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The popularity of the Nintendo Wii has been increasing this year among seniors, as they look for new, low impact, ways that they can get exercise while living at a nursing home or assisted living facility. One game in particular is a hit with seniors, and surprisingly it is the free Wii Sports game that comes with the system. Specifically seniors are very into playing Wii bowling, as it was a common activity which many would participate in earlier in their life. However as many seniors age, it becomes harder for them to commute to a lane and pick up the heavy balls so that they can bowl with friends. Now, thanks to the Nintendo Wii, seniors at nursing homes and other facilities have a way to stay on top of their bowling skills, with very little chance of getting injured. In fact, Wii bowling is becoming so popular that seniors are actually participating in leagues and tournaments, so they can see whose bowling skills shine above the rest.

In North Carolina, Liberty HomeCare & Hospice Services created a nine-team Wii bowling league to give seniors a fun way to enjoy one of their new past times. The first match took place in late July between the Strikers and Autumn Sports, where the Strikers came out on top. More Wii bowling matches are planned for the senior league, and the games are expected to last through September. Similar events are also taking place in southern Florida, where seniors at Southwest Focal Point Senior Center had a Wii bowling tournament last month. There were twelve senior bowlers who broke into teams, and battled it out with the virtual bowling game. Not only do these games promote movement and exercise for the seniors, but they’re also a great way for seniors to socialize and interact with each other in a competitive way. Hopefully more senior facilities will catch onto the Wii bowling craze, and make it an option for their residents.

Written on August 16, 2010 at 1:45 pm by Ellen at:
http://www.guidetonursinghomes.com/nursing-home-news/1036-seniors-enjoying-wii-bowling-leagues-and-tournaments.html

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It’s kept us up nights, wondering how and why the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame could possibly be shunning Taylor Swift for this long. Young Swift bowls regularly, and she possesses all sorts of fame. And yet for years, she’s been left sans-Bowling Hall induction. Criminal.

But wait: The Associated Press reports that the IBMHOF has finally seen the light, naming Swift for celebrity induction in 2010. Hooray! (Also, voting was open to fans, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that if something’s fan-voted, Taylor Swift will almost certainly win it.)

More about the bowling honor from the AP:

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Bowling fans have picked country star Taylor Swift as their 2010 choice for celebrity induction into the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.

Swift barely beat pop star Justin Bieber to secure her lane in bowling history. They were among nine celebrities the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America nominated for their public support of the sport.

Swift has been spotted and photographed bowling with friends.

The association, in making the announcement Wednesday, says this is the first year that the celebrity induction process has been opened to fans. Nearly 1.3 million votes were cast online.

The museum, which moved from St. Louis last year, is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Arlington. Swift’s photo and plaque will be displayed at the site later this summer.

Published by tunein on August 11, 2010 in News at http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2010/08/11/taylor-swift-joins-bowling-hall-of-fame/

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The big bowling news of the summer has been the announcement that the United States Women’s Open of 2011 will be conducted at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

It will be staged at the end of June in conjunction with Bowl Expo. The annual gathering of bowling aficionados is the center of various meetings, elections and award presentations for the sponsoring Bowling Proprietors Association of America.

Annually, Bowl Expo draws up to 10,000 attendees from the bowling industry and nearly 1,000 exhibitors who sell the latest in bowling, from scoring pencils to automatic scorers to multimillion-dollar bowling center installations.

The U.S. Open disclosure was a surprising but welcome development, because the United States Bowling Congress, the previous tournament sponsor, had decided it would not lend its name in 2011. Now, Ebonite International has stepped up to fill the sponsorship gap.

Women’s pro bowling and competitions for the higher average female shooters in the world have been tossed, turned and shoved under the nearest bus on many occasions since the women’s national pro tour was disbanded in 2003 because of financial problems. The women’s tour had been around since 1960, and top-notch women’s tournaments rank with the largest numbers in sports participation.

No details for the 2011 tournament have been revealed, except that it will be open to all youth and female sanctioned bowlers. Assuming no plans have been set, the powers that be have plenty of time to study the history of the tournament and its years of success.

The women’s and men’s U.S. Opens achieved their greatest success when competitive spots in the tournament were earned on the basis of local eliminations conducted by bowling proprietor groups or interested bowling centers that set up the events. Bowlers paid a modest entry fee on the local level and, if they qualified, got to move to the national with all expenses, entry fees, travel, lodging and incidentals paid for by the money generated at the local tournaments.

The Open deserves a lifetime spot on bowling’s national schedule. It can be done with the cooperation of proprietors and the field can be assured as one of the best with invited titlists and successful qualifiers at one of the most prestigious venues in the world.

The tournament should be one of bowling’s priorities, and the work to guarantee success should be well underway.

BRIEFS: Tom Smith, 53, of Wilmington, Del., averaged 242 for his nine games, highlighted by a 238-209 triumph over Rich Pizzutti of Mahwah, to win the Senior Challenge tourney at Lodi Lanes and the $1,000 first prize. Pizzutti, a super senior at 72, earned $550 for second. Next stop for the 50-plus gang is Sunday at Holiday Lanes in Oakland.

The International Bowling Hall of Fame received two big boosts recently. A donated custom motorcycle brought an auction price of $75,000 and the estate of the late John Powell Jr., bowler/proprietor, announced a $100,000 grant.

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