USA Bowling Regional schedule for 2021 to begin in January

ARLINGTON, Texas - The journey for teams to advance to the USA Bowling National Championships in Indianapolis will begin in January 2021.

The 16-event regional schedule for 2021 will kick off in the Coastal South region at Aloma Bowl in Winter Park, Florida, on Jan. 9-10. Teams will include youth bowlers competing in 12-and-under (U12) and 15-and-under (U15) divisions for the opportunity to compete in the national championships.

The winners in each division at one- or two-day regional events earn spots at the USA Bowling National Championships, which is scheduled to take place in Indianapolis as part of the 2021 Junior Gold Championships. The tournament dates will be released at a later time.

The schedule of USA Bowling Regional events with dates, region, center and city:
  • Jan. 9-10 - Coastal South, Aloma Bowl, Winter Park, Fla.
  • Jan. 23 (U12) - Heartland, Pheasant Lanes, Bloomington, Ill.
  • Jan. 24 (U15) - Heartland, Pheasant Lanes, Bloomington, Ill.
  • Jan. 30 - Southwest, Suncoast Bowling Center, Las Vegas
  • Feb. 14 - Upper Great Lakes, Concord Lanes, St. Paul, Minn.
  • Feb. 21 - Mountain, King Pin Lanes, Colorado Springs, Colo.
  • Feb. 28 - South Central, Sooner Bowling Center, Norman, Okla.
  • March 14 - Upper Midwest, Bowlerama Lanes, Des Moines, Iowa
  • March 20 - New England, Walnut Hill Bowl, Woonsocket, R.I.
  • March 20 (U12) - Atlantic East, Murfreesboro Strike & Spare, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
  • March 21 (U15) - Atlantic East, Murfreesboro Strike & Spare, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
  • March 27-28 - South, Vestavia Bowl, Vestavia Hills, Ala.
  • April 3-4 - Southeast, Buffaloe Lanes North, Raleigh, N.C.
  • April 18 - Midwest, West Acres Bowling Center, Wichita, Kan.
  • April 25 - Ohio Valley, Poelking Lanes South, Dayton, Ohio
  • May 16 - Pacific, Paradise Lanes, Tacoma, Wash.
  • May 22 (U12) - Northeast, Rab's Country Lanes, Staten Island, N.Y.
  • May 23 (U15) - Northeast, Rab's Country Lanes, Staten Island, N.Y.
  • June 5 - Lower Great Lakes, Mike Aulby's Arrowhead Bowl, Lafayette, Ind.
Teams will bowl eight round-robin Baker matches to determine seeding for the double-elimination bracket. Bracket matches will be decided through a best-of-three Baker format, until a champion is determined in each division.

Single-day events will include both the seeding and match-play rounds. Two-day events will have the seeding round on the first day, and all teams will return on the second day for bracket play.

In addition, three regions (Heartland, Atlantic East, Northeast) will host the U12 and U15 divisions on separate days over the same weekend.

The format at each location may be adjusted based on state or local regulations.

With four-person teams being used at USA Bowling events, the competition features a unique Baker format. For each Baker game, the first two bowlers in the lineup each bowl three frames (1-5-9 and 2-6-10, respectively), while the other two team members bowl two frames each (3-7 and 4-8).

Team rosters can feature up to six players, giving each coach the opportunity to bring in substitutes during competition.

USA Bowling Regional tournaments started in 2013, building the foundation that would lead to the inaugural USA Bowling National Championships in 2016. The national event grew from the USA Bowling program, designed as a team-based youth program to introduce the sport to children.

USA Bowling Leagues share a team-based structure, similar to all youth sports, where young athletes receive instruction, have regular practices with a coach and then compete against other teams during an eight- to 12-week season.

USA Bowling is a product of the Youth Education Services (YES) Fund, a joint initiative of the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America and the United States Bowling Congress, supported by top bowling brands, including Bowling.com, Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track.