Q.         What is the Minnesota Junior Bowlers Tour?

A.         The Minnesota Junior Bowlers Tour (MJBT) is a youth, scratch scholarship event held at a different bowling center in Minnesota each event. Our "Tour" is conducted 11 months of the year, with our year being from August to June. The MJBT is certified by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Greendale, WI. (tournament certification # 04234)

Q.         Is anybody eligible for the MJBT?

A.         Any bowler that is a current USBC Youth or Collegiate certified member that has not reached their 21st bday as of August 1, 2010 can participate. Non-USBC members are also eligible when they pay an extra $2.00 participation fee. Minnesota residency is not required for the MJBT. In fact, we attract bowlers from all over Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan and even Canada!

Q.         Are there separate divisions for men and women?

A.         Yes there is!! The MJBT will have a separate Women's division any time there are 6 or more entered for any given event. Women can compete in the Men's division if they wish, but must stick with that choice for 1 full year. 

Q.         How much does it cost?

A.         The cost is $40 per entry, per event. For first time bowlers, the fee is only $35. The second time you participate, you must pay an additional $25 membership fee (along with the $40 entry), which is good for 1 year from date of purchase. Late / walk-in entries will be subject to a $10 late fee.

Q.         When and where are your tournaments?

A.         Events are typically held the third Sunday of every month, with the exception of some holidays and center availability. The events are held in various centers throughout Minnesota, with our base being in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Check in begins at 8:00am with paddock at 8:45 and bowling at 9:00. Please check our latest schedule for dates and sites. You can also look in The Metro Bowler, a Twin Cities area newspaper dedicated to the sport of bowling, for the latest schedule.

Q.         I heard the MJBT is on the Internet. Where can I find your site?

A.         The MJBT website can be found at www.mjbt.org. We believe that we were the first youth bowling organization on the net starting back in 1996. This site is updated monthly and has all the latest results, statistics, news, and links to other bowling related sites from around the world and much more!

Q.         Is pre-registration highly recommended?

A.         Yes. Entries should be received the Wednesday prior to the tournament. If your entry is received after or at the tournament site, you will pay a $10 late fee. Walk-in entries will be accepted on a space available basis only. Entries are accepted up to two months in advance of the event. Entry forms are available at tournament stops or are available online at www.mjbt.org. Should you fail to show for an event without canceling, you will lose your full entry fee.

Q.         I have heard the bowlers get fines. Is this really true?

A.         Yes, it is. The bowlers can and do get fines for various reasons including, unsportsmanlike conduct, missing / incorrect scoresheet information, failing to reserve spot, etc. All money generated from fines goes directly to our Year End prize fund. Fines / Rules are enforced. We strive to run the MJBT as professionally as possible, while having fun at the same time.

Q.         Who holds my scholarship winnings?

A.         All MJBT scholarship dollars go to USBC Headquarters in Arlington TX, in a program called SMART (acct #8587). This is a national program designed for safe, hassle free administration of scholarship dollars across the nation. The SMART program actually does all the paperwork, including sending out reminder notices to all the bowlers. To withdraw winnings, you would actually contact SMART directly and not the MJBT. To learn more about SMART, call them at 800-514-BOWL, or go to www.bowl.com.

Q.         What is the format, and is it different for women?

A.         The format is the same for everybody. All bowlers roll a 9 game qualifier, with the top 8 or 10 men and top 4 or 6 women going into a match play/or stepladder final. All scores are based on a +/- system of 200 and pins do not carry over into match play. All that make it to match play/stepladder are guaranteed scholarship. Our High Qualifiers do earn some extra money for their efforts, plus the MJBT has a High Game Out for the man and woman who did not make the cut, but rolled the highest game of the rest of the field during qualifying.

Q.         What kind of average does it take to "cash"?

A.         It really varies from month to month. On the average, to make the men's cut, it takes an average of 195+. For the women, generally 175 and above. These figures are NOT guarantees. Overall the MJBT has averaged about 186 for both match play and qualifying rounds.

Q.         Is there a minimum age or average requirement?

A.         Absolutely not. We encourage everybody to try the MJBT. For the younger bowler, this is a great experience to bowl with some of the best youth bowlers in the Upper Midwest. Although, we do recommend the bowlers carry at least a 150 average, in the hopes that they will not get too discouraged if they have a bad day.

Q.         Am I required to bowl all of the tournaments?

A.         No. You may bowl as many or as few as you like, but at least try it once. For each event you bowl, you do earn points toward our All-Star Team, Bowler and Rookie of the Year, etc. These positions do earn extra scholarships. For those with perfect attendance for the season, they will be rewarded. So, the more you bowl, the better the chance you have to win.

Q.         Do you have any sponsors?

A.         Yes, we have had several sponsors over the years such as Bowling This Month Magazine, Celebrity Bowl Charities, Dick Ritger Bowling Camps, Bowling Dynamics Pro Shop, 10^th Frame Supply Company, Tim's Pro Shop, Best Buy Co, Graphic Industries of MN, among several others. All add either time and / or scholarship to our event each month and we greatly appreciate this help. We are always looking for more though. If you have any ideas, please contact the MJBT.

Q.         Is there a specific dress code?

A.       No denim, caps, or hats are allowed. Dress shorts/slacks are acceptable for the guys, and dress shorts/skirts/slacks are acceptable for the women. Shirts must be collared and be neat and clean in appearance. After the second time around, we ask that you have a shirt with your name printed or sewn on the back, and the MJBT logo somewhere on the shirt. MJBT patches are available at the tour stops for $3 each. A shirt with just the letters MJBT on it will not be accepted as official. The actual logo must be used. For more specific dress code rules, please refer to our Rules and Regulations, which is available online or at the event sites.

Q.         Do you host other events?

A.         We sure do. In centers that have availability, we run Saturday fun tournaments. Scholarship is also awarded at these events and entry fees are usually $25 or less. For the past several seasons, we have conducted the Mike Light Jr. MJBT / CBA Doubles tournament. This event alone has awarded over $50,000 in scholarships!

Q.         Are you running brackets like at many adult tournaments? Is this legal?

A.         Yes to both questions. The MJBT is running brackets during the tournaments. Cost will be $5 per bowler, per bracket. This is OPTIONAL to all bowlers. All winnings will be paid in scholarship dollars and there are no administrative fees deducted. This is approved for competition by the United States Bowling Congress, and does not violate USBC Eligibility Rule #400.

Q.         Do you accept credit cards for entry and other fees either online or at the tournament site?

A.         We do not accept credit cards at any time. We are exploring this option for the future, but service fees and hassle factor are swaying us away from this option. We do accept cash, valid check or money order.

Q.         If I earned an USBC award during an MJBT event, who files the paperwork for it?

A.         The MJBT will process paperwork for all honor count scores such as 298, 299, 300, 800,etc. rolled during our competition. For any other awards, it would be the bowler's responsibility to have the award processed through their local league or association secretary. Always keep a copy of your score sheet for verification of game and series awards.