Framing his future

A three-sport athlete at Salem, Carey celebrates signing a scholarship to bowl at Roosevelt University in Chicago

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

SALEM — When Troy Carey was growing up in the youth leagues of Salem thinking where his future lie his field  of dreams usually involved football or baseball, somewhere he could continue to play the sport he loved for just a little while longer. 

Bowling was “no where close’ in the picture, “not even touching” the radar.

So there he was Wednesday celebrating with friends and family the scholarship he signed to bowl at Roosevelt University, an NCAA Division II program in downtown Chicago. It just goes to show you never know where you’ll find opportunity.

“It’s amazing,” Carey said. “It’s not about what you go to school for, it’s about getting your foot in the door first. Any door that opens can be an opportunity.”

Back in the day bowling was just something he did to help ease the pressures of school, losing his dad and life in general.

Even when he started bowling in high school he had a modest 140 average. But he kept at because it was fun and fulfilled a need. And he got to be good at it.

He got to where he consistently bowls in the 200s. He made the state Top 100 Tournament two years in a row, almost making it to the match play round as a junior, and led the Rams literally and figurative on a “generational run” that produced their first South Jersey Group I sectional title in school history. 

“He has a desire to be good at his craft and nourishes that,” Rams bowling coach Kenny Buck said. “He literally set a goal — two goals, going to college and winning the season.”

The invited guests who spoke at his signing celebration in the school library consistently spoke of his leadership skills. They talked of how he’d take time to help a struggling teammate to greater heights or rally the team during a particular tough stretch in a match.

There was one particular match against Deptford he brought the team together to say “we got this.” They responded with three games over 1000.

“A lot of times we were on the same page of what we wanted to accomplish,” Buck said. “A lot of times he verbalized it a lot better than me.”

The opportunity to bowl in college sort fell into Carey’s lap.

He was bowling in an early season tournament in Bristol, Pa., where he caught the attention of the women’s coach at Wilmington University. The coach was impressed with Carey’s game and the way he handled his business and said he’d spread his name around.

Roosevelt and William Paterson reached out, but soon the Chicago school was the only suitor. 

“It was a difficult process because I’ve never done that before, and from what we saw we didn’t find a whole lot of opportunities,” Buck said. “We saw more opportunities for girls going on to bowl in college than boys. I didn’t really have a whole lot of people I could go back to and ask for advice because I think there really is a limited pool for those type of opportunities.

“We found a lot of them were in the Midwest, so it’s not too surprising that’s where we ended up at. (Roosevelt) was the best opportunity and it was one he found.”

This story will be updated.

Top photo: Salem senior Troy Carey reveals he’ll be bowling in college at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Joining him in this frame are (from left) brother Terrence, grandmother Lashawnda Martin, a photo of his late father Troy Martin and his uncle Curtis Schofield.