Coached by Mrs. Donna Schneider and Mrs. Dennie Maslak, Unified Bowling had their first practice on January 22nd, and the team was excited and ready to win. Unified Bowling is a sport that is offered here at Brewster for all special education students. They compete in bowling matches against local schools while working with helpers. The students practice every Wednesday for five weeks in preparation for their first few matches starting March 5th. All practices and matches are held at Spins Bowl in Carmel.
For their first match, on March 5th, the Bears put up a great score of 4-3 in a big win against Byram Hills. Their second match was March 13th. The team was super excited on the bus while headed to the game. They played the Mahopac Wolfpack. They ended the Carmel match tying them 3-3. For the second to last match, the Bears played Horace Greely, and they did end up losing four to three, but overall, tried their best. Finally, Brewster had their last match of the season against North Salem. Everyone put up great numbers, but North Salem came out with the win 5-2. When it comes to highlights, Max had a high score of 130, and Matt had a high score of 142.
Mrs. Schneider told us her favorite part of coaching the bowling team is “seeing the improvement over time and watching the athletes begin to understand that they control the ball. It’s amazing to see how they think about how to pick up a spare, not just throw the ball but actually place it.”
Setting goals to improve is what sports is all about, and the unified bowling team is no different! Mrs. Schneider said that the team did accomplish all their goals for the season, explaining how all the new bowlers got their own balls and shoes, they got better, and they had fun, which she said was the most important. I asked Ms. Schneider about her key takeaways from the season. She explained how the positive experiences and getting practices were the most important for the growth of the team.
Getting to be a member of the team myself was truly an unforgettable experience, and I strongly encourage other students to get involved in the program. Seeing all the friends the students made from other schools is truly what it’s all about. By getting to work and play with the team, I was able to help the students and it felt like a true accomplishment. I can’t wait for next season!
All of the students had great seasons and should be proud of all they accomplished. The district is excited to see how they will play during the Unified Basketball season which is up next!
