AboutUSBC Youth bowling is a unique opportunity to get involved with a sport that you can stay with forever and offers more than $6 million in annual scholarships that reward academic, leadership and on-lanes performance skills.
USBC Youth also provides opportunities for coaching and instruction, fun and friendly competition, fair play, teamwork, and leadership development. USBC membership benefits also include: awards (including emblems, trophies, and rings), entertaining cartoons and goodies from Bowlopolis and a brand New Jersey for 2011.
If you or your child wants to get involved with a cool sport that anyone can play and one that helps build their future, give bowling a try! Join USBC Youth bowling today!
International Bowling Campus creates new Youth Development Team
USBC youth membership features four options or tiers to the membership; Standard, High School, Basic and a new Roll N Grow product. The Standard membership costs $17 and features our new USBC youth Jersey which has been so popular the last couple years.
The High School option is $5 and gives high school bowlers the option of certifying their average during High School competition. The Basic option features a cost of only $5 and was designed for shorter season league cycles while still giving youths an opportunity to maintain a certified average.
And lastly, the new ROLL N GROW was developed for kids 7 and under and features some great assets from Bowlopolis included the first season in a compilation disc.
New youth processing system is now availableThe United States Bowling Congress launched its new Internet-based system for processing youth league bowlers.
The new system will process membership, awards and averages for youth bowlers starting with the 2009-10 season. WinLABS will no longer be available to process youth leagues.
Because the new method is an Internet-based system, associations and bowling centers will be able to process their youth membership from any computer with Internet access. The system also will allow for a more efficient means of system upgrades throughout the year without the need for software downloads. USBC staff is continuing to evaluate the processing system and more features will be available in the near future.
If you have questions or feedback with the online system, contact USBC at 1-800-514-BOWL ext. 8973.
Before using the new system, please take time to read the Quick Reference Guide to familiarize yourself with the process. While the guide is not a user reference manual, it should provide answers to several scenarios you might encounter.
To view the Quick Reference Guide, click here.
To connect to the new youth processing system, click here.
If you have questions or feedback, contact USBC at 1-800-514-BOWL (2695).
If you receive a certificate notice, please accept it and continue.
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YES FundThe YES Fund is a new initiative dedicated to the development of youth bowling. Our future is now and the partnerships already created have united the bowling industry in a single cause—the betterment of youth bowling. USBC and BPAA have joined together with the founding partners to create this program.
What is Youth Education Services?
The Youth Education Services (YES) Fund is a united effort by industry leaders in the sport, initiated by the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America and the United States Bowling Congress, dedicated to youth bowling development and marketing.
Who is involved in the YES effort?
The YES effort initially has been supported by top bowling brands including Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track. Each brand has made a significant contribution and the YES Fund has received more than $250,000 in commitments. IBC Director of Youth Development Chad Murphy, supported by USBC and BPAA staff, will direct programs initiated through the YES initiative.
How will the YES Fund be used?
The advancement of youth bowling is the objective of the YES initiative. An initial focus will be to develop a mainstream sports model for bowlers 12 and under. The project will involve the creation of new team-based structures for competition along with developing training and recruiting programs to attract volunteer coaches. The initial testing of pilot programs will begin later this year.
Can I get involved in the YES effort?
The YES effort is open to anyone interested in becoming involved in youth bowling – companies and organizations involved in youth sports, members of the bowling industry, bowling center proprietors and individuals.
TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE YES EFFORT, CONTACT:
Chad Murphy
IBC Director of Youth Development
817.385.8469
chad@bpaa.com
Chad Murphy, IBC Director of Youth Development
chad@bpaa.com
* Junior Gold Membership & Tournament
usbcjuniorgold@bowl.com
(800) 514-BOWL, ext. 3171
* Pepsi & Youth Championship Tournaments
usbcyouthchampionships@bowl.com
(800) 514-BOWL, ext 8350
* Youth
usbcyouth@bowl.com
(800) 514-BOWL, ext. 8350

MembershipThere has never been a better time than now to become a USBC Youth member. With the new, official USBC Youth Jersey, brand new special achievement awards including the return of award rings for a 300 game or 800 series, and a subscription to US Youth Bowler including the special 8-page pullout section, Bowlopolis the Mag!, your USBC Youth membership is more rewarding now than ever before. A USBC Youth membership now also comes with a redesigned membership card, and don't forget that you can use your certified average for all USBC Youth competitions!
USBC Youth membership is open to those whose birthdate is August 1, 1991 or later and have maintained compliance with USBC Youth Rule 400.
Youth bowler may not bowl in any activity (substitute or pace included) which offers any of the following as prizes such as:
Youth may bowl in SINGLES competition (including side pots/brackets) offering such prizes as mentioned above PROVIDED PRIOR TO BOWLING that:
Buying or selling of earned prizes is prohibited.
The prizes authorized by a state high school athletic association or collegiate athletic association recognized by USBC and USBC Collegiate are not subject to he limitations of this rule.
Read MoreAs a USBC Youth bowler, one of your most memorable moments on the lanes comes when you shoot that first 300 game, log your first season-long 200 average, or, if you've really polished up your game, your first 800 series. If this describes a recent achievement of yours, then you've come to the right place: Here, you can download forms for both Special Achievement Awards (patches for games from 50-275 or series from 100-750) and High Score Awards (300 Games, 800 Series, or 11 in a Row). Click below to download these forms now.
One of the great benefits of USBC Youth membership is the chance to earn college scholarships so you can pursue your dreams. Did you know that there is more than $6 million in scholarship money offered each season by bowling associations and councils, certified tournaments and proprietors throughout the United States?
If you're a young bowler participating in a USBC league, you may be eligible for national bowling-related scholarships. Adults who are active in providing youth programs may be eligible for national recognition awards. To learn more about scholarships that you may qualify for, Click Here.
There is a lot more to being a USBC Youth member than a Saturday morning league. As a USBC Youth member, a huge array of opportunities is available to you, from local and state tournaments to the national stage of the Junior Gold Championships and USBC Youth Open. You can even represent your country while bowling with some of the biggest stars on the Lumber Liquidator's PBA Tour as a member of Junior Team USA. And you don't have to be a top notch bowler. No matter what your age or skill level, there's a USBC tournament for all USBC Youth members.
There are lots of benefits to bowling in a USBC Youth national tournament, including:
2011 USBC Youth OpenJuly 8-23, 2011
South Point Bowling Center
Las Vegas, NV
You may know that adult USBC members have their own national bowling tournaments called the USBC Open Championships and the USBC Women's Championships. But do you know that you have your own national championship?
2012 North Pointe Junior Gold ChampionshipsJuly 14-20, 2012
Woodland Bowl - Expo Bowl - Western Bowl
Indianapolis, IN
When you're ready to go for the Gold, we have the tournament for you! It's called the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships, an annual national bowling tournament for male and female youth athletes where you'll bowl against the best youth bowlers in the United States for about $250,000 in scholarships and a chance to represent your country internationally as a member of Junior Team USA!

This is the premier nationwide tournament for youth bowlers. All USBC Youth members are eligible to bowl at the league qualifying level with a chance to advance. There is no additional cost to enter at the league level and only a one-time entry fee (typically) for all succeeding levels. Based on age, handicap competition at the Pepsi USBC Youth Championships is 100 percent of 210. Scratch competition also is available. Bowlers of all ages and skill levels have the opportunity to experience competition at the highest level.
The Youth Championships has become a stepping stone to encourage new young athletes to become involved in tournament competition. Qualifying competitions are held in six divisions based on age as of Aug. 1: Boys and Girls Handicap, ages 11 and under; Boys and Girls Handicap, ages 12 and above; Boys and Girls Scratch, ages 12 and above. Qualifying begins at the league level with two-week windows between Oct. 1 and Feb. 28, when bowlers have an opportunity to qualify for state/zone competition. Division winners at the league level advance to the center/sectional qualifying (if applicable) and then to the state/zone competition, with some earning scholarships.
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USBC created the Registered Volunteer Program (RVP) to assure parents that we provide as safe an environment as possible for USBC youth. The program ensures that any volunteers who work with USBC Youth are qualified to do so, and gives proprietors, coaches and prospective volunteers alike an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the safety of youth bowlers by either registering in the program themselves or inviting registered volunteers to take part in local USBC Youth activities. Click here to learn more.
Ever thought about being a part of the USBC Youth Committee at the national level? Fill out the application below and submit it prior to September 1 to be considered for the 2012-13 year.
USBC Youth Leaders ProgramIf you're enthusiastic, energetic and ready to take a leadership role in promoting and expanding bowling, then USBC wants you to become a Youth Leader. Put your leadership skills to use and earn scholarship money for college through the USBC Youth Leaders program.
As a USBC Youth Leader, you'll be a key part of the USBC's youth bowling efforts, helping to shape the future of our sport and expand USBC Youth membership. By becoming a USBC Youth Leader, you'll learn important skills and have a dynamic role in making important decisions for bowling, including coordinating and leading meetings, coordinating youth programs and recruiting bowlers, fund raising, planning tournaments, awarding scholarships, and coaching, training and mentoring youth bowlers.
The best USBC Youth Leaders aspire to win the Youth Ambassador of the Year Award and the $1,500 scholarship that goes with it, only two of which are handed out each year to one male and one female. One winner may be chosen to have a say in what goes on in bowling as a voting member of the USBC Youth Committee for two years. Every local association with an operating Youth Leaders Program should enter a male and female each year into the Youth Leader of the Year competition.
Get started on your future as a USBC Youth Leader today by contacting Association Services.
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Individuals wishing to use USBC Youth Logos need to contact marketing@bowl.com or call (800) 514-BOWL, ext. 3160.
All USBC logos are copyrighted and owned by the USBC. This includes but is not limited to printed and/or electronic images and marks. USBC logos are the property of the USBC and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of USBC.

USBC Youth bowlers as young as five have earned scholarship awards through USBC certified leagues and tournaments.
USBC Youth bowling is a unique opportunity to get involved with a sport that you can stay with forever and offers more than $6 million in annual scholarships that reward academic, leadership and on-lanes performance skills. USBC Youth also provides opportunities for coaching and instruction, fun and friendly competition, fair play, teamwork, and leadership development. And there are cool new awards that include updated emblems, trophies, and even rings!

2009 PABCON Youth Championships – Britnie Hamilton and Christine Baker earned the US gold medal.
The PABCON Youth Championships is one of the most anticipated youth tournaments of the year and consists of competition in singles, doubles, trios, team, all-events and Masters. This year, bowlers from 17 countries—more than 120 bowlers in all—competed in the event, which features two divisions, one for bowlers 20 and younger and the other for bowlers 16 and younger. After finishing in second place in the singles and trios events, Junior Team USA dominated Masters match play in 2009, sweeping the boys and girls gold and silver medals while also taking a boys bronze.

Alaina Smalley and Alexis Regalado won the Division 4 doubles title at the 2008 Youth Open Championships in Detroit.
More than 3,000 bowlers compete in the USBC Youth Open in 2009, which featured 16 days of competition at Expo Bowl. in Indianapolis, The USBC Youth Open is patterned after the USBC Open Championships and USBC Women's Championships. Youth bowlers compete in team (four players), doubles, singles and all-events. The Youth Open has four average divisions (129 and below, 130-159, 160-189 and 190 and above). One out of every five entrants in team, doubles and singles receive scholarships in 2009 while one in six received scholarships in all-events.

In 2008, the Pepsi Youth Championships featured nearly 200 bowlers from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and U.S. military zones competing for tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships. The top 16 players in each of four divisions took part in single-game, double-elimination match play to determine the champions. Four players from across the country earned national titles in 2008. The state of Illinois swept the Division 1 boys and girls titles as Adam Keith of Bloomingdale, Ill., and Katie Jones of Downers Grove, Ill., fired strike after strike to win their respective titles.
Adam Keith, 2008 Pepsi Championships.

Kristie Petravich of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Geoffrey Young of Denton, Texas, beat a field of the best youth bowlers in the country to win U.S. Junior Amateur titles at the 2008 United States Bowling Congress Junior Gold Championships. The championships featured nearly 1,500 bowlers from across the country competing for $100,000 in scholarships, individual titles and spots on Junior Team USA. Young struck on the first ball of the final frame to lock up the title with 10,345 for 46 games, including 220 bonus pins for match-play victories. He defeated second-place finisher Daniel Spink of Florissant, Mo., 211-208 in the final game of match play.
Welcome to Bowlopolis, an imaginary bowling center that's just for kids. If you haven't you checked out this great new place, you're missing out on a lot of fun.
Visit www.bowlopolis.com to start your adventure. At Bowlopolis, you'll meet characters such as Layne, his dad Mr. Kegler, their dog Reset and others. You can also play fun games like puzzles, bowling and wardrobe mixup, send e-cards to your friends, get coloring book pages, download cool wallpapers and ringtones and much more. There's also a Bowlopolis Kid's Club you can join!
So what are you waiting for? All the fun and excitement is waiting for you in Bowlopolis at www.bowlopolis.com!
The USBC Youth Program is an affiliate of People to People. People to People Sports Ambassador Programs offer student athletes in grades 5-12 the opportunity to compete internationally, train with world-class coaches, and develop leadership skills, self confidence, and a foundation for success in a globalized world. Program delegations come from local communities, so students make friends locally before they travel globally.
Click here to learn more.
The US Youth Bowler Magazine Reader Appreciation Sweepstakes Official Rules

Ana KoffStats
Being the sister of the youngest bowler ever to finish in the top 25 at the U.S. Open and perhaps the most sought-after player in college bowling is not easy. But Ana Koff is as thankful for her brother Andrew's inspiration as she is for his friendship. "My brother and I have a great relationship and I am actually proud to be known as 'Andrew's sister,'" Ana Koff says. "Bowling has brought us together and I honestly think that we have a very close relationship because of it. I would never have gotten started in the sport had it not been for his support contagious love of bowling."

But if you think this means that Ana does not have a competitive streak when it comes to her brother, think again. "I wouldn't go down without a fight," she says when asked who would win a best of five match between herself and her brother—though she does concede that Andrew would be more likely to win because of his 3-hour-a-day practice regimen. When she credits Andrew as an inspiration for her successes as a bowler, Ana undoubtedly has in mind the experience that she calls the best of her life. "To me, all of the awards and trophies that I received are only secondary to the two awards that I won at the Tournament of the Americas," Ana says of representing her country. Like her brother, Ana may be interested in bowling for Wichita State collegiately and shares a great friendship with the PBA's Chris Loschetter and his family. "I love to paint and to make greeting cards. In fact, it was Mrs. Loschetter that got me into making cards," Ana says. "Chris is very kindhearted, always willing to help youth bowlers." One pleasure Ana has discovered on her own, though, is roller coasters. "Best roller coasters ever," she says of Cedar point in Sandusky, Ohio. "The Dragster is about 420 straight up and then down. This morning I got 1st row!"
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Jessica BeachStats
When Jessica Beach entered Western Michigan University to find no bowling team there as friends joined collegiate bowling teams elsewhere around the country, Beach took matters into her own hands. "A lot of my friends were on the college bowling circuit at various colleges, and I felt a little left out," Beach explains of her efforts to create a bowling team at her own school, which she identifies as her proudest bowling accomplishment. "So I founded the bowling team at Western Michigan University, and this will be our first year competing collegiately, so we'll see how it goes. There is a significant amount of good bowlers on campus—I found about five that average over 200." Beach, who qualified for the 2009 Junior Gold Championships in Indianapolis and also competed at the Youth Open there, has already compiled a varied resume of volunteer experience at just 19 years old, including coaching duties for the bowling team at the high school from which she graduated (Portage High School in Kalamazoo, Mich.), volunteering with Special Olympics events at her local bowling center, and helping with the coordination of local marathon runs on behalf of efforts such as breast cancer research.
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Kayla BlanchardStats
An aspiring accountant who won the Division Two team event at the 2008 Youth Open, one of the fondest memories of Kayla Blanchard's young bowling career occurred when she met two-time Team USA member and 2007 Women's World Champion, Shannon O'Keefe, at the 2009 USBC Queens Tournament in Detroit. "I was waitressing there, and all the bowlers were there," Kayla explains. "The one person I liked the most was Shannon O'Keefe. I thought she was the easiest person to talk to. She was the most personable." Though Blanchard identifies O'Keefe as her favorite professional bowler, the person she credits the most for her success at the Youth Open and in making the All-Conference Team in the American Heartland Intercollegiate Bowling Conference during her Freshman season with the Grand Valley State bowling program is her father. "I have been bowling since I was 2," Kayla explains. "He has been at the bowling alley every night with me, working with me. I was planning on going to McKendree but when financial aid fell through they could only give me so much. My Dad said 'If you really want to do this I will pay for it,' but I wanted to stay home." Blanchard may have opted to stay closer to home rather than bowling with a high-profile collegiate program, but with another appearance at the USBC Youth open this year, she has no plans of hanging up her bowling shoes anytime soon.
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Andy SoukupStats
With a 4.0 high school GPA that earned him a seat at the prestigious University of Wisconsin—Madison, a phenomenal performance as the leading qualifier among the 2008 Junior Gold Championships Pepsi Advancers, and a devoted workout regimen that includes weight lifting and "working out hard for the past year-and-a-half," it is a wonder that Andy Soukup even has time to breathe. While Soukup devotes himself to exercise for its practical benefits both in his bowling game and in his quality of life, it is also part of a vision Soukup has for the future of bowling. "It has made a big difference in my bowling," Soukup says. "Bowling is a sport where nobody has done that yet—in golf, Tiger is the biggest strongest guy out there. I think it would be really cool if that could translate into bowling." Soukup believes that Jason Belmonte may be the kind of charismatic figure capable of taking the sport of bowling to new heights. "What Belmonte does is so different," Soukup says. "What he can do with a bowling ball is so beyond anything I can ever see myself doing." An aspiring medical student who hopes to become a doctor, Andy Soukup bowls collegiately with a University of Wisconsin—Madison bowling club which he admits is "not the greatest team, but not bad either." This past season, his team certainly was not "bad," advancing as far as the Intercollegiate Team Sectionals. "But this next couple of years down the road we should be pretty good," Soukup adds.
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Jenn BoisselleStats
When Jenn Boisselle joined a crowd of fellow University of Central Florida Women's Team bowlers for the Women's Series Showdown at the Kegel Training Center in Lake Wales, Fla. this past April, she expected to root on UCF alumnus Stefanie Nation as she competed for a $25,000 first prize against some of the most storied competitors in women's bowling, including Hall of Famers Wendy MacPherson and Carolyn-Dorin Ballard. What she did not expect, though, was the epiphany that overcame her as she did so. "It opened my eyes to so many things. It made me want to raise my game to the next level," Jenn says. "I need to continue doing what I am doing, just need to strengthen my mental game. I think my physical game is already there for Team USA, but definitely not for the pro level." Boisselle, who finished 11th at the 2009 USBC Team USA Trials and 2nd at the 2008 Pepsi USBC Youth Championships, hopes that another trip to the Team USA Trials later this year will bring her one step closer to that level. Already a member of Junior Team USA who represented the country in Columbia for the 2009 PABCON Youth Championships this year, Boisselle dreams of attaining a spot on Team USA, and finds inspiration in her favorite professional bowler—Kelly Kulick. "She throws the ball phenomenally," Jen says. "I bowled next to her at Team USA Trials, and watching her pick herself up from so low to 6th place—it was really amazing."
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Jessica EarnestStats
A lot went through Jessica Earnest's mind the moment she got the call from her coach informing her that she had earned a bowling scholarship with Vanderbilt University—the unending nights of homework spent in the hope of joining her sister at Vanderbilt, the long Saturdays of practice at her parents' bowling center, the four-hour Sunday drives to tournaments in Chicago from her hometown of Vandalia, Ill., where, Jessica explains, "there are 7,000 people and 2,000 are living at the prison, which is the town's biggest source of income." At Vanderbilt, Jessica will join her sister and 2008 NCAA Player of the Year, Josie Earnest, who played a vital role in propelling the Vanderbilt Women's Bowling Team to a national title in 2007. "It's taken a lot of time, sacrifice and tears," says the Junior Team USA member who placed 8th at the 2008 Junior Gold Championships. "I didn't have the typical high school experience. On weekends I was not hanging out with friends, I was at the bowling center practicing, and on Sundays I was bowling." But Jessica is sure to keep in mind that she was not the only one living a less-than-typical life in those days. "My mom and dad gave up a lot for me and my sister," she says. "So with this scholarship from Vandy I feel like I am giving back to them. And it is so exciting to get to bowl with my sister."
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Anthony SimonsenStats
As with any bowler using the two-handed style in the age of Belmonte, it did not take long for Anthony Simonsen to attract attention at the Junior Gold Championships in Detroit last year. While Simonsen rode high games of 255 and 268 to place 323rd in a field of 1020 bowlers, though, it was not his scores everyone wanted to know about—it was his age. "His 22-year-old brother was there carrying bowling balls around the center for him, and everyone kept coming up and asking him 'How old is your boy?'" says Simonsen's mother Teresa, "And he kept saying 'He is not my boy; he is my brother.' But finally he got tired of it and just said 'He's 11.'" Now the wizened old age of 12, Mr. Simonsen has bowled two sanctioned 300 games in a single day and held a 218 average for 56 games of league play during the 2008-2009 season. He plans to bowl both the Junior Gold and Teen Masters events in 2009, and his favorite Lumber Liquidator's PBA Tour player is Mika Koivuniemi. "He can actually say Mika's last name," his mother says. But another thing that Simonsen can say is that he and Mika have hung out together. "The last time the pros came near our area, he got to be a ball boy," Teresa says, "He loved it! He got to hang out with all of them."
Read MoreTo submit a bowler, send us the following:
(Note: Parental consent is required for nominees under the age of 18)
The name of the bowler you would like to nominate:
Bowler's Phone Number:
Bowler's Email Address:
Bowler's Age:
Bowler's Gender:
Bowler's Ethnicity:
Tell us why you think this person should be a featured bowler on bowl.com:
Email to YouthSubmit@bowl.com
Thank you for your nomination! While we are unable to respond to each individual submission due to the volume of submissions we receive, we will be contacting you if your nominee is chosen to be featured on bowl.com.
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Do you want to connect with other youth bowlers online, post photos and videos from your league, join fan clubs and blog about your bowling? Then Weplay.com is the Web site for you!
USBC Youth and Weplay are joining forces to offer youth bowlers like you a fun, safe online community. Weplay is the official online community and social networking service of the USBC.
Just go to weplay.com to sign up and get started!
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