{"id":7592,"date":"2026-07-01T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7592"},"modified":"2026-07-01T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:30:00","slug":"vas-3d-printed-bowling-stick-restoring-independence-for-veteran-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7592","title":{"rendered":"VA\u2019s 3D\u2011printed bowling stick restoring independence for Veteran athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"tni-source-date\"><strong>Originally published:<\/strong> 2026-07-01T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Veteran continues quest for independence by renewing her love for bowling<\/h2>\n<p>Francine Goode, a retired Air Force Veteran and amputee, has never stopped bowling. A new VA-engineered tool is making sure she never has to.<\/p>\n<p>When a VA recreational therapist at the Perry Point VA Medical Center in Maryland identified a gap in available adaptive bowling equipment for Veterans, engineers in VA\u2019s Office of Advanced Manufacturing (OAM) stepped in. Traditional options often required human assistance, lacked durability and provided limited independence. Using a 3D printer, the team designed and refined a bowling stick\u00a0tailored to the Veteran\u2019s specific needs.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Designed for the bowler, not the limitation<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/06\/BowlingBallPushPic2_r2.webp\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Staff in VA\u2019s Office of Advanced Manufacturing worked with a Veteran to create a bowling stick to help her get back to the sport she loves.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m an amputee who is on a continuous journey of living my life and improving fitness with any adaptations needed,\u201d Goode said. \u201cThe bowling stick provides better control of the ball and is easier for me to use.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Getting direct feedback from Veterans during testing has helped the device evolve with improved control, adjustability and usability. The result is a simple yet powerful tool that allows Veterans to bowl independently, using standard equipment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis gives Veteran athletes a level of independence they might not have had with the off-the-shelf equipment,\u201d said Jeff Frankart, a biomedical equipment support specialist with VA\u2019s Richmond Office of Advanced Manufacturing. \u201cIt\u2019s usable by Veterans with a wide variety of abilities and needs. For those familiar with bowling, which many of our Veterans are, they don\u2019t need someone to place a separate bowling ramp for them for every shot. It allows them to use a house ball or their own ball if they prefer.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The importance of practical innovations<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/06\/BowlingBallPushPic1_r1-scaled.webp\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jeff Frankart, a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist at the Richmond Office of Advanced Manufacturing, uses one of the team\u2019s inventions: a bowling stick that can help Veterans get back to the sport they love.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Continued demand for the device shows the importance of practical innovations that support physical activity, social connection and overall well-being.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like the bowling stick because it\u2019s portable and any ball can be used with it,\u201d said Goode. \u201cIt provides better control of the ball\u00a0and it\u2019s easier for me to use than an adaptive ball with a retractable handle. I\u2019m so fortunate this was created!\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Whole new outlook<\/h2>\n<p>For many Veterans, a tool this simple can mean the difference between sitting out and staying in the game.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike a lot of things we do, attracting Veterans to try new activities or keeping Veterans engaged in activities they enjoy is the overall goal,\u201d said Frankart. \u201cWe always strive to create devices to help them maintain or even regain their independence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A few other OAM inventions include: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/136623\/oams-innovative-one-handed-bra-closure\/\">A one-handed bra closure device<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/137029\/beyond-beauty-veteran-guevara-with-technology\/\">a makeup brush holder<\/a>,and the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/134871\/vas-3d-boluses-revolutionizing-radiation\/\">FDA-cleared 3D-printed bolus<\/a>. Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/innovation.va.gov\/oam\/\" rel=\"noopener\">VA\u2019s Office of Advanced Manufacturing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p class=\"tni-attribution\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/147865\/vas-3d-printed-bowling-stick-veteran-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VA continues to help Veterans in their ongoing journeys to independence, health and overall wellness. This time with a 3D-printed bowling stick.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>VA\u2019s 3D\u2011printed bowling stick restoring independence for Veteran athletes - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"VA continues to help Veterans in their ongoing journeys to independence, health and overall wellness. 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