The group Forever in Your Mind to perform; Bowlers Choice Awards debut

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Junior Gold program had another record year for membership and will see its largest field for the 2017 Junior Gold Championships presented by the Brands of Ebonite International this July in Cleveland, so it is only fitting this year’s Opening Ceremony add another level of excitement for the youth bowlers.

The Junior Gold Championships Opening Ceremony will take place Sunday, July 16, at the Cleveland Public Auditorium with doors opening at 7 p.m. In addition to a live concert from the fast-rising band Forever in Your Mind, also known as FIYM, the festivities will include presentations of the first Bowlers Choice Awards and the 2016-2017 Dexter All American Team, plus DJ Fuseamania will be on hand to provide music throughout the event.

Junior Gold membership is at an all-time high for the seventh consecutive year with 7,057 members. Heading into the Junior Gold Championships, which start Monday, July 17, with the first round of qualifying, more than 4,000 spots have been sold to set a record for participants at the annual tournament for the nation’s top youth bowlers.

“This is our opportunity to celebrate with the youth bowlers and their families by having an evening of fun and entertainment,” IBC Youth Development Managing Director Gary Brown said. “The Junior Gold program helped so many youth bowlers to develop their game and take that next step to college and beyond, and what better way to show the athletes and their families we appreciate their participation and support with an outstanding Opening Ceremony.”

The headline act for the Opening Ceremony, the group Forever in Your Mind, has drawn nearly 30 million views of videos from their debut EP. The trio’s new double-A-side Hollywood Records single, “Smooth” and “Missing,” was co-written by the band, with the songs tackling the mysteries of a relationship on the edge.

A new part of the Opening Ceremony will be the Bowlers Choice Awards – five fun awards designed to give youth bowlers the opportunity to express their personalities. The categories for the awards are Social King Award, Epic Swag Award, Selfie Queen Award, Breakout Star Award and Craziest Celebration Award.

Youth bowlers can visit BOWL.com/JuniorGoldOpeningCeremony for full details, including how to nominate themselves or fellow bowlers for the Bowlers Choice Awards. The entry deadline is June 23 and winners will receive an award, a gift certificate for an Ebonite bowling ball and much more.

In addition to the Junior Gold Championships that will take place July 15-22 at seven centers in the Cleveland area, the USA Bowling National Championships presented by Sixlets will be held July 19-22 and the Bowling.com Youth Open Championships will run July 13-14, 21-24 and 29-30, also in Cleveland.

The Junior Gold Championships will have its annual side events – the Survivor presented by Hammer on July 21-22 and the Adult-Youth Scratch Baker Doubles event from July 17-22.

For more information about the Junior Gold Championships presented by the Brands of Ebonite International plus the other youth tournaments, visit BOWL.com/YouthTournaments.