While the finalists for the Boys and Girls Byrn's Junior Masters were tossing strikes Saturday that drew roars from spectators, another group of kids got involved in their own kind of competition.

Just down from the tournament bowlers at Rainbow Lanes, 13 Special Olympics athletes from northern Cayuga County were starting an eight-week league. Many of them hadn't bowled before, but with the help of coaches and parents, they'll learn to appreciate and enjoy the game.

Paul Reichhart, a certified bowling coach for the Special Olympics, organized the league and clearly understands its importance. He has been a Special Olympics volunteer for 30 years, dedicating weekends and evenings to the program that serves more than 46,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities in New York state.

“Most of these kids don't get chosen for teams at their schools. This is their chance to participate for the pride and thrill of it all,” said Reichhart, a transitional coordinator for Seneca Cayuga ARC who sent letters to area schools to invite athletes.

“And it's also good for the parents. They can come out, have coffee, and interact with one another.”

Mike Murray and his wife, Sue, want to get the word out in hopes of organizing their own league for southern Cayuga County athletes at King Ferry Lanes. They were at Rainbow on Saturday getting tips from Reichhart on how to carry out that plan. They've already attended a one-day bowling training session at Cornell University and must log 10 hours under Reichhart to become certified coaches themselves.

One mission of the Special Olympics is that athletes never pay for equipment and fees to compete in a variety of sports every season of the year. Murray, a sergeant at Auburn Correctional Facility, has been instrumental in raising thousands of dollars for Special Olympics the past seven years with chicken barbecues and raffles at the prison.

The newly-elected director of the New York State Law Enforcement Torch Run, he also organizes a fire truck pull, co-ed softball tournaments and a Polar Plunge. On April 29, he and other law enforcement members will seat patrons and wait tables at Applebee's, with any tips they receive going toward the program.

“I'd talk to Mike at state conferences over the years and he wanted to get more involved,” Reichhart said. “It's a good fit because he comes from a very athletic family, his son bowls, and it's nice when people and sports come together.”

Along with his wife, a teachers' aid for special needs students at East Middle School, Murray will be joined by Scott White, an Auburn correction officer and Special Olympics committee member.

“I got involved because I wanted to see the kids succeed. I didn't want them to be looked down on,” Mike Murray said. “I may not make them great bowlers, but I'll work with them and help them improve.”