Jeremy Long, left, and Robert Treadway, a rookie and vet respectively in CARA. (Photos courtesy the subjects)

Mentoring new members is common in Washington’s LGBT sports leagues and the Capital Area Rainbowlers Association is no different.

CARA hosts nine fall/winter leagues along with three summer leagues and hosts the annual Capital Halloween Invitational Tournament. This year the tournament celebrates its 35th anniversary.

Jeremy Long enjoyed his time in the D.C. area for an internship and contract work, so he applied for a job in his field of child welfare and moved here in August, 2014.

Originally from Denver, Long grew up playing tennis and competing as a junior cyclist. During his college years, he played club tennis at the University of Northern Colorado.

After arriving in D.C., he did some research on the LGBT sports teams in the area and reached out to the Rainbowlers. He had never been in the sport in an adult league setting and he joined the summer league as a late addition in 2015.

“Bowling is one of the easier sports to pick up as a rookie because there is such diversity in the skill levels,” Long says. “I found the veterans to be very welcoming and accepting of me. If you are good or bad, you are still a benefit to your team, especially in handicap bowling.”

Long is now in his first fall/winter bowling league and says his teammates are always offering help and tips to develop his skills. He has already competed in the Halloween Invitational and has traveled to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for tournaments.

Last year he started back with his college sport of tennis and is playing with the Capital Tennis Association.

“I am having an absolute blast,” Long says. “The camaraderie is incredible for me. Even if you compete badly, everyone still wants you around.”

Robert Treadway has been the president of the Capital Area Rainbowlers Association for four-and-a-half years and has been the tournament director for the Halloween Invitational multiple times. He started bowling at age 6 while growing up in New Orleans.

After receiving his degree in journalism from Loyola University New Orleans, Treadway came to D.C. for internships with the Washington Times and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He loved the area and ended up moving here in 2004 to work with trade associations.

His first boss was gay and he subsequently met other bowlers through him and joined the club in 2004. Treadway remembers what it meant to him joining as a rookie and is now offering that same support to the newbies who are joining.

“When I first joined, I was new to the city and besides giving me tips and teaching me the courtesies of the game, my teammates showed me that it is not just a competition, but also a place to make good friends,” he says.

The Rainbowlers offer skill enhancement clinics with bowlers who are certified by the United States Bowling Congress and special events such as mini-tournaments, scotch doubles and a crazy tournament.

“For the veterans, after you have done something for so long, it’s good to mix it up and experience the newness again,” Treadway says. “For the rookies, it gives them tournament experience and the opportunity to experience a new format.”

Treadway has competed all over the United States from Fort Lauderdale to Syracuse. He will be traveling to tournaments in Philadelphia, Atlanta and Raleigh to promote the Halloween tournament in D.C.

He has also been a competitor with the Capital Tennis Association for four years and last month he placed second place with his doubles partner in the C Division at the Sin City Shootout in Las Vegas.

“Joining the Rainbowlers has been one of the best things I have ever done,” Treadway says. “The social rewards are huge and it gave me the confidence to try tennis.”