WELCOME

To The Wonderful World of the Stoke-on-Trent Superbowl Youth Bowling Club

It now has 33 members, boys and girls aged between 8 and 18 years, who compete in a league each Saturday morning.

The YBC is a member of the National Association of Youth Bowling Clubs and the league is sanctioned by the BTBA.

The YBC was formed to introduce youngsters to the sport of tenpin bowling, and to teach them the skills and techniques of successful bowling.

In the early years the junior bowlers competed in Teams in a handicap league which is the format common to most YBC's.

In 1995 the structure of the league was changed to a Handicap Singles league with a number of divisions based on levels of ability.

The league currently has seven divisions. Bowlers who average less than 96 pins a game compete in Division 5. Bowlers who average between 96 and 114 compete in Division 4. Bowlers who average between 115 and 125 compete in Division 3. Bowlers who average between 126 and 135 compete in Division 2. Bowlers who average between 136 and 149 compete in Division 1. Bowlers who have 150 or over compete in the Premier Division. The top division is the Super 500 where bowlers must average 500 pins a series to earn a place in this division.

All YBC bowlers compete in a division for a 6-week period. Points are awarded every week in each division. The bowler with the highest handicap series is awarded 12 points, the next highest 11 points, and so on. At the end of the six-week period medals are awarded to the bowler in each division with the highest points. Those points are also accumulated in a Merit Table each week and trophies are awarded at the end of the season to the highest placed bowlers on the Merit Table, regardless of which divisions they have competed in. Their average during that period determines whether they are promoted, relegated, or remain in the same division for the next period.

This system ensures that they are continually bowling with other youngsters of similar ability. As their skills improve they climb to a higher division and if their form slumps they have every incentive to improve and gain promotion at the end of the period.

A 45 minute coaching session is held each Saturday morning before the league starts. Individual help is given by one of the six instructors and coaches who are all licensed by the BTBA.

Julie and Neil Coe have been coaching the YBC from the very beginning. Both are Phase 111 coaches and Neil is a Dick Ritger Academy Certified Instructor. Chris Hodges is a Phase 1 instructor and has been coaching the YBC for many years. Barry Strilecki is a Phase 1 instructor in his second season with Stoke YBC. Ralph Ransom is well known throughout the Midlands with many years experience at Stafford YBC. He joined Stoke YBC in 1998 and has made a major impact with novices and junior tournament bowlers alike. The newest member of the coaching team is 19 year old Steve Hodges, who qualified as a Phase 1 instructor in 1998. Steve was a Stoke YBC member from the time of its formation and current bowlers are benefiting from his experience in the world of junior bowling.