WHY BOWLING?
Our adult bowling league meets every other week in Kalamazoo. Both blind and sighted bowlers play together in this league. Blind bowlers have often
participated in both regional and national tournaments, thanks to the available
coaching and supportive environment.
Blind bowling is set up with rails, which allow athletes who are blind or who have low vision something to align with during their approach. Rails are waist high and are available before the beginning of the lane. Sighted bowlers also serve as ‘callers’ for the blind athletes, letting them know which if any pins remain standing after the first ball. We organize our bowlers by their handedness so the rails are on the correct side, and keep an assortment of blind and sighted bowlers together. To facilitate set up, please let Gerald Rickert know if you plan to attend or miss a week.
OUR IMPACT
Our blind bowling programs continue to grow, with regular bowling nights
happening in Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo. Our bowling program has become a hit with the college of blindness and low vision studies program at Western Michigan University as it give an opportunity for students to interact socially and recreationally with the blind community.
WHY CHOOSE MBAA?
The Michigan Blind Athletic Association (MBAA) is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide visually impaired individuals, who are often segregated from physical education classes and competition, opportunities to participate in competitive and recreational athletic activities. The MBAA further considers, as part of its missing, the continuing education of coaches and physical education instructors in techniques of coaching and physical education for participants of all ages who are visually impaired. The MBAA is dedicated to the proposition that, empowered to participate, the quality of life of persons who are visually impaired is improved while he/she develops the confidence needed to participate and contribute in a competitive society.
