Team USA
USBC Team USA 2008 will consist of a minimum 12 men and 12 women:
- Four men (David Haynes, Bill Hoffman, David O'Sullivan and Rhino Page) and four women (Lynda Barnes, Shannon O'Keefe, Tennelle Milligan and Shannon Pluhowsky) will be second-year members based upon performance at the 2007 USBC Team USA Trials.
- An undetermined number of men will be selected by the USBC/PBA Committee from the 2007-08 exempt field of the Denny's Professional Bowlers Association Tour.
- An undetermined number of women will be selected by the USBC Committee from a pool of players who have either been on Team USA within the past 10 years (since 1998) or are former Professional Women's Bowling Association/Ladies Professional Bowlers Tour members.
- The top two men and two women finishers in the 2008 USBC Team USA Trials will earn automatic spots on Team USA 2008, while two additional men and two additional women will be selected from the field by the National Selection Committee.
Junior Team USA
USBC Junior Team USA consists of eight males and eight females. Five males and five women qualified based on highest actual pinfall for 30 games at the USBC Junior Gold Championships. An additional three males and three females were chosen, based upon published criteria, by the National Selection Committee from the remaining finalists at the USBC Junior Gold Championships.
The National Selection Committee is charged with selecting those athletes who are most likely to create the strongest USBC Team USA and Junior Team USA. It has the latitude to consider any qualifications and criteria that it believes would be helpful in creating the strongest team.
The above qualifications apply. In evaluating athletes for possible selection as at-large members of USBC Team USA and Junior Team USA, the National Selection Committee will consider at least the following criteria:
a. Performance: This includes all international competitions, as well as any USBC tournament or certified collegiate bowling tournament within the previous three years.
b. Physical Game: This includes, but is not limited to, the many physical elements that comprise an athlete’s game, such as approach, arm swing, timing, release versatility (changing rotation and lay-down point) and speed control. It also includes, but is not limited to, the ability to play different angles, shoot spares, change equipment and adjust to different lane conditions.
c. Mental Game: This includes a variety of subjective factors. Examples are: coachability, adaptability, practice regimen, ability to stay focused, attitude, commitment, ability to perform under pressure and sportsmanship.
d. Team Play: This includes, but is not limited to, the intangible, but crucial ability to be a positive factor in building rapport, confidence and winning attitude among the team members and coaches.
If, during the calendar year, an athlete is unable to continue as a member of USBC Team USA or Junior Team USA by voluntary choice (resignation), because of injury or ineligibility as defined by international federations rule(s), a replacement shall be named if there are USBC Team USA or Junior Team USA competitions left in the year as follows: The National Selection Committee shall confer at the time of replacement and name a new at-large member from the pool of athletes who were eligible for such selection at the USBC Team USA Trials or USBC Junior Gold Championships.
