Source Spotlight: Team USA

Team USA 

There is no higher honor for an athlete than to wear their country’s colors and hear their national anthem played at the podium.

For competitive bowlers, becoming a member of Team USA or Junior Team USA is the opportunity of a lifetime. Many have used the experience and coaching received while on Team USA to become some of the top bowlers in the world. Chris Barnes, Diandra Asbaty and Sean Rash are just a few of the bowlers who have worn the red, white and blue before they became household names.

Members of Team USA compete in events all over the world, including the Pan American Games, World and American Zone Championships, World Games, QubicaAMF World Cup and others, in hopes of bringing home the gold.

The home of Team USA is the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. The 20-lane facility is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as an official training center and features world-class coaches, pro shop and fitness center. The ITRC also is equipped with the latest technology used to help bowlers reach their full potential.

With all of this at stake, it’s no surprise that bowlers line up for the chance to make the team. Spots on Team USA and Junior Team USA can be earned several ways.

Spots for Team USA are earned through the USBC Team USA Trials and USBC Summer Team USA Trials. Competitors bowl on different patterns over the course of several days, in hopes that their performance is enough to gain an automatic spot. The top three finishers on the men’s and women’s side at the Team USA Trials and top two at the Summer Team USA Trials automatically make Team USA.

The remaining spots on the team are decided by the National Selection Committee. The National Selection Committee makes its selection based on performance at the Team USA Trials as well as resume submissions.

Youth bowlers also can make their way onto Junior Team USA through the Team USA Trials and Summer Team USA Trials along with the USBC Junior Gold Championships. Competitors earn spots the same way.

To learn more about Team USA and Junior Team USA, visit BOWL.com/TeamUSA and BOWL.com/JuniorTeamUSA.