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The Wizards Bowling League

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A member of the Wizard’s Bowling club lines up a shot.

Every Saturday morning AMF Belconnen welcomes the Wizard’s Bowling League through their doors. The Wizards have been bowling there for 28 years now and have become Australia’s largest disability bowling league.

As soon as you walk through the doors you see the Wizard’s blue and orange colours, stretching out as far as the eyes can see. On the lanes, over 85 bowlers are overcoming the restraints of their disability whether it is physical or mental, to participate in the league.

The President of the Wizard’s Bowling League, Marilyn Richards, talks about why she thinks the league is an important way to encourage social interaction.

Q: What is the main goal of the Wizards Bowling League?

A: It’s a league that’s run like a normal league. The main goal is to provide sporting activity for young people with disabilities. It gives them a competition and a chance to go to different competitions, weather it be in different states or the ACT. Some of them don’t get to have social interactions like you and me do so they meet up with their friends here once a week and they think its wonderful. So fun, social and sporting.

Q: What difficulties does the league face?

A: A lot of the bowlers don’t get on, like you and me, we don’t get on sometimes, we’ll have a fight or a bit of an argument so that happens but we straighten it out. They know their boundaries and if they have something happening outside of bowling or if they have a problem then don’t bring it to bowling. We’re here to have fun, we’re all adults so we work it out.

Q: Do you find that different players get different things out of it?

A: A lot of them are very competitive. The older, more able-bodied people can be very competitive. The younger one just come to bowl, they just love their bowling. A lot of these guys meet outside of bowling and are friends, they’ll go to dinner so they will get a little bit more social interaction than some of the younger guys.

Q: Why do you think the Wizards Bowling League is so successful?

A: I guess there is a need out there for sporting opportunities for them. It opens up a whole new world. We had a new girl come today and she walked in and just went “wow”. It’s just a whole new world I think. It’s fun and we just all enjoy ourselves.

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