Strike! Spare! Split! ……Gutter ball?……

Walking into the in Loganville Tuesday night, one could hear the cheers, see the high-fives, and be engulfed in the spirit of the competition. This was not your ordinary bowling league. Here were 42 special needs bowlers ranging in age from 8 to the late-twenties throwing strikes, spares, and some gutter balls cheering each other on as proud parents watched. The joy and exuberance of the bowlers was evident whether the ball knocked down any pins or not.

Some of the participants walked slowly up to the foul line and just dropped the ball waiting for it to roll down to the pins, others tossed the ball while sitting in a wheelchair and still others had the form and speed to shoot strike after strike.

Ulene Connely, mother to Stephanie, 29, said, “This is a wonderful venue to let the kids be themselves. They don’t have to conform to the norms. There is going to be a dress-up costume day for Halloween, and a nice banquet at the end of the season.”

She added that this league was not sponsored by the Georgia Special Olympics, but many of the bowlers also participate in that event and are always proud to show off their award medals. Some of these medals were worn prominently around some of the bowler’s necks as they proudly showed off their skills. Kim Wages, Special Olympics local coordinator from Walton County, was present and said “this is a great way for the kids to practice for the Olympic competition.”

The league follows the Special Olympics guidelines for eligiblility to participate. You must be at least 8 years old, and identified by an agency or professional as having one of the following conditions: intellectual disability, cognitive delays as measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay that requires specifically designed instruction.

 When asked how this all got started, Kelly Adams, mother to Sam, 21,  said “One of the moms was looking for activities to get her son involved in and it grew from there.”

That Mom, Joan Hinkle, told us that she and her son Ryan, 17, were bowling at the Oasis, and they were asked if they wanted to be on a league. She inquired if they had a Special needs league and was told they did not. So she worked with the support of the Oasis management and together they formed one. She spread the word to the schools, the transition teams, and by word of mouth, and the Challenge Bowling League became a reality.

Oasis has sponsored a Spring league, and now the Fall league. They will provide a banquet with trophies at the end of the season in November. For more information contact either Chris Shockley chris@oasisbowl.com or call Joan Hinkle at 770-787-7148.