Cyber Report #970

E-dition No. 970 • Sunday, September 24, 2017

Editor: Bob Johnson (bjibob@aol.com)

Sixlets Returns as USA Bowling Sponsor in 2018

Sixlets Brand Chocolatey Candies will return as presenting sponsor of the USA Bowling National Championships in 2018, and the opportunity to qualify for the event starts in October with the first of 16 regional events.

The Sixlets Brand became a sponsor this year, when the USA Bowling National Championships Presented by Sixlets took place in Cleveland, and the finals of the tournament was televised on CBS Sports Network for the second consecutive year.

“We’re thrilled to have Sixlets continue its involvement with the USA Bowling National Championships,” Sixlets Senior Brand Manager Joe Annunziato said. “We had the chance to experience the event last summer, and it’s amazing to not only see the level of talent but the camaraderie of the competitors. It was a fun event, and the Sixlets Brand looks forward to being involved with another great event in Dallas.”

The Sixlets Brand partnership will extend to the 16 regional events, and participants at each regional will receive Sixlets Brand Chocolatey Candies. The regional events will determine the 32 teams — 16 teams in the 15-and-under division and 16 teams in the 12-and-under division — that will advance to the 2018 USA Bowling National Championships Presented by Sixlets, which will take place in Dallas in July.

The regional event schedule:

Oct. 21-22 — Southeast, Buffaloe Lanes North, Raleigh, N.C.

Nov. 4-5 — Atlantic East, Smyrna Bowling Center, Smyrna, Tenn.

Nov. 11-12 — Upper Midwest, Plaza Lanes, Des Moines, Iowa

Nov. 18-19 — Lower Great Lakes, Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl, Lafayette, Ind.

Dec. 9-10 — Northeast, Rab’s Country Lanes, Staten Island, N.Y.

Dec. 16-17 — Midwest, Northrock Lanes, Wichita, Kan.

Jan. 6-7 — Coastal South, Boardwalk Bowl, Orlando, Fla.

Jan. 20-21 — Pacific Southwest, Cloverleaf Family Bowl, Fremont, Calif.

Feb. 10-11 — Southwest, Suncoast Bowling Center, Las Vegas

Feb. 18 — Mountain, Brunswick Zone Circle Lanes, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Feb. 24-25 — South Central, J.B.’s Allen Bowl, Allen, Texas

Feb. 25 — Upper Great Lakes, Concord Lanes, South St. Paul, Minn.

March 3 — New England, Walnut Hill Bowl, Woonsocket, R.I.

March 24-25 — Heartland, Imperial Bowl, Imperial, Mo.

March 24-25 — Ohio Valley, Woodman Lanes, Kettering, Ohio

April 7-8 — South, Vestavia Bowl, Birmingham, Ala.

USA Bowling is a product of the Youth Education Services (YES) Fund, a joint initiative of the BPAA and USBC supported by top bowling brands, including Bowling.com, Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track. Several of the YES Fund bowling brands will have staff members attend regional events, so participants can get pictures and autographs from some of the country’s top bowlers.

Learn more about the USA Bowling program and the USA Bowling National Tournament at BOWL.com/USABowling.

Interested in Serving Your Industry?

Applications for the USBC Board of Directors and the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee for the 2018-19 season are due in just a few days — Oct. 1.

The USBC Board consists of a diverse group from a cross-section of the sport. Together, the board sets the strategic direction for the future of the organization. Board members must be USBC members and be at least 18 years old. For more information and to apply, go to https://bowl.com/About/About_Home/Apply_for_Board_of_Directors/.

The IBC Youth Committee promotes youth programs and makes recommendations regarding youth-specific events and benefits. It also selects the two youth representatives to serve on the USBC Board. For additional information and to apply, go to https://bowl.com/About/About_Home/Apply_for_IBC_Youth_Committee/.

10 Qualifying Centers Set for U.S. Open

The USBC and BPAA will introduce a special direct-qualifier program for the 2018 U.S. Open, which will be held at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan.

The operation of the U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Open is a collaborative effort by USBC and BPAA and jointly funded by the two organizations. The 2018 U.S. Open will take place Oct. 24-31.

The direct-entry program for the 2018 tournament will give 10 BPAA bowling centers across the country the opportunity to host a qualifying event, from which one bowler can earn a spot in the U.S. Open field.

The centers will be able to determine the format, provided it includes at least nine games and is contested on a Sport Bowling-compliant lane condition. Direct qualifiers for the 2018 U.S. Open must be held between Nov. 1, 2017 and May 1, 2018.

The host centers for the direct qualifiers for the 2018 event will be:

Lucky Strike Lanes, Malone, N.Y.

Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich.

Buffaloe Lanes Mebane, Mebane, N.C.

Gaudé Lanes Bowling Center, Biloxi, Miss.

Sparetime Lanes, Decatur, Ill.

May City Bowl, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

International Training and Research Center, Arlington, Texas

Golden Pin Lanes, Tucson, Ariz.

Two additional centers will be announced at a later date.

“We’re looking forward to getting some of our centers involved in the U.S. Open and the new format, which we feel really has added even more prestige to a great event,” BPAA President Nancy Schenk said. “Bowlers at the grassroots level from coast to coast will have a chance to join the select field, and we can’t wait to see the response to these qualifiers.”

Other News You Can Use…

When the best women bowlers in the world hit the lanes for the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open, it will be as part of a select field, a change being made to help celebrate the prestige of the event and mirror enhancements introduced for the upcoming 2017 U.S. Open. The 2018 U.S. Women’s Open will be held June 23-30 at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Fla., and feature a prize fund of more than $143,000, with the winner taking home $20,000 and the coveted green jacket. The event will be the second of four majors on the 2018 PWBA Tour schedule and will feature an invitation-only field of 108 competitors, who will be selected based on their on-lane performances during the 2017 calendar year. For an explanation of the selection process, go to http://www.bowlersjournal.com/2018-u-s-womens-open-to-feature-select-field-guaranteed-prize-fund/.

CONTACT: Please send business news, event information, etc. to Bob Johnson at bjibob@aol.com. For breaking business news, visit bcmmag.com or bowlersjournal.com, and “Like” Bowling Center Management and Bowlers Journal International on Facebook. BJI Cyber Reports are now archived at bcmmag.com.