some research on what exactly is considered a sport. Dictionary.com defines a sport as, “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” When looking at this definition, some aspects apply to bowling and some do not. Bowling does not require physical exertion. However, it does require perfecting body movements, a skill with your hands and body, which can fall into that definition.

I found that almost every person that says bowling is not a sport played a sport in high school or college. When asked this question, an anonymous senior responded, “I did not train and condition for my sport seven days a week every year for this sport, for a 35-year-old with a beer belly to call himself an athlete at a bowling alley.” This is a harsh reality. Are bowlers athletes when the activity does not include conditioning or any physical exertion? Students feel strongly for this topic. Don’t be shy to ask your friends at the Marketplace over your next meal.