UnifiedBowling

Congratulations to all 2024 State Unified Bowling participants! We hope you all had a great tournament experience! Full results are available by clicking the link below or going to the State Unified Bowling information page. In addition, please see the KSHSAA Gallery of Champions Results page for additional information. Team pictures will be added soon.

Unified Bowling just finished its 4th year as a KSHSAA sanctioned activity. The KSHSAA is proud to offer the Unified Bowling to our member schools. If you are interested in starting a Unified Bowling program, please reach out to Sarah Smith (KSHSAA Unified Bowling Administrator) or Caitlin Pierce with Special Olympics. Contact information is available below. Unified Bowling seeks to promote social inclusion throught shared sports training and competition experiences: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. We would like to thank our participating school's administrators and coaches for providing this opportunity for student-athletes across the state of Kansas!

November 11, 2024

Welcome to the 2024-2025 season of Unified Bowling! Please read through this information as this is important information coaches need to be aware of this season. These newsletters will be sent weekly throughout the season. If you are aware of an unusual situation or rules/protocols that should be addressed, please email ssmith@kshsaa.org. Thank you for all you do for Kansas athletes!

UNIFIED BOWLING REGIONALS
Regional Bowling Assignments: https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/UnifiedBowling/RegAssignments.cfm

-If your team qualifies for State Unified Bowling, you must submit your State Unified Bowling Roster/Team Pic/Pass Gate by NOON the day following your Regional

TO QUALIFY FOR STATE UNIFIED BOWLING
The top five (5) teams from each Unified Bowling Regional will qualify for State Unified Bowling at Topeka-Westridge Lanes on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

STATE UNIFIED BOWLING TIME SCHEDULE
11:30 am Pass Gate Opens for Teams/Coaches/Administration
*Teams/Coaches/Administrators may not save seats after entry
12:00 pm Center opens for spectators
12:30 pm Coach's Meeting
12:45 pm Team Introductions
1:00 pm Warm-up
1:10 pm Competition Begins

Looking Ahead:
-November 11-16: State Qualifying Teams - State Unified Bowling Tournament Squad List, Pass Gate Information and Photo DUE by NOON the day after Regional is complete.
-November 19: State Tournament at Topeka West Ridge Lanes (hosted by Washburn Rural HS)

USEFUL LINKS :
KSHSAA Unified Bowling Manual
Special Olympics

Questions
Sarah Smith's email: ssmith@kshsaa.org
Caitlin Pierce's email (Special Olympics Kansas): piercec@soks.org

November 4, 2024

IMPORTANT DATE CHANGE/UPDATE

November 8, 2024: UB Regional Entry and Pass Gate Form due to Regional Manager

Please note that your Regional Unified Bowling Entries and Pass Gate Forms are due to your Regional Manager by November 8, 2024. The UB Manual has November 5 - this is not correct.

TO QUALIFY FOR STATE UNIFIED BOWLING
The top five (5) teams from each Unified Bowling Regional will qualify for State Unified Bowling at Topeka-Westridge Lanes on Tuesday, November 19, 2024.

REMINDERS

UNIFIED BOWLING REGIONALS

Regional Bowling Assignments: https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/UnifiedBowling/RegAssignments.cfm

Please remember that during the regular season, schools decide how many Unified Bowling teams they have. However, schools are allowed ONE team during postseason competition.

Looking Ahead:
-Don't forget a team picture for postseason!
-November 8: UB Regional Entry and Pass Gate Form due to Regional Manager
-November 11-16: Regional UBs
-November 11-16: State Qualifying Teams - State Unified Bowling Tournament Squad List, Pass Gate Information and Photo DUE by NOON the day after Regional is complete.
-November 19: State Tournament at Topeka West Ridge Lanes (hosted by Washburn Rural HS)

October 29, 2024

UNIFIED BOWLING REGIONALS

Regional Bowling Assignments: https://www.kshsaa.org/Public/UnifiedBowling/RegAssignments.cfm

Please remember that during the regular season, schools decide how many Unified Bowling teams they have. However, schools are allowed ONE team during postseason competition.

Schools must attend the Regional they are assigned or be subject to disqualification. Schools assigned but not entering should notify the KSHSAA immediately.

Each school may enter a maximum of five players in one of the regional tournaments.

REGIONAL LANE ASSIGNMENTS: Participating schools will be seeded based on their team average. Teams with the highest averages will be assigned to lanes in the center of the facility, moving to the outer lanes accordingly. Managers will adjust groupings to have equal distribution of all lanes (in so far as possible).

REGIONAL SUBSTITUTIONS: Regional managers will send tournament results to the KSHSAA what's your question identifying the qualifying bowlers for state competition. Substitutions will be allowed in an emergency only with the approval of the tournament manager.

ALLOWABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
Decisions made about accommodations during Unified Bowling should align with the accommodations found in the athlete's IEP or 504. For example, if an athlete is non-verbal and needs to use a device for communication, that device can be allowed in the settee during the meet. Other accommodations would include the use of headphones for sensory issues.

Looking Ahead:
-Don't forget a team picture for postseason!
-November 5: UB Regional Entry and Pass Gate Form due to Regional Manager
-November 11-16: Regional UBs
-November 11-16: State Qualifying Teams - State Unified Bowling Tournament Squad List, Pass Gate Information and Photo DUE by NOON the day after Regional is complete.
-November 19: State Tournament at Topeka West Ridge Lanes (hosted by Washburn Rural HS)

October 21, 2024

Regional Bowling Assignments
There will be four (4) regional bowling sites this year with the top five teams advancing to state. We are still looking for one more site. Once this site is determined, assignments will be posted HERE.

Bowling Attire
On page 29 of the Bowling Manual, it lists appropriate and inappropriate attire. We recognize the fact that for some of our athletes, sweatpants might be appropriate attire for that individual. That is acceptable, if the presentation is still one of neatness. We do not want this experience to cause undue stress for our athletes based on needed accommodations.

Allowable Accommodations
Decisions made about accommodations that are allowed should align with the accommodations found in the athlete's IEP or 504. For example, if an athlete is non-verbal and needs to use a device for communication, that device can be allowed in the settee during the meet. Other accommodations would include the use of headphones for sensory issues.

Unified Bowling State Tournament
The site for the Unified Bowling State Championship will be at West Ridge Lanes in Topeka, KS. The date is set for Tuesday, November 19, 2024, and the host school is Washburn Rural High School.

State Tournament Time Schedule>
11:30 am - Pass Gate Opens (admission for coaches, participants and administrators only)
12:00 pm - Center Opens for Spectators; Ticket Sales Begin
12:30 pm - Coach's Meeting
12:45 pm - Team Introductions, National Anthem
1:00 pm - Warm-up
1:10 pm - Competition Begins
3:00 pm - Presentation of Awards

Looking Ahead:
-Don't forget a team picture for postseason!
-November 5: Unified Bowling Regional Entry and Pass Gate Form due
-November 11-16: Regional Unified Bowling Tournaments
-November 11-16: State Qualifying Teams - State Unified Bowling Tournament Squad List, Pass Gate Information and Photo DUE by NOON the day after Regional is complete.
-November 19: State Tournament at Topeka West Ridge Lanes (hosted by Washburn Rural HS)

October 7, 2024

*If you are no longer a coach, please remind your school AD to update the KSHSAA Directory.

REMINDERS FOR THE 24-25 UB SEASON
-No student may participate in more than four (4) Unified competition days during the season exclusive of regional/ state.
-Members of the Unified Bowling team are not subject to the limitations detailed in Buffer Week.
-All competition will follow Baker format with 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th frames bowled by the partner(s) and 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th frames bowled by the two athletes.
-Teams may be co-ed.
- Athlete 1 must bowl frames 2, 5, and 8; Athlete 2 must bowl frames 3, 6, 9. The remaining third rotation may be bowled by a partner(s) - frames 1, 4, 7, and 10. Rotations must be balanced.

Trio Team: Two (2) Athletes; One (1) Partner; Two (2) subs
Trio Team Example Rotation: P1, A1, A2, P1, A1, A2, P1, A1, A2, P1
Quad Team: Two (2) athletes; Two (2) partners; One (1) sub
Quad Team Example Rotation: P1, A1, A2, P2, A1, A2, P1, A1, A2, P2

SUBSTITUTIONS: There are many variations of a Unified Bowling team with substitutions. An athlete must sub for an athlete or partner; a partner must sub for a partner. Substitutions may be made at any time during the game. Once an athlete subs out during a game, they may not reenter that game. The athlete may be in the lineup for the next game.

-See page 19 of the KSHSAA Unified Bowling Manual for a Baker Worksheet to help with rotations.

EMERGENCY ACTION PLANNING (EAP) - MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2024
Monday, October 7, 2024, is Unified Bowling Emergency Action Planning (EAP) day. It is meant to be an opportunity for coaches and centers to work together to review the EAP for an emergency. Where is an AED if it is needed? How do athletes and coaches properly exit the building due to fire? These are just a few examples of what should be reviewed. If you are not able to practice on October 7, 2024, be sure to plan for another date.

KSHSAA EAP Resources: KSHSAA Student Health and Safety

OUTSIDE COMPETITION - RULE 22
Per Executive Board action, Unified Bowling is a different activity from interscholastic bowling, so students may participate in competitions (leagues and tournaments) while on the school Unified Bowling team without violating Rule 22, Outside Competition.

COMPETITION POINTS
During the regular season, a school determines how many teams they will maintain. During postseason (regional/state) only ONE TEAM may represent the school at Regionals and State (this includes schools in a cooperative agreement). No student may participate in more than four (4) Unified competition days during the regular season, exclusive of regional/state.

Looking Ahead:
-Don't forget a team picture for postseason!
-October 14: First competition date
-November 5: UB Regional Entry and Pass Gate Form due to Regional Manager
-November 11-16: Regional UB
-November 19: State Tournament at Topeka West Ridge Lanes (hosted by Washburn Rural)