Team CT USA Games 2026 - Bowling

When the pins fall and the lanes glow, Team Connecticut’s bowling squad is ready to roll at the 2026 USA Games. These dedicated athletes and coaches bring precision, passion, and teamwork to the lanes. This team is comprised of four athletes and two coaches, including our first-ever athlete coach, Ray Hadden! Two of our athletes, Jennifer Carlson and Kelly Smith, are both from Glastonbury and have been friends from birth, born within days of each other at the same hospital! Our other two athletes are Ryan Cook from Bristol and Paul Fournier from East Hartford. The team is led by Darrien Smith, volunteer coach from Waterbury, who is also a DJ for many of our very popular dances at events.

Together, this team will:

• Step up in singles, doubles and team-of-four events - ready for whatever lane conditions or formats the Games offer.

• Carry forward the mission of Special Olympics: that competition is just one part of the story - the friendships, the growth, the journey matter almost as much.

• Inspire our community in Connecticut - showing that when you train, commit, and show up, you’re doing more than competing; you’re representing everything we stand for by providing inclusion through sport.

You can learn more about each team member below, support any one of them individually, or the bowling team as a whole by clicking the button to the GoFundMe pages.