There are no more clashes of the pins or the applause from friends and family. The champions have been crowned and the tournament staff have all gone home.

The Junior Gold tournament is the hardest test in all of youth bowling. The bowlers compete on non-disclosed patterns in different bowling centers to make the best of the best rise to the top.

This is where I have in the past talked about what an amazing week I had from the Trade Show to the Practice Sessions to the day-to-day competition. Please do not get me wrong as I am part of the tournament working staff this is by far the hardest working week with little to no sleep and is also the most joyful week watching these youth players reach their goals.

This year my son Masen has competed in his first Junior Gold event alongside the PWBA 10th Anniversary Open Baker Pro-Am in which his team finished in the round of four and the Bowling.com Youth Open where unofficially their best finish is currently in 2nd place.

The schedule is not only grueling on the youth players but the family as well. For us our travel day started on July 10th and we headed straight up to Buzz Social where they were hosting the bowling ball demos and here is a pro tip. The ball demos are the best place to see, talk and get autographs with the pros as the alternative will be standing in the lines at the trade show where you just get a few seconds with each Pro. After leaving the ball demo we headed to Super Bowl to pick up the team jerseys for the Youth Open. Now off to get lunch and to get ready for the PWBA Pro-Am.

Tonight’s Pro-Am is a 10 game baker style where the four kids (our U12 and U15 teams) bowled together and the PWBA pros will move after each game. They will take the top 8 and each team gets to pick their PWBA player for the rest of match play in a winner takes all bracket. The U15 lost their first match finishing in the round of 8 where the U12 team won their first match and lost in the round of 4 to the team who went on to win the event.

There was no rest for the wicked as both the U12 and U15 teams were back on the lanes bright eyed and ready to compete in the Bowling.com Youth Open bowling Team on the 7 a.m. squad and the Singles & Doubles on the 11 a.m. squad. As I mentioned above the best finish between the teams is the U12 team currently in second place. One would think that’s all right….? Nope as Masen and his teammate Dominic had their first of four practice sessions for Junior Gold at 4 p.m.

Outsiders might agree that is a lot of bowling and we agreed too, so we decided to skip the day 2 practice session and just went to the trade show where Masen got registered and was able to get his first credentials. Over the past few years watching some of the older kids having theirs on their backpacks he was excited to have his own with his name and division on it. So far to this point I was able to be there, but this is where we break off and I am working my center and Amber and Masen continue to enjoy all that is Junior Gold.

The next day I reported to Bowlero Sabre Lanes about 3 p.m. to start to get the lanes assigned and run the reports and check in lists. After we got the morning squad all set up Sam and I booked it to the Resch Center to attend the Opening Ceremony and the Live PWBA finals. Amber and Masen stayed for the Opening Ceremony where Masen walked out with the Wisconsin players.

After a lot of bowling so far it is now what all the players are here for …… JUNIOR GOLD!

My schedule for the next week will look like a scene from the movie Groundhogs Day. Alarm goes off at 415 a.m. to meet in the lobby at 445 a.m. to be at the center by 5 a.m. This is my home until the last ball is thrown each day and I processed the squad and we got back to the hotel around midnight. For the competitors there are four squad times and over the four days the players will hit each one. Masen’s schedule was Day 1 at 730 a.m., Day 2 at 830 p.m., Day 3 at 4 p.m. and Day 4 at 1130 a.m.

There are many goals at different levels that these kids put on themselves, but as the first timers have no prior experience it is a bit harder to have goals and we just decided to let Masen just go and do his thing and boy did he! Masen finished his first Junior Gold in 66th Place and will earn a $150 scholarship.

Day 1 Oil Pattern at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley

Day 2 Oil Pattern at Dale’s Weston Lanes

Day 3 Oil Pattern at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley

Day 4 Oil Pattern at Dale’s Weston Lanes

This was an amazing trip and growth for Masen as a youth player and is already asking to do this again next year. So I guess we will see you in Minneapolis, Minnesota for Junior Gold 2026.