Video bowling against this retiree bad idea

From right, Very Good Friends Wii Bowling Team coach Dan Morford, 94, with rival Tab Werner, who is the head of Health Services at the Village at Gleannloch Farms, a not-for-profit community for active adults ages 62 and above in Spring.

Three cheers for coach Dan Morford and the Very Good Friends Wii Bowling Team for winning the Top Dog Wii Bowling Tournament.

Morford, 94, and his teammates are residents of the Village at Gleannloch Farms, a not-for-profit community for active adults ages 62 and above in Spring. April 27 marked the third annual tournament, in which residents pit their Wii bowling skills against the facility's staff and the third year that the residents have won.

Explaining the winning streak, Morford said, "It's understandable. We have time to practice, and the staff doesn't get practice time. As a team, we don't have to practice together, so it's each one for himself.

"Some of us practice every day, some just occasionally. For the tournament, three of our better players were out of town, but we still did pretty well. We all have a lot of fun and don't take it too seriously."

An amused Morford added, "When I asked our executive director how she felt about us winning, her comment was 'Wait until next year!' "

Each team had 16 members, but Morford said more people are involved on a regular basis and that 25 residents had purchased team shirts.

Dubbed the team's coach, Morford was familiar with the game before moving to Gleannloch. He introduced it to others as a way to sharpen several practical skills, and the idea caught on.

"It's a real fun game," he said. "We really enjoy it, and it's good exercise for people over 50. It's good for balance and helps for concentration. The more you concentrate, the better you do. It's not as strenuous as actual bowling."

Morford, however, does have experience with "actual bowling," having taken up the game, playing on a team in El Paso after he retired from the education field. Throughout his career in education, he was a teacher, a counselor, an assistant principal and a principal, as well as having taught a few college courses.

Additionally, Morford was a ticket agent for American Airlines and at one time picked cotton for a living. During World War II, he worked as a civilian field office manager for the construction company that built the access roads to the site where the first atom bomb would be tested.

Although he did attempt to join the military, he was never accepted for duty. "Every time, they sent me back," he said. "They kept turning me down. I would get a notice I was doing essential war work."

Originally from New Mexico, Morford was born on a homestead. He spent time living along the East Coast, New Mexico and El Paso before arriving at Gleannloch Farms in 2006.


Name: Dan Morford

Age: 94

Occupation: Retired from the education field

Fast Fact: Morford originally introduced Wii bowling to his adult community as a way to sharpen several practical skills, such as balance and concentration.

Julia Bishop Beautie is a freelance journalist. She can be reached at reporterontheborder@gmail.com.