Paul Spiotta and Steve O’Dell, president and manager, respectively, will represent the Genesee Region United States Bowling Congress Association at the USBC National Convention in Reno, Nev., April 28-May 2.
More importantly, these two officials are planning to attend three workshops that should prove to be beneficial to the association in the post-Spiotta era.
Spiotta, a bowling association president for the past 15 years, is stepping down as GRUSBC president after this season. His last day on the job is July 31.
Ironically, this is the first time that Spiotta will be in attendance at the national gathering. Both he and O’Dell have been authorized to attend the convention by the membership of the local association.
Spiotta said the workshops are tailor-made for the GRUSBC.
“There are two days of workshops and two days of meetings. We have registered for workshops focusing on running the association from a business standpoint, how to get high school bowling off the ground and the future of USBC’s youth program.”
High school bowling – even at the intramural level at the outset – could be a key to creating more interest in the sport. It would be great to see the GRUSBC develop a plan of action to utilize funds that have been set aside to establish high school bowling in the Genesee Region.
A popular extracurricular activity in neighboring counties, high school bowling is long overdue in our area.
Spiotta and O’Dell will be surrounded by bowling competition during their five-day stay. Reno is hosting the USBC Women’s Championships, the USBC Queens and Senior Queens tournaments and Bowling’s Clash of Champions.
The latter will take place on the evening of April 29 at the Reno Events Center, and will be televised on May 9 (CBS Sports). Participants, all champions of USBC professional, intercollegiate and youth national events, include Norm Duke, Chris and Lynda Barnes, Liz Johnson and Shannon O’Keefe.
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YOUNG WEBER WINS YBT EVENT
While growing up as part of an avid bowling family has to help, it still boils down to “man (or, in this case, boy) versus pins” when it comes to success on the lanes.
So give 13-year-old Brady Weber of Perry all the credit in the world for capturing his first Youth Bowlers Tour championship Sunday at Valley Bowling Center in Waverly.
The son of Brian and Michelle Weber, Brady averaged 204 for 12 games to win the Handicap Division title and take the lead in the point standings for the Tour’s fourth quarter.
“He put it all together,” said Brian Weber, speaking of his son. Brian, when he’s not competing on the WNY tournament circuit, serves as Brady’s coach.
Bowling on the challenging Kegel “Dead Man’s Curve” 43-foot pattern, Brady posted 802 scratch for four games in the qualifying round, before winning four two-game matches. A highlight of the day was a 279 game in the semifinal match.
Brady, an eighth-grader at Perry Central School, has a 167 average. The right-hander was competing for just the fifth time on the YBT, a program offering scholarships through bowling for boys and girls of all skill levels.
Organizations such as the YBT, along with junior bowling leagues at individual bowling centers, are essential to the future of bowling. Youth league leaders should be committed to promoting their kids as much as possible – through coaching, awards and publicity.
I encourage junior bowling officials and bowling center managers to keep a digital camera on hand to take head shots of “high rollers” and photos of team champions and individual leaders at season’s end. Then, (after getting permission from parents), display these photos at the center, and email them with proper identification and pertinent information to the local media.
Running a junior bowling program is more than handing out rental shoes and collecting money. These young participants – and their parents – deserve more.
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FIVE-MAN TEAM SETS RECORD
The majority of five-man (or woman) leagues have gone by the wayside, but there’s one group of five guys that is glad its league in Chattanooga, Tenn., is alive and well.
The Pro Bowl West team at Holiday Bowl – Brainerd registered a new national three-game series record on March 30 (pending approval by the USBC) with a score of 3,937. That equates to a 787 series per man, or 262 per game!
It eclipses the previous record of 3,934 posted in New Castle, Del., in 2004.
Chris Massengale led the way with 290-258-280—828 while Chris Cross shot 256-259-290—805, Frank Massengale 279-239-266—784, Gary Workman 279-238-255—772 and Anthony Reviere 237-256-255—748.
Four of the bowlers used Columbia bowling balls, explaining why the press release came from the ball manufacturer’s PR department. It was reported that Frank Massengale has 91 300 games and 79 800 series to his credit, and his son, Chris, has 15 300 games and 10 800 series.
(Mike Pettinella’s Pin Points bowling column appears every Thursday during the bowling season. If you have an item of interest for his column, please contact him at mikepett2002@yahoo.com or at 343-3736 or by mail at 55 Edgewood Drive, Batavia).