Greater Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Sabrina Byrnes
For those who are blind or visually impaired, blind bowling
gives a sense of belonging, and provides them with an
opportunity to enjoy a recreational activity in a friendly
environment.
For about 30 years, the Northern Ontario Blind Bowling League
has had two teams play out of Plaza Bowl every Saturday morning
at 10 a.m.
"The purpose of our league is to assist blind or visually
impaired people in our community to relieve conditions of
blindness by participation in a bowling league," said organizer
Andrew Behrndt, whose grandfather started the league in 1981.
Behrndt has been running it for about 15 years, after his
grandfather passed away.
"There isn't a lot of recreation for blind and visually
impaired persons in our community," he said about the
importance of the league. He added the league does more than
just bowl with its members. They go swimming, play cribbage, as
well as go out to the movies.
"We try to create a lifestyle of equal opportunity for them,"
the organizer said.
"It's the sense of belonging to a team and... I do the best I
can to make it more family-oriented," he claimed.
"It's almost like a family reunion every week when you come to
bowling. You catch up on what you missed out on, or finish that
telephone conversation you didn't have time for the other day,"
Behrndt said, noting everyone is very close.
The league runs for 30 weeks out of the year, beginning in
September and ending in May.
The bowlers, who have varied forms of visual impairment, use a
sight coach, who stands behind them to describe how many pins
are left and what direction the ball needs to go to.
Behrndt said you don't need to see to be able to bowl. "As long
as you were familiar with the area and the surroundings, you
could close your eyes and essentially bowl a strike, just like
you could with your eyes open,"  he said.
Brenda Kennedy, who lost her sight at the age of 28 due to
retinal detachment, has been bowling in the league for about 12
years now. She joined at the same time as her good friend,
Sandra Penny, who she met at a support group at the Canadian
National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) in 1995. Penny was born
with a visual impairment which compromised her peripheral
vision.
Penny confessed that while she was growing up, she had always
felt alone because she didn't have any other friends who were
visually impaired. After joining the league, she has developed
some strong friendships, and said there is a lot of
encouragement among the bowlers and everyone has a lot of fun.
Kennedy has been enjoying herself since she started in the
league, as well.
"I like getting out, I love just being with people," she said,
adding that the league is a form of exercise for her.
She said she would love to see more bowlers come out and give
it a try, but admitted that she was nervous about it at first.
"I was kind of leery about coming at first because I can't
see," she said, adding she was specifically concerned about the
fact that she would have to pick up the balls and throw them.
"I realized that there was coaches and Andrew does all that for
me. He goes and gets the balls and points my arm to the pins,
because I can't see the pins," Kennedy said.
"This is why people have to know that if you're visually
impaired or blind, there is always help."
Behrndt said everyone pulls together on the team and supports
each other.
"We all have one goal and one vision and really, it is an equal
opportunity lifestyle for everyone."
More bowlers are always welcome and for anyone who is
interested, contact Andrew Behrndt at 560-1668.
