If the tournament looks like the Pepsi tournament, bowls like the Pepsi tournament, it must be the 2026 Virginia Youth Scratch Championships. Same tournament, new name. You can thank USBC.
What’s changed beside the name? Divisions have been modified to align with the National Junior Gold tournament for the U12-U18 bowlers. Divisions are U12, U14, U16 and U18. Fees have been tweaked slightly, but only a $1.
What’s not changed? The rest of the tournament. Same qualifying. Same State Level. Same advancement for advancing to National JG. Same Optional Handicap Event. Same advancement ratio of at least one (1) for every seven (7) entries per division, or major fraction thereof, including last-place ties. At the 8th entry, you will have 2 qualifiers in that division. Same, same, same.
Attached information includes cover letter, November qualifier form, State Level rules, and State Level qualifier form. First qualifying window is Nov 09 – 22 Nov 2025. Second qualifying window is 25 Jan – 7 Feb 2026.
Remember qualifying at the League Level is still by SCRATCH scores. If a bowler qualifies to advance to the STATE LEVEL and pays the appropriate entry fee, the bowler can then pay an additional $10 to participate in the Optional Handicap Event in the same age division. All divisions are based solely on the bowler’s birthday, not their ages as of 1 August. See the dates in the rules.
LEAGUE LEVEL qualifiers advance to the STATE LEVEL which will be held at Bowlero Mechanicsville in Mechanicsville, Virginia outside Richmond. The 2026 dates are as follows:
- April 18/19, April 25/26 and May 2/3, 2026
State Level fees are $24 for U08/U10, $40 for U12/U14/U16/U18.
The champions in the U12, U14, U16 and U18 divisions will advance to the Junior Gold Championships in July 2026. Champions in the optional handicap divisions do NOT advance to the Junior Gold Championships.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you want a hard copy mailed to you, let me know and I’ll drop a copy in the mail. If you are no longer the proper contact for your center or league, please let me know and if possible, provide the new contact and their contact information. If you want your name removed from my list, let me know that also.
Thanks for your continued support of this great tournament.
Almost forgot, and the same tournament director. For good or bad.
Ken Sprigings
Tournament Director
(cell) 540-529-4207
sprigingsk@comcast.net
vastateusbc.com 