In order to compete at Junior Gold, you must first qualify for Junior Gold. You can do so by competing in Junior Gold qualifying tournaments or leagues. You must be a USBC member in good standing and also add the additional Junior Gold membership.
Tournaments
Junior Gold qualifying tournaments are often run by local USBC associations, and youth tours. They may be specifically Junior Gold qualifiers, or they be normal tournaments that offer an optional Junior Gold qualifier bracket. Keep in mind, that they must specifically state that they are offering Junior Gold spots. Typically, there will be an additional charge for the Junior Gold qualifier if they are being offered optional at a regular tournament. You can find a list of Junior Gold qualifying tournaments at the USBC Junior Gold Events page.
Leagues
Junior Gold Leagues can be a great way to get experience on sport patterns on a regular basis while getting a chance to earn a spot for Junior Gold. They work in the same way as the tournaments, offering a spot for the top finishers. However Junior Gold league bowlers have the added benefit of getting regular experience on more challenging land conditions, similar to what they will see at Junior Gold. Also, many leagues often have coaches available to help with topics such as sport oil lane play, selecting your bowling ball “arsenal” for Junior Gold, etc.
There are many more Junior Gold qualifying tournaments than leagues offered, but a league can be a great way to prepare for Junior Gold for first time participants and veterans alike. So if one is offered in your area, be sure to take advantage of it or encourage your center to run one if possible.
You can find a list of Junior Gold leagues at the USBC Junior Gold Events page.
General Information
Both Junior Gold qualifying tournaments and leagues can offer spots on a maximum 1:4 ratio. In other words, for every four bowlers in the tournament or league, they can offer one Junior Gold spot. The exact ratio and whether fractional spots are offered is at the discretion of the tournament or league director. See the USBC’s “Enhanced Advancers Ratio Policies” document for more specifics.
In light of this, it’s important to try to get qualified as early as possible, since the pool of tournament participants shrinks as it get closer to Junior Gold and people earn their spot. This is especially true of the younger and female divisions, as there are just less people trying to earn a spot.
In the event that there isn’t enough people to offer a spot for a division, the tournament or league director may offer to combine divisions, for example, allowing the U12 boys to compete in the U15 division, or the girls to compete in the boys division. Naturally, the competition is potentially going to be tougher at that higher age division, however if you do earn a spot in that higher division, you can still compete in your normal division at Junior Gold itself. You are not required to compete at the division you qualified in. The only exception is if you “waivered” up to compete in a higher age division for Junior Gold previously, which is very rare.
Note that the last day to qualify is May 15th. Any tournaments bowled after that date will grant an entry to the following year’s Junior Gold at the appropriate age division for that following year if the age division bowled at the tournament was the same or higher.
Occasionally, a Junior Gold qualifier will have it’s status revoked after the fact due to the director not meeting the requirements. That’s rare, but it’s a terrible thing to suddenly learn you don’t have the spot you thought. Get familiar with the qualifier handbooks so that you can verify the tournament or league is being run appropriately to avoid any surprises.
Finding Leagues and Tournaments
Some regions have more more offerings than others. The first place to start when trying to find a qualifying tournament or league is the Events list at the USBC web site. It’s updated as new tournaments are scheduled, so check it periodically. This list is by no means comprehensive, however.
Contacting your USBC association’s youth directors can be another good source for tournament information. Many local youth tours such as the JBT, GYBT, JBST, GLJGT, EYT, YBT etc. offer Junior Gold qualifiers.
The “Youth Bowling in the USA” and “National Youth Bowling Tournament Index” also frequently have qualifying opportunities listed.
Another option is to check the Junior Gold “Advancer’s Report” on the Competitors Guide page and find those who have already qualified for your state. The leagues / tournaments they have qualified through is listed, and can also be helpful to get connected with people in your area that can point you to upcoming events.
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Last Updated on May 7, 2023 by John Voorhis