Senior bowling league takes off...on the Wii

KANSAS CITY, Kansas - Kids, if it's not embarrassing enough that Grandma is writing on your Facebook page, now it looks like she's going to beat you at video games, too.

At least if we're talking about Wii bowling.

At Delaware Highlands assisted living, they're really into bowling.

Since they can't fit a bowling alley in the common room, they play on the Wii gaming system. It's good exercise and socialization, and most importantly it brings the generations together.

"You can have a twelve year old great grandchild be very competitive and have a competitive match with the great grandmother," Jeremy Whitt explained the reasons he introduced the residents to the game.

Phyllis Hawley agreed; "I love to beat my grandchildren and great grandchildren."

It started out as some fun at a facility barbecue, but it soon became apparent that the competitive spirit should be channeled.

"We decided to set up a multi-facility Wii bowling league," Whitt said.

Response was huge; since it was their first year they were planning on about 16 teams in the league, but almost twice as many facilities applied.

"Having that idea 'well, OK, I have a responsibility to my team' that's that sense of community. It gives them a sense of something to look forward to," said Whitt.

In between matches, the "Alley Cats" keep sharp by competing with each other.

"I was the champion last month in February, but in March I lost it,' Samuel Rosenthall lamented.

Whitt says there's even some research that shows this kind of competition can delay the onset of dementia.

"You know the old adage is if you don't use it you lose it," Rosenthall said.

And it's just fun to show the world you've still got it.

"Especially when you're as young as I am,” Rosenthall smiled.

They plan to have playoffs each year ending in a super "bowl" around the time of the NFL game of the same name.