onefrombills
07-19-2009, 04:06 AM
INDIANAPOLIS - For the third consecutive year, the USBC Youth Open Championships, sponsored by Pepsi, is offering youth bowlers of all skill levels and backgrounds the chance to compete against each other in a variety of events.
This weekend, seven teams from Puerto Rico hit the lanes to showcase their skills and share the unique tournament experience, which includes team, doubles, singles and an all-events category.
The teams were put together with the help of Maria Victoria Lopez and Juan Velez, who both are very active in Paradise Kids, a prominent youth league that helps to promote the sport of bowling. Victoria Lopez is the president of the league, while Velez helps with coaching.
This is the second year the bowlers from Paradise Kids have competed in the Youth Open Championships. The group fielded four teams at last year's event in Detroit.
"The kids who bowled last year loved everything about it," Victoria Lopez said. "We try to promote an international competition every year, and after having such a good experience last year, we were ready to come back."
This year, the league, which is held at AMF Paradise Bowling Center, added three more teams for the trip to Expo Bowl for the 2009 event. Velez offers the same advice to the bowlers, whether it's their first time at the Youth Open Championships or they've been there before.
"They love the sport," Velez said. "All we want them to do is have fun and try to do their best."
Several of the bowlers followed that advice and thrived at other youth tournaments during the past few weeks.
Israel Hernandez placed 23rd at the USBC Junior Gold Championships held earlier in the week in Indianapolis. He finished just 85 pins out of the cut to match play.
Valerie Bermudez used her years of practice and training to help her take home three gold medals in the Under-16 Girls Division at the 2009 Pan American Bowling Confederation Youth Championships in Bogota, Columbia, last week. She claimed those medals in team, doubles and Masters competition.
At the Youth Open Championships, the 28 bowlers from Paradise Kids ranged from 8 years of age to 21. Jorge A. Rodriguez was the youngest, while Carlos Velez was the elder statesman of the group.
"It was fun being able to bowl," said Rodriguez, who bowled at the Youth Open Championships for the second time. "I bowled pretty well. I had a 204 game, and my average is 140."
The same group also had a team take home a title at the 2008 Youth Open Championships. Jesse J. Lopez, 12, helped Paradise Kids 4 to the Division 4 (combined team average below 519) championship last year.
"It's a great experience," Lopez said. "It's a chance to win scholarships, meet new people and see different places with family and friends. We also learned a lot from the oil pattern. It was very challenging and will help us adjust at other tournaments."
Jose Colon, also 12 years old, summed up the tournament experience and complimented the camaraderie he and his fellow bowlers shared on the lanes.
"It's just the best," Colon said. "We just have fun. We don't compete against each other, and we try to help each other. I just love being here at this bowling alley with all of the kids from all over."
After completing their team events Saturday, five of the seven Paradise Kids teams found themselves among the top 10 in their respective divisions, with one team finding itself alone at the top of the leaderboard.
Paradise Kids 4 posted a 1,615 total to take the Division 4 lead. Bermudez led the way with a 528 series and was joined by Renzo Betancourt (460), Carlos M. Guzman (345) and Gabriel Sanchez (282).
The Youth Open Championships, which runs through July 25, is broken into four average divisions (129 and below, 130-159, 160-189 and 190 and above) and is based on actual pinfall. Teams consist of four players.
This weekend, seven teams from Puerto Rico hit the lanes to showcase their skills and share the unique tournament experience, which includes team, doubles, singles and an all-events category.
The teams were put together with the help of Maria Victoria Lopez and Juan Velez, who both are very active in Paradise Kids, a prominent youth league that helps to promote the sport of bowling. Victoria Lopez is the president of the league, while Velez helps with coaching.
This is the second year the bowlers from Paradise Kids have competed in the Youth Open Championships. The group fielded four teams at last year's event in Detroit.
"The kids who bowled last year loved everything about it," Victoria Lopez said. "We try to promote an international competition every year, and after having such a good experience last year, we were ready to come back."
This year, the league, which is held at AMF Paradise Bowling Center, added three more teams for the trip to Expo Bowl for the 2009 event. Velez offers the same advice to the bowlers, whether it's their first time at the Youth Open Championships or they've been there before.
"They love the sport," Velez said. "All we want them to do is have fun and try to do their best."
Several of the bowlers followed that advice and thrived at other youth tournaments during the past few weeks.
Israel Hernandez placed 23rd at the USBC Junior Gold Championships held earlier in the week in Indianapolis. He finished just 85 pins out of the cut to match play.
Valerie Bermudez used her years of practice and training to help her take home three gold medals in the Under-16 Girls Division at the 2009 Pan American Bowling Confederation Youth Championships in Bogota, Columbia, last week. She claimed those medals in team, doubles and Masters competition.
At the Youth Open Championships, the 28 bowlers from Paradise Kids ranged from 8 years of age to 21. Jorge A. Rodriguez was the youngest, while Carlos Velez was the elder statesman of the group.
"It was fun being able to bowl," said Rodriguez, who bowled at the Youth Open Championships for the second time. "I bowled pretty well. I had a 204 game, and my average is 140."
The same group also had a team take home a title at the 2008 Youth Open Championships. Jesse J. Lopez, 12, helped Paradise Kids 4 to the Division 4 (combined team average below 519) championship last year.
"It's a great experience," Lopez said. "It's a chance to win scholarships, meet new people and see different places with family and friends. We also learned a lot from the oil pattern. It was very challenging and will help us adjust at other tournaments."
Jose Colon, also 12 years old, summed up the tournament experience and complimented the camaraderie he and his fellow bowlers shared on the lanes.
"It's just the best," Colon said. "We just have fun. We don't compete against each other, and we try to help each other. I just love being here at this bowling alley with all of the kids from all over."
After completing their team events Saturday, five of the seven Paradise Kids teams found themselves among the top 10 in their respective divisions, with one team finding itself alone at the top of the leaderboard.
Paradise Kids 4 posted a 1,615 total to take the Division 4 lead. Bermudez led the way with a 528 series and was joined by Renzo Betancourt (460), Carlos M. Guzman (345) and Gabriel Sanchez (282).
The Youth Open Championships, which runs through July 25, is broken into four average divisions (129 and below, 130-159, 160-189 and 190 and above) and is based on actual pinfall. Teams consist of four players.