Ebonite

Jul 26, 2012

ARLINGTON, Texas – Youth bowlers age 15 and younger have a new reason to be United States Bowling Congress Junior Gold members with the creation of a U15 development program for Junior Team USA. The move comes in connection with a successful addition of a new U15 division as part of the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships.

“Young teens now have even more incentive to be part of Junior Gold,” International Bowling Campus Director of Youth Development Chad Murphy said. “By making the trip to the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships, the U15 kids not only have chance to win a national title, but can earn the dream of a lifetime - an opportunity to train as part of the Team USA program.”

Four U15 bowlers in the recently completed Junior Gold Championships who were age eligible to compete in the Tournament of the Americas in 2013 earned the first spots in the new developmental program. The young bowlers will have the chance to train at the International Training and Research Center (ITRC) with the Team USA coaching staff. They will also represent Team USA in the U15 division of the Tournament of the Americas next year.

“This is an exciting step for the Team USA program,” Team USA head coach Rod Ross said. “In order to keep Team USA on top, we need to have a strong pipeline of talent development. Identifying and coaching top young talent early is a key for long-term success of a national team.”

The U15 division of the Junior Gold Championships proved to be a popular addition in 2012 with 312 participants. Murphy expects that number to grow in 2013 with the additional incentive of a chance to compete in Tournament of the Americas and training at the ITRC.

“We look forward to developing North Pointe Junior Gold into the destination event of the year for bowlers 15 and under,” Murphy said. “Creating a premier national event for younger teens is a focus, and we expect great interest from this age group at the 2013 event in Detroit.”

For more information on the Junior Gold Championships, visit BOWL.com/JuniorGold.

About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 71 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; The Bowling Foundation; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the Bowling Writers Association of America; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.

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