Bowling started as a sport in the 19th century in the USA. It developed out of a form of precision skittles. In 1891 the American Bowling Congress was founded and 30 years later the American bowling Association. The history of the origins of bowling in the States is also reflected in the importance of the sport and in the fact that scholarships are available for bowling.
Of course not everyone who knows about the approach, the foul line and the gutter is a top bowler. In the USA bowling as a sport is much wider spread than in Germany. However in recent years, bowling has become more popular in Germany, partly due to the success of Achim Grabowski and Jens Nickel who have acted as role models for up and coming young talent. In 2005, Jens Nickel actually won the World Ten Pin Bowling Masters. By the ladies, both Martina Beckel and Tanya Cuve, have World Champion titles to their names, however recently the Americans have again taken control. The website of the American Bowling Congress http://bowl.com/ reflects the professionalism and activities in the USA. A great number of well known tournaments take place in the States e.g. Open Championships, Queens, Masters, Pepsi Youth Championships and the Inter-College Championships.
Every year $2 million are awarded in scholarships and the teams enjoy the same level of professional coaching and medical supervision as in other sports.
Timing
The best time to go to the USA on a sports scholarship is straight after you finish school. College coaches prefer to give scholarships to younger students, as it enables them to continually train and improve a player’s performance over a period of four years. It is also possible to go to the US for just one year. Due to the contact we have to a large number of college coaches we have been able to help athletes after they have completed their Bachelor to do their Master in the USA. The best timing is if you contact us about one year before you plan to start studying in the USA. Bowlers can start studying either at the Spring Semester (January) or the Fall Semester (August).
It is hard to say who is eligible for a scholarship in bowling. However if you have taken part in the German National Championships or played at a similar level, we may be able to get you a scholarship. The best thing is to fill out our Opportunities Assessment Form and we will let you know as soon as possible what your chances are.
