The United States Bowling Congress Coaching department recently elevated internationally-respected coach Frank Buffa to USBC Gold status, making him the 34th coach to earn the distinction. Buffa lives and works in Montreal, where he operates Buffa's Bowling Supply Inc. pro shops, the buffabowling.com online store and the Studio Buffa Training Center. Fluent in several languages and familiar with many cultures, Buffa has been a fixture on the international coaching scene for years. He is the current head coach of Qatar's national team, a position he has held since 2005. Previously, Gold status as being the highlight of his career
USBC Coaching will launch a new program early next year to re-certify coaches and also will begin a requisite continuing education program to keep bowling coaches up to date on the latest technology and coaching techniques. The program will require USBC Gold, Silver and Bronze coaches who were certified prior to Jan. 1, 2006 to take an online certification test by Aug. 1, 2011 to maintain their status. Level I coaches do not have to be re-certified.
Longtime bowling coach, writer and industry advocate John Jowdy has been selected as the 2010 inductee into the Bowling Coaches Hall of Fame in recognition of his superior coaching contributions to the sport. The Bowling Coaches Hall of Fame committee, reviewed nearly a dozen nominations and supporting documents before selecting Jowdy on the first ballot. The Bowling Coaches Hall of Fame has a
presence in the new International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame
located at the International Bowling Campus in Arlington, Texas. 
Bowling's global push to someday attain the Olympic spotlight has found an ally in French national bowling team head coach Eric Courault.In a whirlwind travel schedule that demonstrated Courault's tireless
commitment to strengthening the Tenpin Bowling Association of France,
Courault recently visited the International Training and Research Center
in Arlington, Texas. If it seems to those who have worked with Courault that the man never
rests, there is a reason for that.
The American dominance on the sport's international stage is no longer taken for granted. The list of nations that are emerging as perennial forces at world
championship events includes Finland, Sweden, Canada, Malaysia,
Singapore and others. But there is a European nation which, according
to some of the most respected coaches in the sport today, may soon
count itself among the world's most formidable bowling talents: France.
After four events in four different cities, The Next Revolution, a USBC event, came to an exciting close at AMF Euless Lanes near Dallas on Sunday. The two-weekend, whirlwind tour gave more than 500 bowlers and fans an up-close look at Australian superstar Jason Belmonte (pictured), the world's premier two-handed bowler. The Next Revolution was created to bring exposure to the two-handed style that is sweeping the globe as well as give participants a chance to revolutionize their own games.
USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard (l.) has seen the sport of bowling grow and evolve over the last six decades, and this weekend, he helped usher The Next Revolution, a USBC event, into Houston's Copperfield Bowling Center. The 8-time champion at the USBC Open Championships and PBA charter member and a center full of bowling fans got their first up-close look at Australian sensation Jason Belmonte (r.) and his unique two-handed bowling style.
Bowling fans in the Chicago area have seen Australia's two-handed bowling sensation Jason Belmonte (pictured) in action before, but this weekend, they got to see him up close and personal as The Next Revolution, a United States Bowling Congress event, rolled through town Sunday. More than 100 bowlers and fans made it out to Brunswick Zone Hawthorn for the event, which featured two hours of instruction, a question and answer session, autographs and a raffle to benefit The Bowling Foundation, the charitable arm of bowling.
Australia's Jason Belmonte has gained worldwide notoriety for his revolutionary two-handed bowling style, and now, the 26-year-old will be showcasing his skills in four cities across the United States as part of 'The Next Revolution', a United States Bowling Congress program. The Next Revolution was created to give coaches and bowling fans a closer look at the unique two-handed style that is sweeping the globe, while also giving participants a chance to revolutionize their own games with help from some of the sport's biggest stars.
The list of USBC Bronze coaches grew by 17 names thanks to a conference produced by USBC Gold coach and Coaching Instructor Costas Mitsingas in Lotz, Poland, May 27-29. At the end of those three days, all 17 conference participants were able to display adequate content mastery through written and practical examinations to warrant being awarded USBC Bronze certification.
Gary Sparks, the longtime bowling coach and assistant professor of bowling industry management at Vincennes (Ind.) University, is joining the United States Bowling Congress staff. Sparks will be a program developer in the coaching and youth development areas beginning in mid-June. He will work jointly under USBC Team USA High Performance Director David Garber and Youth Development Director Brian Graham. The 53-year-old Sparks has been an assistant professor of bowling
industry management and director of bowling at Vincennes for 20 years.
He previously owned a custom trophy business and spent five years in
center management for Brunswick.
Over the last handful of years, players like Jason Belmonte, Osku Palermaa, and Cassidy Schaub have opened the eyes of many with the incredible combination of speed and revolutions they impart on a bowling ball. Their use of a two handed armswing allows for maximum power at release
and consequently has both children and adults alike experimenting with
the two handed game. All of this added attention has given both supporters and naysayers a
reason to voice their opinion on this unique style of bowling. However,
both sides would agree that with the increasing number of two handed
bowlers, coaches and ball drillers must be equipped with enough
knowledge to assist this type of player if their services are ever
called upon.
Debbie Haggerty, who has been involved in the sport of bowling as a coach for the last 18 years and as a youth director for the last 15 years, has been selected to receive the 2009 United States Bowling Congress David Dahms Coach of the Year Award by the USBC Youth Committee. This prestigious award recognizes a USBC Youth coach who has been actively involved in a USBC Youth program and has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to coaching, sportsmanship and knowledge of USBC Youth rules for the last seven or more years.
Andy Penny recently became the first bowling coach from Northern Europe to earn United States Bowling Congress Gold-level certification. Overall, he is USBC's 33rd Gold-level coach. Penny, 49, lives and works in Stevenage, Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. He has been coaching for 28 years but has been involved with the sport of bowling for more than 30 years, many of which were spent as a successful tournament bowler. Since transitioning exclusively to the coaching side, Penny has only continued to excel, becoming one of the region's most respected coaches. 