Sometimes when you go bowling it feels like your eyes are betraying you when you release the ball and it doesn't end up where you think it should.  Most of us when we go bowling use our eyes to decide where we want to roll the ball down the lane, but there are some bowlers out there that don't have that luxury.

Those bowlers who don't have  the luxury of using their eyes bowl in blind bowling leagues.  The thing about a blind bowling league is that priorities change drastically.  When it comes to the scores they're not relevant, even if a bowler finishes with a score of 23 it doesn't matter to them.

The blind bowling leagues fall under the jurisdiction of the American Blind Bowlers Association and they have competitions across the country.  One group that has been around since 1949 in Binghamton. The Binghamton group is consists of 16 members some of them are sighted and some are not.

When you go down the list of the league members you see that Louise Trimarchi is totally blind and four of  her fellow bowlers have only partial sight.  There are also 11 other men and women that comprise the league that is greatly aided by a support crew from the American Legion Post 80.

They are there every week to knock down some pins, but how many they knock down really isn't that important to the bowlers in Binghamton.  For them it's about being out and active, getting some exercise while being among a great group of friends who comprehend the difficulties that come with being sightless or having only partial sight.

Being blind does make the bowling a little bit tricky at times, but there are plenty of great stories that can be told by those who participate in the league and those who help with the league.So the next time you go to your local alley and the ball doesn't seem to be going where you want it, take a tip from these folks in Binghamton and enjoy the game and the good company at your local alley.