Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore are keeping their students fit and learning about the spirit of competition.
The 31st Youth Bowl provides elementary schools an opportunity to compete in track and field events with a chance to win medals and awards.
The event features K-8 Catholic and independent schools in the Baltimore metro area with nearly 400 athletes participating in the daylong meet that begins at 8 a.m. May 4 – and usually runs until about 3 or 4 p.m. – at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore.
“The Office of Family, Youth and Young Adult Ministry felt it was important to get involved with this event because it helps in the development of young people, not just in the athletic activity, but also in the formation of Christian values, through sport,” said Anthony Blackburn, coordinator of Youth Sports and Ministry Partnerships for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The Youth Bowl began in 1989 when the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Knights of Columbus in Essex wanted to sponsor a track meet for the local Catholic elementary schools.
The inaugural event was held at Chesapeake High School in Essex and was won by St. Clement Mary Hofbauer School, Rosedale. The following year began a string of 14 years with the event being held at Baltimore County Community College’s Essex campus.
By 1991 the event drew eight schools and more than 300 participants, and the Knights of Columbus decided to cease sponsoring the event.
One member of the group, Bob Betkey, volunteered to personally administer the event with help from the participating teacher core. Sue Goldbeck and Joe D’Adamo, physical education teachers involved in all three years of the event, stepped up to help with all event particulars. Since the Knights of Columbus sponsorship ended, a small participant fee was assessed for each school to cover event costs.
In 2006, Betkey ended his 16-year run of working the event. Goldbeck and D’Adamo continued to work with Betkey over the years and now run the event.
Goldbeck retired in 2013 and her assistant, Jolene Sosnowski, filled her role to run the event. In 2017, D’Adamo retired from St. Clement and the Youth Bowl Committee decided to rename the Top Male and Female Athletes of the meet as the Joe D’Adamo and Sue Goldbeck Awards.
In 2018, the Youth Bowl returned to Curley until COVID-19 forced operations to cease temporarily. After the pandemic, Youth Bowl was back in full force and is still operating at Curley.
One of the more recent changes was to institute an electronic timing service, thus ending the need for large groups of volunteers for the running events. Youth Bowl has continued up to 2024, still operating at Archbishop Curley, and allowing hundreds of elementary school athletes to compete in track and field.
The Youth Bowl is financially responsible for all equipment and materials, purchasing everything instead of borrowing from schools. Medals are now being awarded instead of ribbons; big and small school team trophies were presented and trophies were awarded to the top male and female athletes of the meet.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 12:33 p.m. on May 2, 2024, to correct the date of the Youth Bowl.
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