Some 14 years ago, Jacob Parker took an interest in bowling. And while he’s been bowling on and off for a while, competing in the public realm hadn’t been much of an option until recently.

“From a behavioral standpoint, it just wasn’t the right thing for him or others,” said his mother, Cindy, who on March 24 was part of the crowd at Bowlero in North Brunswick cheering on Jacob during the Special Olympics New Jersey Spring Games bowling tournament.