The Skills Center, a division of Strike Ten Entertainment (STE), will be establishing a new national recognition for bowling coaches and/or instructors through the presentation of a new award. The National Coaching/Instructors Award, which will honor an outstanding bowling coach/instructor. Instituting this new award may also lead to the creation of a hall of fame for bowling coaches and instructors. A task force has been formed to develop award criteria, annually review candidates as well as explore the creation of a bowling coaches/instructors hall of fame.
In another step to bolster the number of quality coaches worldwide, the United States Bowling Congress will host nearly 20 notable names in bowling from around the world in a week-long International Coach/Instructor Training seminar at USBC Headquarters in suburban Milwaukee on Feb. 12-16. This seminar is a continuation of USBC's effort to assist in the creation of an international coach training program and enhance the strength of federations within bowling's world governing body, the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs. 
Even at the young age of 24, two-handed phenom Jason Belmonte (pictured left) of Australia is well-versed knowing the importance of having elite bowling coaches scattered throughout the world. Belmonte and nearly 20 notable names in bowling from around the world will descend upon United States Bowling Congress Headquarters in suburban Milwaukee for an International Coach/Instructor Training seminar on Feb. 12-16. Coaches in attendance also will have access to exclusive new coaching technologies being developed by USBC. Bowlingdigital will bring you live reports from Milwaukee. 
John Fukasawa, Michael Nyitray, Kayla Chick and Kyle Calcote have been selected as recipients of United States Bowling Congress Youth recognition awards. Fukasawa, right, was named USBC Youth Program Volunteer of the Year for his outstanding efforts in fostering, operating and promoting youth bowling programs. Nyitray, left, was selected as the David Dahms Coach of the Year for his outstanding commitment to coaching, sportsmanship, and knowledge of USBC Youth bowling rules.
It doesn't take a business degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to determine why proprietors of bowling centers want bowlers to bowl better. The first is as old as sports: People who enjoy a certain sport want to see others excel at the same sport. But the other reason is that, generally, bowlers who bowl better become happy customers. And happy customers are repeat customers. And repeat customers means more money to those who run bowling centers. So it's not unusual to see bowling centers host seminars or classes to help bowlers improve their games. But few centers in the area will be able to boast a tutor or coach like Lane Glo Bowl.
In my opinion, the new attention being paid to bowling coaches is one of the most deserving endeavors for the game. After all, the development of coaches/instructors has become one of the most significant undertakings in the bowling industry for the past 10 years. How better can the industry display appreciation for individuals like veteran coaches Dick Ritger, Bill Bunetta, Tom Kouros, Fred Borden, Bill Taylor, Ron Hoppe, and others who have paved the way for spreading the bowling gospel all over the world?
Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno, a United States Bowling Congress coach, international ambassador and four-time World Cup champion, completed his eighth USBC Coaching conference by certifying more than 20 coaches in Singapore Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2007. Nepomuceno and a group of international coaches trained and certified 23 USBC Coaching Level I and Bronze coaches from Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia during the seminar at the Singapore Polytechnic Graduates' Guild bowling center.
Sometimes the evolution of thought about a potential bowling story can lead me in a different direction several times during the formation of the story. For example, I did an interview with USBC President Jeff Bojé and he is so gung ho about bowling as a sport and the need for qualified coaches that I got to thinking about how do you determine the best coaches? And while pondering that question I came up with another question: Why is there no Bowling Coaches Hall of Fame?
Costas Mitsingas of Cyprus has become the first Gold coach from outside the United States to be certified by the USBC. Mitsingas, 36, of Nicosia, Cyprus, becomes the 30th Gold coach in the USBC Coaching program, which has more than 1,200 active certified coaches worldwide in its Coaches Association. o earn Gold certification, coaches must be certified through the USBC Coaching Silver level and have mastered coaching skills in the physical game, lane play, equipment, mental game, videotaping, video analysis and giving lessons. 
Director of the United States Bowling Congress Coaching Program Bob Maki (l.) has resigned his position to become a co-owner of Alpine Lanes in Muskego, Wis. Team USA High Performance Director David Garber (r.)and Director of USBC Sport Bowling Steve Wunderlich will jointly assume leadership of USBC Coaching on an interim basis. Maki was instrumental in advancing many aspects of the USBC Coaching certification program since he took over the leadership post in 2002. 
Just two short years ago, Ebonite International made a commitment to the bowling industry that every person on its sales and marketing staff who bowls would become a certified coach. The company is now proud to announce that 100% of its sales staff has reached a minimum of Bronze level certification, including the new District Sales Managers who joined Ebonite International earlier this summer.
If there was a common theme expressed by the more than 200 USBC local and state association leaders who gathered Sept. 28-30 for the inaugural USBC Summit in Milwaukee, it was a desire to spend more time helping promote the sport and less time on non-productive administrative issues. USBC's national leadership invited state and local association leaders to attend an open exchange of ideas intended to develop a clearer picture of roles and responsibilities each level of leadership should assume in the future if bowling is to realize its vision of growth.
ABF President Sheikh Talal M. Al Sabah of Kuwait (l.) has started a new "Coach Accreditation Program" for the ABF member federations. The first Level II Course will be held from Sep. 24-27 in Hong Kong. According to Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress Chairman and ABF Honorary Life President, Vivien Fung (r.), federations representatives from the Philippines, Macau, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand have already registered. 
"He has the whole lane. I am splitting boards out there. The crankers have the advantage."
The Singapore Bowling Federation will officially launch the Center of Excellence (COE) for Bowling program at Orchid Bowl at SAFRA Yishunon on Monday, 13 August 2007 at 4.30pm. The COE program is set up in partnership with MILO. The aim of the COE program is to guide, nurture and develop young talents to be the next bowling champions like Grace Young or Remy Ong. 