The Final Bowling Blog

I’m absolutely exhausted right now! Everything aches and I’ve been struggling to stay awake for the past few days. But no pain no gain, as they say. Last weekend was the final finals of the National Blind Tenpin Bowling Association (NBTBA) Winter Trios League. It was without a doubt one of the best weekends of my life!

I may have mentioned this previously, but in 2018 I joined the league for my first season. Just before the preliminary round I started a monthly bowling blog for the rest of my club to read with their cups of tea. This didn’t go on for long, although I wrote a post just before season two. It was fun to include all the cheesiest puns I could think of and make my teammates laugh. It seems only fitting to publish this final bowling blog now, to see off the NBTBA in style.

As a teenager, I joined a tenpin bowling club with my younger brother. We met some awesome people and had a great time travelling around the country for competitions. However, although the social side was good, I was constantly frustrated by the actual bowling. As the only VI person (to my knowledge) it felt like I was competing on an uneven playing field. My average score always placed me in the lowest category with children who were usually only eight or nine years old- and I still lost! My club were very supportive and inclusive. I can’t fault them for their efforts, but outside of our in-house handicap tournament bowling was not really an enjoyable experience.

I went away for college in 2015 and the club disbanded whilst I was there, so no more bowling for a while. Fast forward to 2018 when I was invited to join the Winter Trios. Despite being registered blind all my life, it wasn’t until attending RNC in Hereford that I started to become involved in the blind world. Up until that point I’d just been doing my own thing with only a couple of VI friends. It was a weird culture shock joining the NBTBA’s league and meeting so many people in the same position.

Overall, blind bowling isn’t much different from regular bowling. Like with many things in this world, a few small adjustments and a change in attitude can make a big difference. The most important factor is the Winter Trios was a handicap league. This means each player was given bonus pins which were added to their total at the end of every game. The number of points is based on average score, so each player would get exactly 190 points if they played normally. To win, you had to beat your average and consistently improve throughout the season. Running the tournament this way allowed every player to have a fair chance because we were essentially competing against ourselves, not each other.

My first season in the league was astonishing. We won the Team Knockout and came 6th overall. I also got the Singles Knockout trophy and won two plaques for the highest score and average at finals. But one thing was missing- I wanted the full set! The 2019/20 season was less successful and lockdown sabotaged 20/21. So, it all came down to this final season; only one shot left. I jokingly told my teammates we were going to roll up at finals and finish my collection. Then, unbelievably, it actually happened. We’re national champions!

I still haven’t fully recovered from the shock of winning yet. The presentation meal was emotional, and it makes me sad to think that future bowlers won’t be able to experience the same joy I felt last weekend. The NBTBA ran for over 17 years and provided an amazing opportunity for VI people across the UK. It’s a real shame to see them go. Norman and Pauline Greenhalgh have devoted themselves to the organisation for so long and really deserve a break, as well as the rest of the committee who have worked tirelessly to keep things running. I hope they all get to enjoy a long and happy retirement.

Fortunately, tenpin bowling will continue for us here in Wolverhampton. Our club, YANA, is supported by generous local business owners. We are also looking at funding to help expand our reach so more people can come onboard. We are so grateful to the NBTBA for raising the profile of blind bowling and creating a positive future for the sport. Now, time to go back to bed and recover from all this excitement!