Kenneth From ‘Return to Amish’ Is Chasing His Basketball Dreams One Hoop at a Time
Published April 12 2023, 11:15 a.m. ET
One Old Order Amish member is shooting for the stars! Season 7 of Return to Amish follows 20-year-old Kenneth Detweiler as he chases his dream of becoming the first Amish college basketball player. That's a feat for anyone, let alone someone with an eighth grade education, but he's determined.
While Kenneth's community forbids its members from playing the competitive sport, the TLC star puts his fears aside to try and achieve his goal as he learns more about basketball in Florida on the show. Curious to learn more about Kenneth’s basketball experience, plans, training, and more? We have the scoop.
Kenneth from ‘Return to Amish’ aspires to be the first Amish college basketball player.
When the Season 7 trailer first debuted, fans learned that Kenneth wants to become the first Amish college basketball player — despite his conservative society forbidding competitive sports.
"Basketball is not allowed in my community," the TLC personality says in the trailer. "But I want to be the first Amish college basketball player. That's why I'm excited to try the English world."
He recently shared on Instagram that he played the sport for fun with a Harlem Globetrotter, so it looks like his passion is still there. He just has a while to go in learning the ins and outs of the sport.
The April 11 episode of Return to Amish focuses on the Old Order Amish member actively pursuing his dream of becoming a basketball star. However, a few glaring obstacles stand in his way.
When training with a coach with three years of experience, Kenneth reveals that his family doesn’t support or accept his athletic goals. But that isn't the only hurdle holding the reality star back.
At the beginning of his training session, Kenneth has difficulty completing several exercises his coach sets up for him. His instructor notices this, telling the cameras that the reality star has a lot of work to do.
Kenneth’s educational background may hinder him from achieving his basketball dreams.
During Kenneth’s training session, his basketball coach asks him if he had college plans yet. The TLC star admits that he’s still assessing his options but he fails to disclose that his education ended in eighth grade.
The Return to Amish cast member’s friend believes Kenneth withheld such information because he feels embarrassed.
In another episode, Kenneth explains that because he didn’t have the opportunity to further his education, he never had the chance to play on a high school basketball team.
“Amish only go to school until the eighth grade and don’t go to high school, which is why I never played high school basketball,” he shared on the show.
Why is basketball not allowed within the Amish community?
In Season 7, Episode 2 of Return to Amish, Kenneth gets candid about why Old Order Amish can’t play basketball.
“Basketball is not allowed in my community because it’s too competitive and too aggressive,” the reality star explains. “In my community, every time I touch a basketball, I’m breaking the rules. If they find out, they will turn their backs on me and shun me.”
While Kenneth realizes the risk he takes every time he picks up a basketball, his passion for the sport motivates him to keep pushing forward. Will he have what it takes to fulfill his dream of becoming the first Amish college basketball player?
Find out by tuning into new Return to Amish episodes on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on TLC.