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Two Senate Youths Earn USBC Coaching Certifications

On December 9th, two youth bowlers from the Providence Senate Junior Program (Jalen Scott-Jones (picture right) & Nicole Trudell (picture left) traveled to Wallingford, Connecticut to take one of the final two USBC Level One Coaching Certification classes that will be offered in our area. USBC will soon be certifying coaches online and the traditional classroom setting with an USBC Certified Instructor will be a thing of the past. The instructor of this class was none other than Mr. Stewart Schilb, who has over 20 years of experience at administering the class. Mr. Schilb has trained just about every certified coach that our program has ever had. Both Jalen and Nicole (ages 14) passed the eight hour one day certification class and now made RI history as our states youngest USBC Level One Certified Coaches. "I am very proud of these two athletes simply for the fact that they had the courage to even want to pursue something this major at such a young age", says Coach Jones. "These are a couple of my most knowledgeable upcoming star bowlers that train with me all year round. I had no doubt in my mind that these two athletes would pass the class", says Coach Jones. They have now become the third and fourth Senate youth bowlers to ever become certified "Player Coaches" in our nine-year history. Our former two player-coaches were Allyson Smith & Brandon Medina, but unfortunately they no longer bowl in the program. Allyson now bowls on the collegiate level and is a junior at Texas Southern University and Brandon, who aged out of the program, has been coaching at Senate for two years now. Our new "Player-coaches" are now knowledgeable in bowling basics including the roles and responsibilities of a coach, progression of the physical game, safety issues, mental game aspects and goal setting. Congratulations to Coaches Jalen & Nicole on your USBC Certifications.

Coach Jones is Appointed TNBA Eastern Regional Tour Director

On May 19, 2007 in Louisville Kentucky at the TNBA Convention and Junior Roll-off Awards Ceremony, Coach Marty Jones (see picture above) was sworn in as the NEW Junior Tournament Director of the Eastern Region beginning in March 2008. Mr. Jones, a TNBA member for ten years, was appointed by President Aleisa Bryant, and is very excited about the opportunity to serve for such a wonderful organization. Mr. Jones is expected to resign from his post as Program Director of the highly successful Providence Juniors in order to devote his full attention to his new position. "This is great not just for me, but for our entire State Charter that the National Bowling Association would consider me for the position," says Jones. I am sure that everyone in our area is thrilled about this announcement, and that I have all their blessings for a successful tenure.

Coach Marty Jones - A Top 100 Coach for the 3rd Consecutive Time

In the July 2007 issue of the Bowlers Journal International magazine, Coach Marty Jones was selected (for the third consecutive year) as one of the Top 100 Coaches in the country. Coach Jones, who basically is operating out of an area where bowling is not as highly regarded as it is in other parts of the country, was still able to make the list alongside many of the most prominent names in the sport today. That in itself is a direct tribute to the dedication and hard work that Coach Jones has displayed year after year after year for youth bowlers in our area. It also further proves that the success rate of the Senate Program and the efforts of Coach Jones are nationally recognized. We should all be very appreciative to have such an outstanding program and a coach like Jones at our disposal. This yearly selection proves that what Coach Jones is doing in the southern New England area is of a high standard, and quite beneficial to the entire sport.

BJI has only been listing these outstanding coaches for three years now, and Coach Jones has appeared on the list each and every year. Only two other New England coaches have ever made the list besides Coach Jones, and one of them was Coach Monica Scott (Jones' top assistant coach). Coach Jones and his efforts should never be taken for granted, and over the last five years no one has done more for the sport in our area than he has.

Coach Jones has coached and produced some of the best young talent that our state has ever had and many of his student athletes have been successful on all levels of competition (state, regional and national) under his tutelage. Through the success of his program and the contacts he has made over the years, Coach Jones has been able to obtain scholarships for his youth bowlers while making them some of the first athletes in the history of their states to earn a NCAA bowling scholarships.

All year round, Coach Jones conducts practice sessions (open to any and all youth bowlers in the southern New England area) to further improve their bowling skills. In the off-season, he runs a sport shot youth league known as "Filling da Frames", designed to better prepare local area youths for national tournaments. Because of Coach Jones' competitive involvement with youth bowling in our area, the opportunities and the individual talent level has really, really improved over the years.

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Jadee is Quietly Making Noise
You Heard!

On April 13th, Jadee Scott-Jones (arguably the program's most talented & consistent bowler of all) made some noise of her own in the final weeks of the season when she posted an outstanding 267 GAME and 636 Series to re-establish herself on many of the Senate Records. The 267 game basically knocked down her old mark of 242, and her series total now places her in a tie with Senate stand-out Gazmine Mason.

Jadee, whose nickname is "Statee" because she has dominated the state of RI for the last four years currently has eight (8) 600-plus series to date. Her first came during last season at the age of ten earning her the distinction of being the youngest girl in the history of our state to be inducted into the Ocean State 600-Club. Her highest unsanctioned game and series is a 279 game (with the back 11 in a row) along with a 718 series that she posted in March of 2008.

Jadee, an 11 years old sixth grader, is currently averaging 185 in league, which ranks as the third highest in the state for all female youth bowlers this season. She only trails Senate teammates Nicole Trudell (201 average) and Deanna Outland (199 average), who both bowl in higher age divisions. At seasons end, Jadee will have won both the Ocean State High Average Award and the State All-Events Scratch Championship for the 4th straight year. That is an accomplishment that no other bowler in our state can lay claims to.

Jadee is quietly establishing herself as one of the top bowling athletes in the New England area. She has been competing in scratch events since the age of 7 with much success against older athletes, and to her credit she has over three years of sport shot experience. "What she knows about the game and how she makes adjustments in competition is far superior to that of many adult bowlers, and her mental game is beyond remarkable", says her Coach and dad. "Jadee may be young and quiet, but believe me when I tell she will make a lot of noise before her career is over at Senate." Congratulations Jadee and continued success! To view our most up to date Senate Records, click here.

JaQuan Jones Shocks the Senate

On March 16th, the Providence Senate Junior Program witnessed truly one of its greatest individual performances in its 9-year history when JaQuan Jones bowled a 299 GAME.
Yes, you read that correct, JaQuan Jones, who carries a 171 average, bowled a 2-9-9 G-A-M-E! This performance ranks right up there with the most famous 298 game Antone Cherry had with an AMF HOUSE BALL during league play some five years ago. This new accomplishment by JaQuan Jones is one of the program's most exciting experiences to date and at the same time one of the MOST unexpected.

JaQuan Jones a.k.a. "Dash", who earned his nickname because he would purposely throw gutter-balls (GB's) and basically not even try in many instances over his career at Senate despite having loads of talent, is finally starting to come into his own. JaQuan, age 16, is one of the "Original Bowlers" of the program, and to see him finally accomplish something to this magnitude simply cannot be put into words.

Dash has been training with Coach Marty and is making big strides already. "I still can't believe it to this day," says Coach Marty. "I have tried all sorts of things over the years to motivate him to excel and nothing seemed to work." That was until after our New Jersey trip. He is finally starting to come around, and even attends our weekly practice sessions. The results were a 2nd Place finish at the 2008 State Pepsi Tournament in which he was the number-one seed and back-to-back 600+ series in league play.

Congratulations, JaQuan, and keep up the good work. Soon we may have to find a new nickname for you, because you are now bowling to your potential.

Baby Girl Crawls to a 786 Series

On March 16th, Nicole "Baby Girl" Trudell, age 14, crawled up the charts again this season and broke two more records here at Senate in the female category.

The first of the two new records was the high game mark with an outstanding 287 GAME. The old Senate mark was a 279 game that held by former Senate star bowler Allyson "da First Lady" Smith (with 3) and Nicole (with 2). Nicole actually bowled the second of her two 279's a week prior to this record breaking performance.

The other record that Nicole now holds is the female Highest Series with an unbelievable 786 SERIES. The old record was held by Deanna "da Queen" Outland with a 726.

"This is so gratifying considering how hard Nicole has trained over the last two years," says Coach Marty. "I am really happy for her, and consider her to be one of my hardest working athletes."
Nicole is currently averaging a 198 and will certainly win her 4th straight State High Average Award at seasons end.

Congratulations to Nicole and keep up the hard work, and imagine what you will be able to accomplish once you go from crawling to taking "baby steps" (smiles).

Please note: Nicole currently bowls in the Junior Division (ages 12-14) so all major division female record will still remain as of such posted. That is of course, until next year! To view our most updated record sheet click here.

Nicole "Baby Girl" Trudell Bowls - 279 Game

On January 27th, while participating in the Northeast Junior Scratch which was held at AMF Cranston Lanes, Nicole "Baby Girl" Trudell, age 14, broke her own record in the Junior Girls Division here at Senate with an outstanding 279 GAME. She threw all strikes in the game with the exception of the 3rd frame. Her old personal best sanctioned score use to be a 268, which she did last season. Nicole now is tied for the highest game ever bowled by a female in our program's history putting her in the elite company of Senate Great Allyson "da First Lady" Smith, who recorded three 279 games over her career at Senate. Nicole is having yet another outstanding season, and is currently averaging a state leading 193. She is showing signs of rapid improvement and it won't be long before Nicole owns all of top female records here at Senate. To learn more about Nicole and her accomplishments, plus see actual video of her bowling visit her site at: http://www.nicoletrudell.blogspot.com/. Congratulations Nicole and continued success!

Jalen Continues to "Strikx" - 757 Series

On January 20th, Jalen "Strikx" Jones, age 14, posted his highest series to date and at the same time broke his own Junior Division High Series Record here at Senate with an outstanding 757 series. Over the weekend, Jalen shot two 700+ series, while competing in the Rhode Island USBC YA State Tournament. The event was held at East Providence Lanes and his record setting performance was done during the team event. So far this season, Jalen has shot program leading five 700 series and appears to be improving more and more with each passing month. He almost shot a perfect game, but for the third time in his career he failed to strike in the 10th frame after starting out with the first nine in a row. Jalen, who is our program's "All-Time" tournament champion and holds numerous records at Senate won Singles, Teams and All-Events (Scratch) this year at RI States.To view our more current record setters click here. Congratulations Jalen and continued success!

Gazmine "GG" Breaks the Record

On January 13th, Gazmine Mason treated our program to an amazing record-breaking performance when she broke the Prep (girls) Division High Series mark with an outstanding 636 SERIES during league play. Gazmine "Got Game" Mason, age 11, posted games of 230-190-216 to become only the second girl in our program's history to ever reach a 600 series at or before the age of 11. The other young bowler to do so is Jadee Scott-Jones, who has four 600-plus series to date. Gazmine, who beat the mark by two pins, now joins Jadee as the youngest girls in Rhode Island history to ever be inducted into the Ocean State USBC 600-Club.

Gazmine, who is only in her third year of training with Coach Marty, has developed into a very talented young athlete. For her age and size, this girl's "Got Game" and that is how she acquired her nickname from Coach Marty. Gazmine is very proud of her accomplishment and wants to thank the following individuals - both her parents for all their support, Coach Marty for all that he has taught her about bowling, and Joe from the Pro Shop who drilled her bowling ball two weeks ago. Gazmine is currently averaging a 162/game at Senate, and hopes to one day earn a NCAA bowling scholarship. Congratulations GG, we are very proud of you and your NEW RECORD.

Another One of Brandon's Records Falls This Season

On January 6th, Justin "No Practice Needed" Scott-Jones (picture right) became our NEW Senate Program All-Time Leading Scorer when he broke the record, which was held by former Senate Star Brandon Medina. Brandon a.k.a. Coach B-Late (picture left) all of his records are being shattered one-by-one during our 9th season. Coach B, who bowled with Senate for seven seasons before he aged out, compiled 113,186 over that time span. Justin, who has been a part of our program since its inception in 1999, has one more year remaining. Justin finished the day with 113,211 pins, and will continue to raise his point total throughout the season. He knows that his record will eventually come down in a few years by his younger brother, and then by his little sister.

Rai Ranks with the Best

So far in this early season, Rai Doblmeier a.k.a. "MVP" has been posting some Record Breaking and outstanding scores in both league and tournament play. For starters on Nov. 25th, he bowled games of a 289 & 290 all in the same day. The 289 game was part of his new recording breaking 809 series performance (278-242-289) and the 290 was rolled later that day, while competing in the Ocean State Adult/child tournament. Rai is currently leading the State with a 229 average and is on pace to shatter the Senate High Average Record presently held by former Senate Great, Brandon Medina. Rai, age 19, is a very, very talented and knowledgeable bowler, who has loads of potential. "That is simply amazing and when Rai graduates from our program, he should definitely consider turning PRO and bowling on the PBA tour," says Coach Marty Jones. Oh yeah, he has also shot a 789 series this season too. Just for the record Rai also shot a 299, 300 (game) and a 790 series last season. Rai has considered many times joining the adult leagues, but has remained in the Senate mainly because (1) he enjoys both the competition level of the program and the family-style atmosphere, and (2) he enjoys working with the younger athletes. To view our most updated record setting scores, click here. Congratulations Rai - excellent bowling!

Jadee Tops the Charts

On November 4th, during the State Adult/child Tournament which was held at AMF Lang's Lanes in Cranston, Jadee Scott-Jones a.k.a. "Statee" bowled a New Prep Division Girls High Game Record with a remarkable 242 game. Jadee, age 11, holds quite a few records and basically finds herself taking down her own scores during the season. In her record breaking game, Jadee did not have a single strike until the 6th frame and went off the sheet from there. She is currently averaging a 175 in league, and ranks in the top 5 in our state for female bowlers despite her age. Congratulations Jadee - excellent job!

David Raises the Bar with an 803 Series

On October 21st, David "D-Money" Lewis, age 16, broke the League Highest Series Record when he bowled an amazing 803 SERIES during league play. David posted scores of 268-276-259 to achieve our program's first ever 800 series. The previous record was 790 held by Chris Page (who is now in the adult leagues) and current Senate team member Rai Doblmeier. Over the last two weeks, David saw his Junior Division Record of 705 get shattered when teammate Jalen Scott-Jones broke it not once but twice in back to back weeks. David has held many Senate Records over the years, but usually they only last about two seasons before Jalen takes them down. With this record, David really raised the bar and challenges his teammate(s) to try to top this one. "David is just an amazing athlete", says Coach Marty. He was so calm and showsed very little emotions while bowling that I wonder if he even realizes the magnitude of this accomplishment. Nonetheless, we at Senate are very, very proud of him and his New Record. To view our Senate Records, click here.

Jalen Breaks Senate Record with 726 Series

On Oct 7th, our program witnessed its first Record Breaking Performance of the 2007-08 Season when Jalen Scott-Jones formerly known as "Lil Hook" broke the Junior Division High Series mark with an outstanding 726 series. The old record was held by teammate David Lewis with a 705 series. With this new accomplishment, Jalen will now add yet another program record to his resume here at Senate while also earning a new nickname "Strikx" in the process. Jalen, who for many years was known as "Lil Hook" because of his skills at such a young age, has now basically outgrown that name and therefore will now be called "Strikx". He is now 14 years old, bigger and definitely stronger than when he acquired the old nickname at 5 years old. He can flat out strike and if you don't believe me, then take note to the scores that he posted 266-228-232 while registering his first ever sanctioned 700 series. He almost had a perfect game too, but split in the 10th frame after shooting the first 9 in a row in game one. Read more here.

Jalen, who is our programs "All-Time" tournament champion holds numerous records at Senate, but is most proud of this one at the present time. Jalen currently has a 212 league average, and his goal for this season is to win the State High Average and also break our program record for his age division. To view our program records, then click on the link provided. Congratulations Jalen and continued success.

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The Providence Senate Junior Program is becoming a hotbed for college coaches looking to recruit talented bowlers for their bowling programs. Although bowling may not be considered as big in our area as it is in other parts of the country, our youth bowlers are still getting much consideration from many college coaches in the nation. Despite the fact that we don't even have high school bowling in our area, the Senate currently has produced four bowlers that are all attending schools on NCAA Bowling Scholarships this season.

Of the four bowlers, Allyson Smith (pic top left), of Taunton MA, became our program's first bowler to receive an NCAA Bowling Scholarship when she signed with Texas Southern University in Houston, TX out of the SWAC. Allyson is currently a junior, and in her first two seasons, she has earned a couple of 2nd Team All-Conference selections.

Jazmine Price (pic top right), of Riverside RI, became our next bowler to earn an NCAA Bowling Scholarship when she signed with Saint Paul's College in Virginia out of the CIAA. Jazmine, who is a freshman at SPC, has earned a starting spot on the team and is having a very productive first season. SPC won the 2007 CIAA Eastern Division and finished in 2nd place in the conference championship. Click here to read the article in the Providence Journal about her accomplishments and scholarship.

Courtney Varin (pic bottom left), of West Warwick RI, is also a freshman and attends Delaware State University out of the MEAC. She is off to a fantastic start, and her team has twice beaten University of Maryland Eastern Shore (the 2007 National Runner-up). Courtney, despite being a freshman, is having an outstanding rookie campaign and appears to be the vocal leader as well as starter on the team. There has been a couple of articles written on Courtney by her local newspaper in the Kent County Times.

Our fourth bowler on a NCAA Bowling Scholarship is (Deanna Outland - pic bottom right), who now attends Saint Paul's College with Jazmine. Deanna joins the team in mid-season after transferring from a local community college in RI. Deanna was dominating the state before she left, and is expected to have a great career at SPC. Click here to read the article in the Providence Journal about her accomplishments and scholarship.

The program has many more outstanding up and coming bowlers. According to Coach Jones, "the best is yet to come." For information or film on any of the bowlers in the program, please contact Coach Jones at mjay43@aol.com..

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2008 Filling da Frames Summer Leagues - Sign Ups

This year, Coach Marty will be coordinating TWO scratch Sport Shot singles summer leagues designed to help improve our area bowlers who are serious about their bowling. On Monday nights, the Filling da Frames Scratch Singles Sport Shot League begins on May 19th at East Providence Lanes, 80 Newport Avenue in Rumford. This league is open to any youth bowler that carries a minimum average of 155 or better, who is looking for a challenge. The other summer league will run on Thursday nights, at AMF Lang's Lanes, 225 Niantic Avenue in Cranston, and begins on May 22nd. This league is intended for both adults and youth bowlers with separate divisions. Both leagues will bowl on PBA oil patterns, and the houses will put down a pattern each week for you to practice on. If you would like more information about Coach Marty's Summer Leagues, then click here. And remember, summer is the time for "real" bowlers. That's because "real" bowlers bowl year round, not just when the weather is bad. If you are going to be bowling this summer, why not work on your game. Summer is the perfect time to make some improvements.

Alex Wins Summer League in the Tie-Breaker Match

For the second consecutive summer, many of the best youth bowlers in the southeastern New England area traveled to East Providence Lanes, in Rhode Island to compete in the 2007 Filling da Frames Scratch Singles Youth Summer League. The Summer League was formed by Coach Marty Jones, and it was intended to improve the talent level of our youth bowlers by allowing them the opportunity to gain valuable experience in a competitive setting.

The youths bowled on Monday evenings and the summer league ran for twelve weeks on rotating PBA lane conditions (shark, viper, scorpion, chameleon and cheetah). The bowlers (ranging from 10 to 20 years of age) would face four different opponents in a head-to-head format per evening with the first match always being a position round. The summer league was a huge success, and Senate bowlers Nicole Trudell and Alex Raedel (picture left) both finished with identical 56-16 records. Alex went on to capture the 2007 title by beating Nicole in the one game Roll-off. For the second year in a row, the league champion came out of the Providence Senate Junior Program (David Lewis being the 2006 championship). The league saw an increase from 24 to 30 youth bowlers this time around, and that is a direct result of the amount of youth bowlers that are looking to improve their skills.

Christine Belsky, of Attleboro MA, ended the season with the highest average (184); highest game (237); and highest series (811). She actually was in a three-way tie for first place, but had to leave to return to college. Christine bowls for Newman University in Kansas. Alex led all boys with a 177 average. The High Game (boys) went to Tim Joly, of Slaterville RI (234). Tim is enrolled at Vincennes University in Indiana, and is expected to try out for the bowling team. The High Series (boys) was rolled by Chris Girard, of Cranston RI (803). Chris is an Assistant Manager at AMF Lang's Lanes, and bowls out of their junior program. The youngest bowler in the summer league for second summer was Jadee Scott-Jones, of Riverside RI, who is ten years old. Jadee finished with a 145 average; 211 game; and 655 series for a 20th place finish in the standings.

Other members of the summer league were as follows: Danny Khuu, of Brockton MA; Kalvin Chin, of Brookline MA; Darrin Borges, of New Bedford MA; Justin Ayvilla, of New Bedford MA; Steve Bodak, of Pawtucket RI; Kris Chin, of Brookline MA; Courtney Varin, of West Warwick RI; Matt Peter, of Mansfield MA; Rai Doblmeier, of Warwick RI; Jazmine Price, of Riverside RI; Justin Scott-Jones, of Riverside RI; Kyle Parfitt, of East Providence RI; Jalen Scott-Jones, of Riverside RI; Steve Johnson, of Boston MA; Josh Parthree, of Brockton MA; Carlin Cook, of East Providence RI; Chris Karsulavitch, of Pawtucket RI; Peter Schaefer, of Riverside RI; David Lewis, of Warwick RI; Dion Baker, of Providence RI; Chris Moseley, of Stoughton MA; JaQuan Jones, of Providence RI; and Dan Abrames, of Rumford RI.

Hope to see you all again next year! Good luck bowling this coming season.

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No More Playing on the Streets

There's No Place Like Home! Good News!!!! It appears that the Providence Senate Junior Program has finally found a HOME for the future, and no longer will the youth bowlers be left to hang out in the streets and possibly get into trouble.

The Providence Senate Junior Program, which began in 1999 out of AMF Langs Lanes, returns to the bowling center for its 9th season after two seasons of bowling at AMF Cranston Lanes. The Program thanks Cranston for its hospitality while allowing us to fulfill a couple of successful years there. Within that span, we captured two more State titles, another Regional Championship, broke numerous program records, produced two more collegiate scholarship bowlers, while falling just short of a second National title. We now will conduct league out of Langs, and we look forward to the future.

Our talented youths can now concentrate of improving their skills in our fun, competitive, family-type atmosphere. We thank AMF District Manager Rob Califano for all that he did to keep us in the comforts of an AMF Bowling Center. We are especially thankful to Ed Veltri, who was the manager when we left, for allowing us to return (HOME). "The relationship with (manager) Mr. Velti and our coaching staff is off to a great start, and we look forward to a long and successful future together," says Coach Jones. Home Sweet Home!

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Da Queen and D-Money Propel Senate to the Top

On December 29th, our travel team competed in its 4th event of the season and faced top seeded KB at AMF Lang's Lanes. "KB is a veteran team, who has some very good bowlers", says Coach Marty. KB is one of the top contenders in the travel league, and we knew that it would take our best team effort in order to come out on top.

The Senate used a balanced attack to win four out of five matches. Five of our seven bowlers average over 200 for the day and we were lead by Deanna "da Queen" Outland (picture left) and David "D-Money" Lewis (picture right). The Senate now moves into first place in the Ocean State Travel League, and did a great job of filling da frames. We only had FIVE (non-split) open frames for the entire competition (4 of them by Alex).

Senate top performers were: David Lewis (266 game & 701 series); Deanna Outland (258 game & 631 series); Rai Doblmeier (269 game & 477 series for two games); Jalen Scott-Jones (253 game & 451 series for two games); and Nicole Trudell (215 game & 426 series for two games). Our next match is January 26th, and it will be our home date. We will be facing Old Mountain Juniors out of Wakefield. This will be a key match for us, mainly because both Walnut Hill and KB, two teams that are tied for 2nd place in the standings will be facing each other that same day. To view our most current team stats click here.

This marked the final travel event for Deanna, who has earned a NCAA Bowling Scholarship to Saint Paul's College in Virginia. SPC is currently ranked 17th in the nation in the latest NTCA poll (click here). Deanna will be joining the team in mid-season and is expected to have an immediate impact. We like to wish her the best.

Senate Tops another Opponent on Sub par Performance

On December 8th, our Travel Team competed in its third travel event of the season and faced the RI Flyers. Bowling for the Senate were Jalen Scott-Jones (picture right), Paul Judice, Deanna Outland, Rai Doblmeier (picture left), Justin Scott-Jones, Nicole Trudell and Alex Raedel. Although this was our worst team performance of the travel season, we were still able to sweep our opponent five games to none (5-0), and Coach B did yet another fantastic job of making the right roster moves and coaching decisions in the process. One of the keys to our victories came mainly from our two reserves of the day (Alex and Nicole), who both came in providing the team with solid performances. Unlike many other teams, we had the luxury of turning to our bench and inserting 200-plus (average) bowlers in place of our starters that were having an off day. These subs proved to be the difference as Coach B decided to stay with this unit for the duration of the competition.

The leading scorers for Senate were Jalen (234 game & 620) and Rai (225 game & 639), who continue to dominate the Ocean State Travel League. We also had a strong contribution from Justin, who bowled in the anchor spot. The Senate won all five matches despite the fact that it was determined that the Flyers had an ineligible bowler on their roster, which resulted in a second game forfeit. This was an unfortunate situation that could have been avoided had the RI Flyers Coaching Staff been more knowledgeable of both their player personnel and also the Ocean State Travel League Rules in general. It also was kind of weird competing against them considering that their roster consisted of a few of our former senate members that chose not to return to our program this season. But it is what it is and our team now moves into third place in the standings. The match was originally scheduled for AMF Lang's Lanes, but was moved to AMF Cranston Lanes because the center was over-booked. Our next match will be at AMF Lang's Lanes on December 29th against (first place) Kingstown Bowl. KB currently holds a three game lead over us and we expect a very competitive match. To view our most current travel team stats, click here.

Senate Bowls Well but Comes Up Short

On November 10th, our Travel Team took the floor for the second time this season with a match against Walnut Hill Juniors who bowl out of Woonsocket. The event was held at Old Mountain Lanes in Wakefield, and competing for Senate were Jalen Scott-Jones (picture left), Nicole Trudell, Justin Scott-Jones, Alex Raedel, Rai Doblmeier, David Lewis and (rookie) Gian Papa (picture right). Unfortunately for us, we lost four out of the five points and never really could overcome the handicap pins that we had to give them each game. We lost the total (hdcp) by only twenty-six pins, and had Alex not fouled late in the game on a would be four-bagger, then things might have been turned out differently.

The team once again displayed a balanced attack with six of the seven athletes averaging over 200 for the day. Top bowlers were southpaws Jalen (240 game & 673 series) and Gian (248 game & 440 series for two games). Only Jalen bowled in all three games, everyone else bowled in just two. We had strong contributions from Rai (268 game & 446 series); David (225 game & 436 series); Justin (211 game & 418 series) and Alex (212 game & 405 series). The lowest bowler on the team that day was Nicole with a 206 game and 389 series. Our team currently has all the top team scratch totals, and its current record (scratch) is 7-1 in the Ocean State Travel League. To view our team stats after two events, click here. Our next travel match is December 8th, at AMF Langs Lanes versus the RI Flyers.

Senate Uses a Balance Attack in Opener

On October 20th, the Senate Travel Team opened the season with a match against Alley Katz Juniors at Kingstown Bowl. Suiting up for Senate was Jalen Scott-Jones, Deanna Outland, Justin Scott-Jones, Alex Raedel, Rai Doblmeier, Nicole Trudell (picture left) and rookie Paul Judice (picture right). The team looked very impressive with five of the seven bowlers averaging over 200 for the day. Leading the way for Senate was Alex (224) followed by Nicole (223); Rai (221); Justin (213); and Paul (205). Coach B arrived late due to car trouble, but once he got there he did an outstanding job of making the right coaching decisions & substitutions. The team out-bowled its opponent by 659 total pins scratch over four games plus the baker game. The team shot over 1013 every game and had a high single of 1111 scratch in the third game. In the baker match, we won 244-139 scratch and started the game off with the first five strikes. Top scores of the day were: Alex (257); Rai (254); Justin (251); and Nicole (234). Our next travel match is on November 10th, at Old Mountain Lanes in Wakefield. We will be facing the Walnut Hill Juniors. Please click here to see the state standing results after the first event and here for our team stats after the first event.

Senate Wants to Make Travel League Scratch

Our 2007-08 Travel Team will pretty much be just as strong this season as it has always been (if not better) with only subtle changes in personnel. Due to the talent level of our team, we will be at a disadvantage in the Ocean State Travel League, basically because of handicap purposes. The Senate would pretty much like to see the Ocean State Travel League become scratch, but we seriously doubt if that will ever happen. Our team is very much interested in joining the Massachusetts Travel League, so if there is any interest in having us, pleasecontact the coaching staff.

Coaching the team will be Brandon Medina (Head Coach) and Marty Jones (Assistant Coach). The team will hold a two-day tryout, which will consist of actual game scores, target shooting, spare conversion percentages, and a scrimmage against another team. All applicants will be required to fill out a questionnaire to give us a better understanding of each individual before the final roster is announced. The applicants were all informed that we were not just considering abilities, but most importantly attitudes/conducts. So without further delay, I bring to you our 2007-08 Travel Team members:

Brandon Medina a.k.a "Coach B" is at the helm for his 2nd season. Coach B is a USA Junior Olympic Level One coach and 2006-07 PSJP Coach of the Year Recipient. Coach B has a lot of knowledge and experience in the RIUSBCYA Travel League. He also was a member of two of our Senate Travel Championship Teams.

Marty Jones a.k.a. "Coach Marty" will serve as Brandon's assistant again this season, and possibly move into the Head position if Coach B moves down south during the season. Coach Marty is a USBC Bronze Level coach, who was listed among the Top 100 bowling coaches by Bowlers Journal International for the third consecutive year.

Justin Scott-Jones a.k.a. "No Practice Needed" will move to his normal position as Team Captain and also will be expected to lead this talented team. Justin has loads of travel league experience and will no doubt be called upon to deliver in clutch situations.

Deanna Outland a.k.a. "da Queen of Senate" is one of only two girls to make this years' team. Deanna will bring veteran leadership to the squad by in part that she has been on all seven of our Senate Travel teams. She also finished 2nd in average last year.

Nicole Trudell a.k.a. "Baby Girl" is the other female on the roster and she brings two years of experience to the team. Nicole is a very talented young bowler, who also won the Travel League High Average last season.

David Lewis a.k.a. "D-Money" is a three-year veteran who is more than capable of leading the team on his shoulders at any moment of any match. This talented bowler is projected as our anchor bowler of the future.

Jalen Scott-Jones a.k.a. "Strikx" is a two-year veteran, who has talent and knowledge well beyond his years. Jalen sets the tone for the team from the leadoff position, and possesses the ability to string many strikes in a row at any given moment.

Rai Doblmeier a.k.a. "MVP" is arguably the best bowler in the New England area and without question the most talented. Not only is he an excellent bowler, but Rai is well respected too. His peers selected him as the Travel League Sportsmanship Award winner last year.

Alex Raedel a.k.a. "Funny A" is a two-year veteran, but it seems like he has been bowling on the team forever. Alex is one of the elder statesmen of the team and will be called upon to bring leadership to the squad. Last season Alex finished 2nd in average with a 212.

Paul Judice a.k.a. "Juice" is one of three rookies to make this years' team. He will be used similarly to how Dion Baker was used last season and could prove to be a valuable component to the team this year. He may very well be the key to this years team.

Gian Papa a.k.a. "Mr. Perfect" makes his rookie debut on the Senate Travel Team. Gian currently is the youngest bowler in the history of our program to ever shoot a 300 game. No Senate bowler has ever shot more than one perfect game - can Gian be the first?

Sarah Pimentel earns the final spot on this year's travel team, and the Senate will now have three girls on the current team roster. The team is excited about adding Sarah to the squad. She will provide some much needed handicap, and we hope that she will continue to excel in this sport and build upon last year's success.

Making the team as alternates will be JaQuan Jones and Bobby Pacuk. JaQuan was a member of our 2006-07 team, and although he did not earn a roster spot this year, he still will be called upon to bring some travel league experience when needed. Bobby is the team's youngest athlete this year (at 12 years old) and will use this season as a learning experience while gaining valuable experience towards the future. Bobby, who has only been bowling for a year now, is one of our up and coming star bowlers. Both of these bowlers were chosen as alternates with an emphasis on them being solid future travel team contributors.

Speaking of the future, next year will be the much anticipated arrival of the most heralded athlete in the history of our program. Jadee Scott-Jones, age 11, who has been good enough to be on our very talented travel team since about age 9, but could not bowl due to age restrictions. She will finally be old enough to begin bowling in the Ocean State Travel League next season. Jadee is projected to be our next great "lead-off" bowler and will immediately challenge for a starting spot in the rotation on the squad next season.

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Continue to Train in the Off-Season with Coach Marty

Just so you know, the Providence Senate Junior Program will be conducting scheduled league practice sessions during the off-season to assist our athletes as they continue to develop their games for the upcoming season. A monthly calendar with the dates, time and cost of the practice sessions will be mailed out to all senate junior bowlers over the summer months.

Coach Marty's practices will focus on bowling fundamentals, target shooting, strength & conditioning along with bowling discussions. The intent of each training session emphasizes the importance in preparing our athletes for future scholarship tournament events. Some sessions will stress the importance of a good spare shooting game, while converting each individual into a team-oriented player. Just so you know, these (Senate) practices are not mandatory, but are available for those that want to come and practice under the watchful eye of Coach Jones. All bowlers must wear either their Senate or Filling da Frames attire to the practice session(s).

Many Senate athletes train all year round and primarily practice on sport-compliant oil patterns in an effort to help better prepare them for the demanding and challenging scratch scholarship tournaments that they compete in throughout the season. East Providence Lanes & AMF Lang's Lanes, located less than fifteen minutes from each other, are our primary practice facilities. Our program offers the latest in instruction through the use of Ebonite's BowlersMAP video analysis software for teaching and monitoring effective techniques. Head Coach Marty Jones, who has over thirteen years of coaching experience, currently has produced fifteen Ocean State High Average winners.

Coach Marty also works with adults (in the off-season), who are looking to improve their skills. If you would like to make an appointment for a lesson, then contact Coach Marty at mjay43@aol.com.

Senate Star Returns after off-season Surgery

In this Section, we are going to follow the rehabilitation process of one of our top youth bowlers (Tori Whetstone), as she tries to return to stardom under the tutelage of Coach Marty Jones. Tori, age 12, has only been training with Coach Jones for two seasons now, and over that short amount of time, she has grown into one of the states top female bowling prospects.

Since our Programs inception, Coach Jones has successfully rehabilitated another teammate (Jalen), who was in a cast just last season. Jalen, age 14, ended the2006-07 season with a 176 average. He is currently averaging a 209 and is off to a successful start of the season.

On July 12th, Tori had to prematurely drop out of Coach Jones' PBA Experience Youth Scratch Summer League in order to have surgery preformed to repair the bone of her ankle on her slide foot. The surgery was very successful, and by September 12th the cast was removed. She then had to wear "a Boot" until September 24th. Tori began Physical Therapy on October 1st at Ocean State Physical Therapy in Warwick. She received clearance from her doctor on October 22nd to resume bowling, and immediately called Coach Jones for a practice session. Coach Jones, after observing her initial workout, determined that this was going to require a lot of hard work, determination and perseverance for her to return even close to the level that she once was let alone better. He also explained to her parents that he would not place winning over her safety. She is recovering extremely fast, and is already ahead of the scheduled pace that Coach Jones had set for her. Tori worked with Coach Jones on nothing but the basic fundamentals and it was his decision to start her off in the bumpers (just as Jalen did the year before). She made her Senate debut on October 28th in the Beginners Scratch Division very much ahead of schedule.

Our entire programs bowls scratch and we have three divisions based on skill level. Tori lasted just one week in our Beginners Division where she bowled using the one-knee technique with an emphasis on her arm swing and release. In November, she moved up to the Intermediate Division where she bowled using the one-step technique. Tori's way ahead of schedule and no one expected her to be back bowling already. She works very hard and is a good student of the game. She has now bowled two weeks in the Intermediate Divisions still using the one-step technique and believe it or not, she has qualified for the 2008 Ocean State Pepsi-Cola Tournament this coming March through our program. On November 25th, Tori shot a 206 game, which currently is her highest game of the season.

We will be documenting Tori's progress throughout the season and hopefully everything works out for her as she travels down that long road to recovery.

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It's Time to Raise Some Dough

IT'S TIME TO RAISE SOME DOUGH (Get it?)!: First, I would like to thank everyone that has made donations for all of the support. It is truly appreciated. Please know that your contributions help to reduce costs for our less-fortunate team members.

The Providence Youth Bowling Program is now trying to raise some "extra dough." The money that we raise through fundraisers is primarily used for equipment, uniforms, and for trips to scholarship tournaments that are out-of-state which tend to incur elevated costs that most of our members cannot afford.

Now, we're selling "Cookie Dough" again. We had such a great response last year, and are excited about offering it again this year. The Cookie Dough will be on sale for three weeks (Sept. 30 - Oct.21). The delivery date will be a month later, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Each tub of dough costs between $12 and $14. The three-pound tub makes approximately 96 cookies. And there are ten different delicious kinds to choose from.
Lastly, all "dough" will be collected at the time of placing order. We accept cash or personal checks made out to: Providence Senate Junior Program. For your convenience, you can order online by simply emailing Coach Jones at mjay43@aol.com. On behalf of the team, and myself, thanks again. All cookie dough contains ZERO trans fat.

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