How many of you remember or were a member of Y.A.B.A. when you were younger?

[xthe_charismatic_enigmax]

I was part of Y.A.B.A. when I was bowling Saturday mornings!! I haven't seen that mentioned in years!

[J Anderson]

It got assimilated when the three U.S. bowling organizations merged to form the USBC

[AZBowla's Girl]

I remember Y.A.B.A. too. I was in a youth league when I was in high school on Saturday mornings. My best friend at the time got me into it. I loved bowling during that time. It was fun being with other kids my age and learning how to bowl. I actually was able to be one of four to represent Arizona back then for a tournament. That was so much fun. I wish that there more youth bowling programs around at the bowling alleys where I live. I really want to get my son into a league and be able to have a similar experience like I had when I was young. I know that I was older when I started and he is only five and a half, but he is already doing really good when he bowls and absolutely loves it.

[kx90]

I was a Y.A.B.A. member. My mom and aunt have been in bowling their entire lives, they started my brother and cousins and I early too. I just found my 240 game pin still stuck to my 650 series patch.

My mom was one of the coaches and assisted with the league stuff, Saturday mornings getting there well before start time and not leaving until quite a bit afterwards, 12 year olds can get into a lot of trouble at a bowling alley.

[Flyer41]

Oh boy, Y.A.B.A. My mom ran the youth leagues on Fridays after school, Saturday mornings, and parent/child league every other Sunday. (Her side of my family own the local bowling alley, sort of explains my proficiency in bowling) I had every patch from 50 game to 700 series from ages 5 to 14. So many patches, I was never one to put them on a coat, just kept them in the certificate they came in and put them on my wall. Good times

[billf]

I remember Y.A.B.A. too. I was in a youth league when I was in high school on Saturday mornings. My best friend at the time got me into it. I loved bowling during that time. It was fun being with other kids my age and learning how to bowl. I actually was able to be one of four to represent Arizona back then for a tournament. That was so much fun. I wish that there more youth bowling programs around at the bowling alleys where I live. I really want to get my son into a league and be able to have a similar experience like I had when I was young. I know that I was older when I started and he is only five and a half, but he is already doing really good when he bowls and absolutely loves it.

This facility held the youth volunteer coach seminar;
Name: Brunswick Zone Mesa
Address: 1754 W Southern Avenue Mesa, AZ 85202
Phone: (480) 834-0588

You may try calling them and see if they know which centers have the youth leagues. No sense in training volunteers if there aren't any leagues.

[UBowling]

Yep only YABA for me. I became adult the year USBC took over from ABC. I bowled Saturday morning and a travel league Saturday afternoons. Was pretty fun but it was smaller here and all my friends were adult already. I had a lot more fun once I went adult.

[Tampabaybob]

Well, bring back real memories here. I started bowling at age 11 (tenpins that is) and at that time it was AJBC (American Junior Bowling Congress). My Mom eventually started coaching the league a year or so after I started bowling in it and she coached for probably 20 years. She also became the Junior Association Secretary, so we had events, tournaments going on all the time. We had many local and state association winners from the group I started bowling with and many of those have quit the game a long time ago.

I mentioned "TENPINS" because I actually started bowling (and had my first pair of bowling shoes) at age 4. My Mom and Dad war both very good DUCKPIN bowlers and we all switched over to tenpins when they built the first center in our area. For those of you that don't know what Duckpins are....Google it !

Bob

[hutch3703]

I started bowling Y.A.B.a in '78 when I was 4. I bowled every Saturday til I graduated high schoo ('91)l. Those were good times, and yes I beat Earl Anthony and had the patch to prove it. The trophies from tournaments and the patches from my league, thats what it was about. I remember my parents driving me all over California to play in tournaments. I wish it was as easy now as it was back then.