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44 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, April 14, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 16, 2004 Perry Laney is bringing the Northwest Bowling Association for the Deaf tournament to Medford for the first time this weekend. It will be at Lava Lanes Friday and Saturday. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli He hopes to bowl them over Laney’s unique tourney for the hearing impaired is expected to attract hundreds here this weekend By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune Perry Laney expects the best when he steps into the competition spotlight. Whether it’s fishing, baseball, golf or bowling, Laney pushes himself to succeed. Deaf since birth, the 37-year-old doesn’t consider himself handicapped. He was a standout pitcher in high school and has recently taken up golf, though, he admits, "I’m not too good, yet." Laney didn’t even learn sign language until his early 20s because his parents wanted him to become an accomplished lip-reader. Advertisement Now Laney brings the best to the rest of the Rogue Valley’s deaf community. Friday kicks off a two-day Northwest Bowling Association for the Deaf tournament at Lava Lanes. The tournament, hosted by Deaf Services of Southern Oregon and Rogue Valley Bowling Association for the Deaf, is the first of its kind in Medford. "I’m very excited," Laney says through the interpretation of friend Kristina Babbitt. "I want hearing people to come out too and understand the deaf culture." There are expected to be 300 to 500 deaf and hard of hearing bowlers and fans from the Northwest. Unlike most tournaments for the deaf he has attended, Laney wants to put a unique stamp on this one. "I just want mine to be different," he says. "We’ll be having an awards night with a banquet and dancing. It’s going to have a Hawaiian theme. "I’m not saying the other (tournaments) were bad, I just want mine to be different. I want everyone to have a great time." Laney, who has a 212 bowling average, estimates most players in the field will have averages of 185 or higher. Fellow left-handed bowlers Randy Perry and Tim Estes, two of his biggest competitors, will also be on hand. "As long as I don’t have to worry about anything else, then I can go at them," says Laney. "I would like to relax and bowl. Just have a good time." Friday’s event isn’t the first thing Laney has brought to the community. He started bowling 15 years ago in a league following the encouragement of friend Dennis Ross. There were only a handful of deaf bowlers in the league. "It was a little hard at first," says Laney. "Communication wasn’t very good and the people would look at you a little strange. But they got used to us, and it’s not a problem communicating now." Laney’s average skyrocketed from 128 to 165 by the end of his first season in a league. Since then, he’s rolled a 299 game and has a high series of 758. "Really, how I learned was watching friends and other bowlers," he says. "I just studied them a lot and picked up some things to work on." Four years later, Laney organized a deaf traveling squad (Southern Oregon Association for the Deaf) that attended competitions all over the Northwest. He remains president of the organization after 11 years. Constant travel to tournaments became tiresome for Laney, who has a 9-year-old daughter, Morgan. He wondered why Medford couldn’t become a tournament host. Laney joined the RVBAD, which helped him win the bid to bring a tournament to the Rogue Valley. The next step was to find a suitable place to hold the event. Lava Lanes, which was still under construction at the time, agreed to host the NWBAD tournament. "I was real excited and real nervous after winning the bid," remembers Laney. "Now, it was time to roll up my sleeves and get busy organizing this thing." Laney and a large group of volunteers held car washes and sold pins, among other things, to raise money. Boise Cascade, where Laney has worked for 19 years, also donated a portion of money. "It’ll be good to see my friends," says Laney. "My goal as a chairperson is to make sure people have fun. "I mean, the atmosphere at Lava Lanes is incredible. It’s a great place to hold something like this." Laney also wants the rest of the community to gain perspective about the deaf. "I just want people to come and see what we’re all about," he says. "You don’t have to be afraid of deaf people. "It’s also nice for deaf children to see what kinds of things are out there for them. I remember when I was younger, how frustrating it was not having many things out there for deaf people. We’re really part of the community." Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! 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