New for United States Bowling Congress members this January:

• Tip of the Month: Keep the Ball Out of the Channel
• USBC Sponsors Inaugural Super Bowl NFL Charities Bowling Classic
• Exciting League Formats with USBC Sport Bowling
• Happy Birthday USBC
• USBC Women’s Championships Entry Deadline Approaching
• BowlersParadise.com Introduces the Elite Brand
• USBC Members Bowl for the Cure® in February
• An Introduction to Lane Oil
• USBC Convention Features Sportscaster Greg Gumbel
• USBC and BPAA Team Up to Offer Bowling Camps for Kids
• USBC National Media Blitz
• USBC Open Championships: Did You Know?
• Give USBC Feedback about US e-Bowler

Tip of the Month: Keep the Ball Out of the Channel

You can't knock down any pins if your ball goes in the channel! Check out this month’s tip from USBC Coaching to learn more and keep your ball on the lane.

To locate a USBC certified coach in your area, visit the Coaching section of bowl.com and click on the "Find A Coach" feature or call (800) 514-BOWL, ext. 3169.

USBC Sponsors Inaugural Super Bowl NFL Charities Bowling Classic

Three National Football League Hall of Fame running backs head the celebrity list for the inaugural Super Bowl NFL Charities Bowling Classic to be held in Michigan as part of Super Bowl XL.

Jimmy Taylor, Eric Dickerson and Leroy Kelly are among Hall of Famers who together with other current and former NFL stars will join amateur bowlers in the tournament to be held at the Super Bowl Lanes in Canton, Mich., on Saturday, Feb. 4.

"USBC is pleased to bring the bowling community together in this effort to assist the charities of the NFL. Bowling has generated millions of dollars over the years in support of charitable causes such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and our hospitalized veterans," said Jack Mordini, USBC Chief Operating Officer. "Partnering with the NFL on its brightest stage is a great opportunity for the sport of bowling to expand its charitable efforts and raise awareness of the generosity of USBC members."

Exciting League Formats with USBC Sport Bowling

If you enjoy the competitive aspect of bowling, then USBC Sport Bowling is for you. With exciting league formats in which bowlers compete against each other individually as well as in a team format, Sport Bowling offers you a chance to try a new challenge and satisfy your competitive nature regardless of your average.

Check out these creative league formats by visiting the Sport Bowling section of bowl.com.

Happy Birthday USBC

Jan. 1 officially marked the one-year anniversary of the United States Bowling Congress, an organization serving nearly three million adult and youth bowlers in the United States.

Officially recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of bowling, USBC definitely has enjoyed its share of successes and challenges over the past year.

To commemorate this major milestone, USBC has created a special anniversary section on bowl.com.

USBC Women’s Championships Entry Deadline Approaching

The Jan. 27 entry deadline for the 2006 USBC Women’s Championships in Reno, Nev., is quickly approaching but there are still plenty of prime dates, including weekends, available in March and April.

With its five divisions, all women bowlers can enjoy the experience of competing in the grand setting of the newly-renovated National Bowling Stadium at the world’s largest women’s participatory sporting event. The prize fund is expected to approach $3 million.

To make your reservations call (414) 423-9006 from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. CST Monday through Friday. Online requests may be made by visiting USBCwomenschampionships.com and e-mail requests may be directed to womenschampionships@bowl.com. Downloaded reservation forms can be faxed to (414) 421-9789.

BowlersParadise.com Introduces the Elite Brand

BowlersParadise.com, the official online retailer of the Professional Bowlers Association, introduces the Elite brand of balls, bags and accessories. Log on to EliteBowling.com and check out what PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss has to say about Elite. Look in your membership card mailing for discounts available only at BowlersParadise.com.

USBC Members Bowl for the Cure® in February

February is Bowl for the Cure® month, and 2006 marks the sixth year of bowlers’ support of the fight against breast cancer with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Since the program’s inception, Women’s International Bowling Congress – now USBC – members have raised nearly $4 million.

USBC associations and leagues are encouraged to participate in Bowl for the Cure®, whether through designated league nights, raffles or small tournaments. In addition, an all-new line of Bowl for the Cure® merchandise debuted this year including T-shirts, polos, towels, glow sticks and more. The merchandise is a great way for bowlers to show their support of local events or to use as raffle giveaways or auction items.

Visit the Bowl for the Cure® section of bowl.com to order merchandise, learn more about planning events, getting event ideas or searching for events planned in your area. Join USBC to raise awareness and stop breast cancer.

An Introduction to Lane Oil

After you roll a shot, you probably have noticed that the surface of your bowling ball has a shine. At times, your ball may come back with an oily ring around it. The liquid you see on your ball actually is picked up from the lane.

This liquid material is called “conditioner” and is more commonly referred to as “oil.” The application of conditioner to the lanes on which you bowl is important and knowledge of its purposes is essential to understanding bowling.

Lanes in a bowling center are cleaned, or “stripped,” on a regular basis. This process includes removing any oil that is on the lane along with dust and dirt that has accumulated since the last time they were cleaned. Some centers have an additional procedure used at other times that will remove only the dust from the lane.

After each lane is cleaned, fresh oil is applied starting at the foul line to a distance usually between 30 and 45 feet.

Conditioner is applied to lane surfaces in various patterns which change over time and use. The combination of the distance that the oil is applied, the amount of oil applied and the ratio from the middle to outside boards is what is known as the “oil pattern.”

In most bowling centers today, specialized machines perform the cleaning and oiling functions. Many machines have computers that program the condition to allow application of the oil in precise amounts. These machines can cost as much as a new car.

Lane conditioner has two main purposes in bowling and these will be discussed in the next USBC e-bowler.

USBC Convention Features Sportscaster Greg Gumbel

CBS-TV sportscaster Greg Gumbel will give the keynote speech at the inaugural USBC Convention April 21 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Gumbel's sports-related motivational speech will be one highlight of the Convention, which takes place April 19-22. Register now for this exciting member-only opportunity!

For more USBC Convention information, visit bowl.com.

USBC and BPAA Team Up to Offer Bowling Camps for Kids

The Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America and the United States Bowling Congress are working together to help bowling centers recruit youth bowlers through local Park and Recreation Departments. The Bowling Camp program provides children with a safe, fun environment where they will learn a lifetime sport that stresses the values of teamwork and sportsmanship.

USBC National Media Blitz

A USBC-organized pre-Masters media march on New York City and Washington, D.C., in October launched two of bowling's brightest stars on to the pages and airwaves of some of this country's most venerated media outlets. As part of a prominent USBC goal to grow the sport and reputation of bowling, USBC Director of Communications Tom Clark aims to make national sports stars out of bowling stars.

USBC Team USA member Diandra Asbaty and PBA stars Chris Barnes and Danny Wiseman were featured subjects of numerous nationwide media stories. This media blitz resulted in editorial coverage valued at the equivalent of more than $2.5 million in advertising space.

USBC Open Championships: Did You Know?

The USBC Open Championships is the largest participatory sporting event in the world. Here are some fun facts about the 2006 tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas, which opens Feb. 11:

• The first tournament was known as the ABC Championships Tournament and was held in 1901 in Chicago. It ran for four days on six lanes, hosted 41 teams from nine states and offered a prize fund of $1,592.
• The 142-day event in Corpus Christi will attract nearly 90,000 participants from all 50 states and several foreign countries, not to mention it features $5.5 million prize fund.
• It takes a team of at least 50 carpenters, electricians and laborers approximately four weeks to construct the 48 lanes needed to conduct the event.
• Enough lumber is used for the tournament installation to construct at least five three-bedroom homes. At the completion of each tournament all lumber used is donated to Habitat for Humanity.
• An economic impact for Corpus Christi of more than $70 million is expected.

Visit bowl.com for more information about the USBC Open Championships and make sure to visit the live web cam.

Give USBC Feedback about US e-Bowler

What would you like to see in future editions of US e-Bowler ? To share your comments, e-mail us at USBCMemberBenefits@bowl.com and enter "Feedback, Jan. 15 edition" in the subject line.