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New for United States Bowling Congress members this month:

• Tip of the Month: Take a deep breath
• Tourney blast: U.S. Women's Open, USBC Masters, USBC Open & USBC Women's Championships
• Be there! 2008 USBC Convention in Kansas City, Mo.
• Sport Bowling membership explodes
• Nominate a top volunteer or bowling pioneer for USBC national awards
• Spend Turkey Day the Chris Barnes way
• USBC Store deal of the month
• Roll with the pros on the Denny's PBA Tour
• Win a free Elite PBA Chameleon ball from BowlersParadise.com

Tip of the month: Mental focus - Take a deep breath

Diaphragmatic breathing helps you stay physically relaxed and helps the mind focus.

Before your shot take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Some people prefer to do this before stepping on the approach while others do this as they're getting into the stance position.

For more tips, check out the tip index or use the Find a Coach function on bowl.com for personalized help.

Tournament watch: Bowling on full blast

Bowling's hotter than ever! Watch the U.S. Women's Open series on ESPN each Sunday at 1 p.m. EDT. The series of five shows ends with the exciting Oct. 14 live finals. The brightest stars in women's bowling meet at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., for a $25,000 top prize.

The USBC Masters kicks off the U.S. portion of the Denny's PBA Tour 2007-08 season. Miller Park, home of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers, will become the ultimate bowling stadium as four specially constructed lanes in the ballpark's right field become the stage for the Masters finals, to air on ESPN Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. EDT.

Join the more than 100,000 combined USBC members who compete each year in the 2008 Open Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., and the 2008 Women's Championships in Detroit. Whether you're a low-average bowler who travels with a group or a high-average lone ranger with your eye on the prize, the tournaments have divisions to suit your style.

Be there! Kansas City here (you) come
Make plans now to move and shake with top USBC decision-makers and volunteers at the annual USBC Convention, held in Kansas City, Mo., May 6-10.

The 2008 USBC Convention features workshops, exhibits, voting sessions and social events. Visit the USBC Travel Web page for hotel booking information.

Sport Bowling membership explodes
USBC's Sport Bowling program continues to enjoy explosive growth due largely to the popularity of PBA Experience leagues, which last season introduced Sport members to the unique opportunity of competing on the same lane oil patterns as the Denny's PBA Tour.

Final statistics for the 2006-07 season showed the number of Sport Bowling members up 120 percent over 2005-06 to 27,921 (compared to 12,689). Sport leagues were up 134 percent (from 289 to 678).
Members enjoy enhanced benefits such as PBA Experience leagues, money-saving coupons and inside tips from the pros on the Sport Bowling Members-Only section of bowl.com.

Take a closer look at Sport Bowling member benefits and catch the wave!

Recognize top volunteers, bowling pioneers
USBC's network of volunteers across the nation provide the backbone of our organization. They serve as coaches, emissaries, organizers and cheerleaders for the sport of bowling.

Do you know a special bowling volunteer? Nominate him or her by Dec. 1 for one of USBC's national awards: USBC Helen Baker Award, USBC Joyce Deitch Trailblazer Award or USBC Proprietor of the Year Award. Youth program-oriented award nominations must be submitted by Nov. 1 and include the David Dahms Coach of the Year, USBC Youth Program Volunteer of the Year and USBC Youth Ambassador of the Year.

Get full award descriptions and download nomination forms

USBC Store deal of the month!

For a limited time, USBC members get 10 percent off men's and women's cotton pique polo shirts with striped trim. You choose the style, color and logo! Visit the USBC Store

Spend Turkey Day the Chris Barnes way
PBA champ and USBC Sport Bowling spokesperson Chris Barnes hosts his third annual Thanksgiving Youth Classic Nov. 21-25 in Euless, Texas. The USBC-certified tournament is contested on Sport Bowling conditions and at least one in 10 bowlers will be awarded scholarships.

Visit chrisbarnestournament.com for details and registration info.

Roll with the pros on the Denny's PBA Tour

The Professional Bowlers Association is now accepting entries for the 2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour. Don't miss your chance to bowl against the best!  Get more information about each 2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour stop and how to enter PBA tournaments.

BowlersParadise.com Offer

Win a free Elite PBA Chameleon ball, a $379.99 value! Learn more.

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