New sport on a roll at McCook High

Thursday, November 17, 2016
Head coach Lynne Kinne (right) and Brittany Carney talk while watching another bowler during Wednesday's practice at TJ's Family Fun Center. Photo by Gabe Gauthier/McCook Gazette.

McCOOK, Neb. -- It's formally called Unified Sports, Bowling. A more-colloquial term is unified bowling.

Brittany Carney and her teammates just call it fun.

"A lot of fun," she clarified.

Carney is one of 18 McCook students to go out for the high school's unified bowling team.

In its inaugural season, 44 high schools across Nebraska are playing in the Nebraska School Activities Association's first sanctioned unified sport. School sizes range from Millard West (NSAA enrollment: 1922) to South Platte (39).

McCook head coach Lynne Kinne expects that number to grow as word gets out about the inaugural season's success.

"The NSAA's pleased with 44 schools to start with," she said. "I definitely think that number will grow."

The term unified sports refers to a partnership between the NSAA and Special Olympics Nebraska. Unified sports teams have a blend of student-athletes, some who have intellectual or physical disabilities and some who don't.

As a special education teacher at McCook High School, Kinne saw the appeal for unified sports in high school athletics.

Paul Minary awaits the result of his bowl during Wednesday's practice. Cheyenne Fletcher (left) and Brittany Carney watch in the background. Photo by Gabe Gauthier/McCook Gazette.

"It promotes inclusion, and I'm all about inclusionary activities," she said.

Teams are comprised of three players: one athlete and two helpers.

According to the NSAA's unified bowling manual, "the three students competing should be comprised with at least one student (athlete) with an intellectual disability and two non-intellectually disabled students (partners)."

Games are structured using the Baker format, meaning the three players alternate frames. The athlete always bowls frames 1, 4, 7 and 10 while the two helpers alternate the rest. Similar to how a batting lineup in baseball operates.

Games follow the traditional 10-frame set up, and scores are determined by total pinfall.

In regular season competition, which runs from mid-October to late-November -- schools can enter as many teams as they want. For example, McCook used three teams at a meet last Saturday in Ogallala.

Kinne pointed out that, like any sport, unified bowling has not only helped students develop athletic skills, but also character and life skills.

"It's opened a lot of students up," she added. "You see good friendships and bonds made and you also see good sportsmanship."

Bowling is a sport that appeals to many types, according to Kinne.

"It's a different sport compared to the traditional ones," she said. "You don't have to be super athletic or built to do it. There's not a lot of pressure and it's a great opportunity for students to play and help out."

Most athletes, like Carney, already have experience participating in special olympics. They aren't strangers to competition.

Cheyenne Fletcher uses a ramp to bowl at Wednesday's practice. Athletes are allowed to used ramps in unified bowling, if needed. Photo by Gabe Gauthier/McCook Gazette.

An opportunity to represent her school in a competitive sport was a draw for her.

"Getting to bowl with others as a team has been a lot of fun," she said.

Carney is a senior who transferred to McCook last school year. Unified bowling has helped her make new friendships with people she sees at school everyday.

"I've made more friends (through unified bowling)," she said. "Some I knew already."

Kirstin Collicott, a helper on McCook's team, enjoys her role and seeing the team work together.

"It's been fun getting to know my teammates," she said. "If I'm having a bad day, they make it a lot better."

Based on the interactions she's had with other students at school, Collicott thinks next year's team will be even bigger.

"I've had a lot of people ask if they should join next year," she said. "I think there's a lot of interest, and I've been telling all of them that it's a lot of fun."

Carney agreed, saying it can be a fun, new challenge for students.

"I'd say, 'try it, you might like it,'" she said.

District competition is scheduled for the week of Nov. 28, with McCook's District 7 meet that Tuesday in Grand Island.

Eight district winners will compete at the state championship in Lincoln on Dec. 5.


Bison at Ogallala

OGALLALA, Neb. -- McCook had three teams play in the Bearcat/Minutemen Bowling Tournament in Ogallala on Saturday.

A total of 22 teams from seven high schools competed in the event.

The Bison did not have any teams make the tournament round.

The Bison bowlers will return to Ogallala for another meet this Saturday, Nov. 17.

McCook team scores

Team 1 (JJ Myers, Mason Sides, Mathew Fletcher) -- 377.

Team 2 (Paul Minary/Cheyenne Fletcher, Josiah Hegwood, Isaiah Petty) -- 292.

Team 3 (Kassadi Lemburg/Kiersten Erickson, Trace Decker, Isaiah Petty) -- 228.

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