Ready, Get Set…

National youth tournaments offer options for all ability levels

What are your plans for this summer?

Eric is headed to Buffalo, N.Y., to compete in the USBC Junior Gold Championships and the USBC Youth Open Championships.

Jon will be participating in both of these events, then traveling to Detroit for the North Pointe Insurance $100,000 High School Singles Championships. He also hopes to earn a finalist spot in a Teen Masters qualifier, so he can cap off his summer travels competing in the finals of the Teen Masters in Las Vegas.

Amanda is training hard to earn her spot as a national finalist in the Pepsi USBC Youth Championships in Buffalo, N.Y. She and her sister, Jocelyn, plan to bowl in the USBC Youth Open Championships there once Amanda finishes the Pepsi event.

Youth bowling tournament opportunities are growing! 

Several new annual national youth tournaments have been launched in the past few years, joining the proud tradition of long-standing competitions offered by the United States Bowling Congress and the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America. Tournament managers have been working together to schedule their events so young bowlers can participate in as many of these competitions as possible.

Here's a roster of the big national youth bowling competitions slated for this summer and how you can get involved.

USBC Junior Gold Championships
July 7-13, Buffalo, N.Y.

Earn an entry by winning or placing high in a Junior Gold qualifying event, such as your state/zone Pepsi USBC Youth Bowling Championships Scratch Division. Entrants must be Junior Gold members – youth bowlers who have established averages of at least 175 (boys) or 165 (girls) and joined USBC's Junior Gold Program. More than $50,000 in scholarships are up for grabs at the USBC Junior Gold Championships, which are conducted on official USBC Sport Bowling lane conditions. Top finishers in the USBC Junior Gold Championships make the 2008 Junior Team USA, our country's official national youth bowling team that competes around the world.

USBC Youth Open Championships
July 13-21, Buffalo, N.Y.

Any USBC Youth member can enter this competition, where one in four entrants will earn scholarships in singles, doubles and team events! Get a doubles partner and/or a team together, then register online to reserve your one or two days of competition. Find out more or register now!

Pepsi USBC Youth Championships
July 16-18, Buffalo, N.Y.
Do well in handicap competition at the league and state/zone levels of the Pepsi USBC Youth Championships (where approximately $300,000 in scholarships are awarded) and you could earn the right to compete as a national finalist for part of an additional $20,000 in scholarships!

North Pointe Insurance $100,000 High School Singles Championships
July 23-28, Detroit
If you're a USBC Youth member or USBC High School member who is a high school senior for the 2006-07 academic year with at least a "C" average, then you are eligible to enter this competition. The field is limited to the first 240 male and the first 240 female entrants, with top scholarship prizes of $15,000 each going to the winning boy and girl. Entry forms available at bpaa.com.

BPAA International Family Tournament
July 26-28, Detroit
Bowling centers may run qualifying events through May, advancing parent/youth and parent/teen pairs to state competitions where national finalists are determined. If your center does not yet host a BPAA International Family Tournament qualifier, ask a parent or league official to submit a 2007 IFT Interest Form, which can be downloaded from bpaa.com's Tournaments section. National finalist pairs compete for a share of the $70,000 in scholarships to be awarded.

Teen Masters
July 29-Aug. 3, Las Vegas

Teen Masters qualifying tournaments are singles competitions that feature two average-based divisions, 190+ and 189 or less, but only 190+ division bowlers can advance to the national finals. Qualifying tournaments are open to all high school and younger bowlers who are USBC Youth members. All Teen Masters competitions are conducted on official USBC Sport Bowling lane conditions. Scholarships are awarded at qualifiers and at the national finals.Teen Masters qualifying sites