Party in the Park kicks off Junior Gold Week 2
July 18, 2022
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After five days of intense competition, Week 1 of the 2022 Junior Gold Championships came to an end Friday when Justin Bohn and Anna Callan were crowned champions in the 20-and-under division at Fairlanes Bowling Center.
Competition will resume at eight centers in and around the Grand Rapids area Monday when boys and girls in the U18, U15 and U12 divisions take to the lanes to begin the journey they hope leads to Junior Gold titles of their own.
But before the competitors got dialed in to competition mode, many took advantage of the opportunity to meet fellow bowlers and their families, enjoy some outdoor time and have some fun.
They did so by attending Party in the Park at the Grant Pavillion at Millenium Park in Walker, Michigan, Sunday. Party in the Park was sponsored by partners Brunswick, I Am Bowling, Kegel, Motiv, and Storm Products.
The event included a DJ, outdoor games and equipment, featured areas for activities such as cornhole, a video-game truck, a dunk tank and much more. Staff members and pro athletes from the sponsoring partners also were on hand to mix and mingle with Junior Gold competitors and their families.
Party in the Park was new to Junior Gold in 2022, and based upon the smiles, laughter and feedback of attendees, it appears to have been a very welcomed addition to the tournament experience.
U15 boys competitor Ewan Oester of Portland, Oregon, definitely enjoyed himself. Oester is making his second trip to Junior Gold, and he was impressed by the multitude of activities that Party in the Park had to offer.
“You could relax, you could go up and dance, there were trails and activities everywhere, there was food; it was just really nice,” Oester said. “It was a lot of fun.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by Chad Kringel of Pierre, South Dakota. Kringel attended Party in the Park with his daughter, U15 competitor Emily Kringel, who is competing in Junior Gold for the first time.
“I think this was a great event because it gave everyone the chance to come together, to be outside and to be active,” Chad Kringel said. “We had a great time, and it looked like everyone else did too. We’d definitely like to see Party in the Park be part of Junior Gold again in the future.”
But Party in the Park wasn’t just about having a good time. It provided some attendees with the opportunity to serve as ambassadors for their home state.
That was the case for U12 boys competitor Jayden Burrell, who was given the honor of representing his home state of Maryland by carrying the state flag during the athlete march.
“The march was probably my favorite part of Party in the Park,” Burrell said. “Seeing all of the other state flags was fun, and getting to be the one who got to represent Maryland by carrying our flag was really an honor.”
Fellow U12 boys competitor Dohoon Kwon of Vancouver, Washington, enjoyed Party in the Park for a very different reason. For him, it was a chance to relax and give his mind a break before the pressure of competition officially sets in.
“Party in the Park was sort of refreshing because it was a break before we all have to focus and get serious,” Kwon said. “It was nice to be out here relaxing and having some fun today because, once the bowling starts, there’s going to be a lot of stress.”
Likewise, there is considerable stress involved in planning and successfully conducting an event the size of Party in the Park. As such, it was rewarding for International Bowling Campus Youth Managing Director Gary Brown to see so many people having a good time Sunday.
“It was wonderful to see these bowlers and their families enjoying themselves at Party in the Park,” Brown said. “Junior Gold involves great competition, but it’s about much more than that. Events like Party in the Park bring members of the bowling community together, reminds us how strong that community is and shows us just how bright the future of bowling is because there are so many boys and girls who are passionate about the sport.”
Competition will resume at eight centers in and around the Grand Rapids area Monday when boys and girls in the U18, U15 and U12 divisions take to the lanes to begin the journey they hope leads to Junior Gold titles of their own.
But before the competitors got dialed in to competition mode, many took advantage of the opportunity to meet fellow bowlers and their families, enjoy some outdoor time and have some fun.
They did so by attending Party in the Park at the Grant Pavillion at Millenium Park in Walker, Michigan, Sunday. Party in the Park was sponsored by partners Brunswick, I Am Bowling, Kegel, Motiv, and Storm Products.
The event included a DJ, outdoor games and equipment, featured areas for activities such as cornhole, a video-game truck, a dunk tank and much more. Staff members and pro athletes from the sponsoring partners also were on hand to mix and mingle with Junior Gold competitors and their families.
Party in the Park was new to Junior Gold in 2022, and based upon the smiles, laughter and feedback of attendees, it appears to have been a very welcomed addition to the tournament experience.
U15 boys competitor Ewan Oester of Portland, Oregon, definitely enjoyed himself. Oester is making his second trip to Junior Gold, and he was impressed by the multitude of activities that Party in the Park had to offer.
“You could relax, you could go up and dance, there were trails and activities everywhere, there was food; it was just really nice,” Oester said. “It was a lot of fun.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by Chad Kringel of Pierre, South Dakota. Kringel attended Party in the Park with his daughter, U15 competitor Emily Kringel, who is competing in Junior Gold for the first time.
“I think this was a great event because it gave everyone the chance to come together, to be outside and to be active,” Chad Kringel said. “We had a great time, and it looked like everyone else did too. We’d definitely like to see Party in the Park be part of Junior Gold again in the future.”
But Party in the Park wasn’t just about having a good time. It provided some attendees with the opportunity to serve as ambassadors for their home state.
That was the case for U12 boys competitor Jayden Burrell, who was given the honor of representing his home state of Maryland by carrying the state flag during the athlete march.
“The march was probably my favorite part of Party in the Park,” Burrell said. “Seeing all of the other state flags was fun, and getting to be the one who got to represent Maryland by carrying our flag was really an honor.”
Fellow U12 boys competitor Dohoon Kwon of Vancouver, Washington, enjoyed Party in the Park for a very different reason. For him, it was a chance to relax and give his mind a break before the pressure of competition officially sets in.
“Party in the Park was sort of refreshing because it was a break before we all have to focus and get serious,” Kwon said. “It was nice to be out here relaxing and having some fun today because, once the bowling starts, there’s going to be a lot of stress.”
Likewise, there is considerable stress involved in planning and successfully conducting an event the size of Party in the Park. As such, it was rewarding for International Bowling Campus Youth Managing Director Gary Brown to see so many people having a good time Sunday.
“It was wonderful to see these bowlers and their families enjoying themselves at Party in the Park,” Brown said. “Junior Gold involves great competition, but it’s about much more than that. Events like Party in the Park bring members of the bowling community together, reminds us how strong that community is and shows us just how bright the future of bowling is because there are so many boys and girls who are passionate about the sport.”