The USBC Coaching department employs some of the most knowledgeable and well-respected coaches the sport of bowling has to offer. That is one of the many reasons why USBC is looked upon as the world leader in bowling coaching and technology.

But despite already being in possession of a vast bank of bowling knowledge, the USBC Coaching department is always striving to learn more. That is where the International Training and Research Center (ITRC) comes in. The ITRC will allow the USBC Coaching team to conduct research and develop technological tools that will take bowling coaching to a higher level of expertise than has ever been dreamed possible.

"The International Training and Research Center will be a huge benefit to the USBC Coaching department," USBC High Performance Director David Garber said. "Inside that building, we'll be able to increase our understanding of the sport and what it takes to effectively work with any bowler who wants to participate in it, regardless of their skill level. This is a major step in the evolution of coaching."

Team USA and Junior Team USA will be the most visible benefactors of that evolution. The ITRC will serve as the training center for both teams when they are not utilizing the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado.

While working with these teams, USBC Coaches will have the opportunity to utilize state-of-the-art training tools such as C.A.T.S. (Computer Aided Tracking System), motion capture, grip pressure and foot pressure. These tools, which were initially developed by experts in the USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications department, give coaches the ability to monitor and evaluate every element of a bowler's setup, approach and delivery.

But the coaching department will work on other initiatives that will help them better understand the skills and limitations of various bowlers before those bowlers ever step on a lane. This knowledge will be honed as a result of the USBC Coaching department's advanced research into body typing.

Body typing research will be led by USBC Exercise and Strength Conditioning Specialist Nick Bohanan. This project involves evaluating the different body shapes and compositions of various bowlers. From there, measurements are taken to determine the inherent strengths and challenges found in bowlers of various body types. This research will allow Bohanan and his coaching counterparts to tailor the most effective training regimen possible for each bowler with whom they work.

"Body typing research will be a big focus of ours as we begin working in the ITRC," Bohanan said. "This information will allow us to provide coaches with a head start on effective training, which, in turn, will give bowlers the opportunity to get the best coaching possible."

Plans call for USBC members to have access to that coaching through one-on-one or group lesson packages, which will be made available for purchase. Garber hopes members will take advantage of the opportunity to improve their games through those lessons.

"Bowlers who come to the ITRC for training, whether they be world-class bowlers from other countries or standard USBC league bowlers, will be privy to the best, most-thorough coaching experience they've ever had," Garber said. "The ITRC will allow USBC Coaching to enhance its already superior level of bowling expertise. We are looking forward to getting in there and using that expertise to improve the games of all USBC members."

For more information on the International Training and Research Center, visit bowlingitrc.com.