Bowling Buffalo

Stay cool, have fun and make the most of your summer bowling adventure

Buffalo, N.Y., will be the capitol of youth bowling this summer as kids travel there from all across the nation to compete in one or more of USBC's three national youth tournaments: the USBC Junior Gold Championships, the USBC Youth Open Championships and the Pepsi USBC Youth Championships.

If you're a USBC Youth member, join the fun! Although entries for both the Junior Gold and Pepsi national events must be earned by advancing through local or state qualifying events, every USBC Youth bowler is eligible to compete in the USBC Youth Open! This historic event will run July 13-21; bowlers can sign up to bowl doubles and singles one day and the team event another day during the tournament's nine-day run at AMF Thruway Lanes. Sign up online or through the mail by July 1. Walk-ins will be accepted if space permits. Need a partner or team? Check out the Sub Board!

Although many of the Junior Gold kids who are headed to Buffalo have bowled in regional and national events before, the majority of national Pepsi participants and kids attracted to the USBC Youth Open Championships will be experiencing their first national competition. Here are a few tips to keep it fun, on and off the lanes:

Before and on the lanes

1. Learn everything you can about the tournament and the center. How many games will you bowl? What type of lane surface does the center have? What oil patterns will be used? Try out similar lane surfaces and oil patterns in centers closer to home, so they will be familiar when you're at the tournament. (AMF Thruway Lanes, the site of the USBC Youth Open Championships, has 60 synthetic lanes.)
2. Be an early bird. Get to the center well before your squad registration time, so you'll have a few minutes to check out the lanes you'll be playing on. Watch the earlier squad to see how they handle changing lane conditions.
3. Get a grip. Take time to see that the bowling balls you brought fit properly. Add or remove tape as needed before practice time begins.
4. Relax. Take a deep breath before each throw. Let your muscles relax so you can bowl your best.
5. Don't worry about it. If you make a bad shot (and, let's face it, everybody does now and then) let it go. Don't beat yourself up. Focus on your next shot and stay positive. Let yourself have fun!

Off the lanes

1. Soak up the local flavor. Sample treats like Anchor Bar's spicy Buffalo chicken wings and Schwabl's beef on weck in the restaurants that made them famous.
2. Catch a thrill. Amusement parks like Martin's Fantasy Island and Darien Lake Theme Park offer roller coasters and other rides, water attractions, stage shows and more.
3. Go natural. See the magnificent Niagara Falls, just 20 minutes from Buffalo on the U.S. – Canadian border. Play it safe from the viewing areas or get up close and personal on guided walks around and behind the falls or boat rides to the base of the crashing waters. (Be sure to bring your picture ID and birth certificate if you plan to cross the border – the views are more spectacular from the Canadian side.)
4. Travel back in time. Tour Old Fort Erie and Old Fort Niagara – staffers in 18th century military uniforms stay in character, playing the fife, protecting the public and guarding the waterways.
5. Amuse yourself. Several not-so-typical museums are in the area, including the Jell-O Gallery and Museum in LeRoy, the Original American Kazoo Company in Eden and the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda.

Have fun!