Bowling – Recreational Season

Season: Fall (August through December)

Email: bowling@somdmontgomery.org

No Spring Bowling this season (2024) as we could not find a local facility to support the program.

Overview:

Our bowling program supports athletes of all abilities, including wheelchair-bound athletes who bowl with the aid of a ramp. The coaches are dedicated to building athlete skills and fostering a strong sense of community.

Important Details

Coaches	Rich Domros
Season Dates & Times	Practices: At this time, we do not have a practice location for this season. Bowlero on Clopper Road is unable to accommodate us this season due to Tournament play. Bowlathon Fundraiser: Not at this time State Games: There are no State Games for this season Sign up Begins: TBD
Medical & Volunteer Expiration Date	Last Practice: The expiration date on an athlete’s Medical form, or a Volunteer’s certification, must be after the above date to participate in the upcoming season. Check athlete status here. Check volunteer status here.

Special Bowling Sign-Up Considerations:

Our Bowling program is very popular, fills up within an hour after sign-up opens, and is usually oversubscribed. Bowling follows SOMO’s Guidelines for Managing Roster Caps (here) to allocate team slots to interested athletes.

Athletes can improve their chances of making the team by following the steps below:

1. - Commit to Bowling as Your Only Spring Sport: Athletes who sign-up for Recreational Bowling should plan to commit to Bowling as their ONLY Spring Sport. Athletes who also sign-up for other Spring sports will only be considered for Bowling if there is space available after all Bowling-only athletes are accommodated.
  - Make Sure Your Athlete Certifications are Current: Athletes must have current certifications on file with SOMO, before they can participate in bowling practice. Athletes with current certifications will receive priority over athletes whose certifications are not current. An Athlete’s certifications are current if they include all of the following: (1) a Medical Certification that is valid through the end of the Recreational Bowling season, (2) a completed Communicable Disease Waiver, and (3) Athlete has reported Covid-19 Vaccination Status to SOMO.
  - Sign-Up for Bowling as soon as you can. Order of Sign-Up is one of the tiebreakers for allocating team slots.

Special Olympics Resources for Bowling

- Fact Sheet
- Rules (2022) (2020)
- Rule Changes (2022) (2020)
- Coaching Guide (2004)
- Warm-Up (PDF)
- Cool-Down (PDF)
- Warm-Up & Cool-Down Videos

Equipment:

SOMO provides athletes with bowling balls and bowling shoes. Athletes are free to bring their own bowling balls and/or bowling shoes. Where appropriate, SOMO also provides Bowling ramps for athlete use.

Uniform Requirements:

For competitions, SOMO provides athletes with a bowling shirt. Athletes must bring their own khaki pants. For practice, there are no uniform requirements.

Athletes cannot wear headphones or music earbuds at any bowling practice or competition. Hats (baseball caps, etc.) can be worn to bowling practices, but cannot be worn at any bowling competition.

Practice Overview:

Location: All practice sessions are held at Bowlero in Gaithersburg: 1101 Clopper Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, phone 301-330-5200.
Timing: Practices occur on Saturdays.
There are no Qualifiers or State Tournaments during the Recreational Bowling Season.
Activities: Athletes will generally play two games during each practice in the Recreational Season. Parents and caregivers who leave during the practice session should return to the lanes at least 30 minutes prior to the end of each session.

Athlete Participation Contract:

Not Required

Montgomery County

Special Olympics MD