Friday, 50 students from the Highland Falls Intermediate School participating in the CONNECT after school program joined the West Point Bowling Club to bowl a few rounds together. The event began endearingly enough with enthusiastic students lined up to get their bowing shoes. “What size are you?” The West Point Bowling attendant asked a 3rd grader. “I don’t know” he responded. With a line out the door of kids wanting to bowl this problem had no chance of a quick resolution. Randy, a teacher with CONNECT saved the day. “Take off one shoe” he instructed the students, “and show us the number in side.” As quick as a hiccup things quickly fell into place with children stepping up and showing the tongue of their shoes to receive their bowling shoes.
For two hours Cadets from the United States Military Academy coached the admiring intermediate school students and celebrated their achievements with high-fives and fist pumps. Joy and laughter filled the alley as the kids of Highlands and the Cadets of West Point came together for an evening of fun bowling.
CONNECT, is an initiative by the West Point Association of Graduates to provide an after school educational program of engaging activities, extra curricular, and to bring together the communities of West Point and Highland Falls/Fort Montgomery. At CONNECT students learn to over come dial challenges. Someone once said, “We are all bowlers trying to reach our goals, but once we’ve hit the correct pin, the rest will come tumbling down.” By initial appearances it would have seemed that the bowling activity hit a road block but with a simple solution CONNECT students hit a strike.