As it is with most sports, the most talented high school athletes in bowling are recruited by the top colleges.
The problem for many young bowlers below that top level is getting noticed by and connecting with college programs.
One successful answer was the Bowling Combine for College Prospects that was held at the International Training and Research Center at bowling headquarters in Arlington, Texas, last August.
The program sold out and will return this Aug. 7-11 with expanded capacity, USBC announced in this news release.
“We had such an overwhelming response to this event last year that we are opening it up to even more bowlers who want to participate,” Bryan O’Keefe, assistant coach for Team USA and the program director for The Bowling Combine, said in the release. “Last year, we had 72 bowlers take advantage of the opportunity to have their skills evaluated, and this year, we have increased the number of spots to meet demand.”
USBC said that nearly 20 college coaches attended last year’s program and several bowlers signed with college programs thanks to the event.
“Any opportunity we have to rank and watch prospects is a place we need to go,” Mike LoPresti, who has led Fairleigh Dickinson University to two national titles, said in the release. “This brings a lot of interested candidates to one place. This is a great opportunity for any coach, to have somebody evaluate players for them. Then all we have to do is put the pieces together.”
Details on the program are in the release.
Turbo holds a similar event that is more coaching oriented than the Combine. It was in the works the same time as the Combine and was first held last July and will be held again this July.
Bowlers Journal International is among the sponsors of the 2012 Turbo Tech Collegiate Expo, which is scheduled for July 9-12 at Super Bowl in Canton, Mich. The deal means students will get a one-year subscription.
The students will get two days of on-lane learning with some of the best coaches in the world, including USBC Director of Coaching and Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Turbo Tech Silver and Gold coaches Bob Learn Jr. and Lou Marquez, PBA Tour professionals Jason Couch, Joe Ciccone, Jeff Carter, and Mike Wolfe; and former collegiate stars now on the pro level Diandra Asbaty, Clara Guerrero, and Bill O’Neill. The line-up also includes one of the world’s most respected mental game coaches, Dr. Dean Hinitz, who will also conduct a session on Effective Parenting for Top Performance.
The third day is an audition tournament presented by Ebonite, giving the students a chance to compete in front of coaches.
“The Collegiate Expo makes it easy for coaches, parents and students to get together,” Turbo President Lori Tessmar said in a news release. “Hundreds of bowlers compete in major junior events each year but none can offer the up-close and personal experience that the Collegiate Expo has to offer.”
Cost for the Turbo event is $359 per student if registered before April 30. The event is limited to 368 students. For details and registration, go to www.turbogrips.com or call 800 530-9878.
