General Information

 

Creation of the Pennsylvania Junior Bowlers Tournament Series

 

The PJBT was created by Matt Himmelreich, a bowler and tournament director since 1994. Matt created this tournament series as a graduation project, in hopes of gaining more interest of the junior bowlers in Eastern & Central Pennsylvania. There is a growing problem in bowling today, in which bowlers are turning adult faster than they have to.  Many bowlers are going adult around the age of 18, because they feel there is nothing out there or no real reason to stay a junior and ride out their eligibility until they turn the age of 19.  For this reason, Matt created this series.  It was created to promote the youth programs and give the junior bowlers something to look forward to down the road.  It is also being used to promote the idea to parents, friends, and family that bowling can be competitive and fun at the same time.  This idea many times is lost among the young bowlers of the future.  Finally, this tournament was created to help young talented bowlers win scholarship money for their future education.  Many parents and friends don't realize how much help a little scholarship money is when it's time for college or a technical school after high school.  PJBT Management wants parents to realize that it is never to early to start winning scholarship money toward a future education.  With these ideals, these tournaments can be successful now and in the future.

 

Now in its 13th season, the PJBT has established itself as one of the premier bowling tours in the Eastern United States, and is America's original 21-and-under scholarship tournament series.  It is the third-largest tour as far as scholarships awarded yearly, behind the Junior Bowlers Tour and Michigan Junior Masters Association.

 

 About Matt Himmelreich     

 

The creator of the Pennsylvania Junior Bowlers Tournament, Matt Himmelreich, a graduate of Penn State University and Governor Mifflin High School.  Matt has been around the sport of bowling since the age of 5.  Matt is a former manager and part-time mechanic at Blue Ball Lanes, after formerly working at Berks Lanes for about five years.  Matt is a past active president on the Berks County Youth Leaders Board, and in 1999 was nominated as a finalist for the Youth Leader of the Year in 2002.  Matt was co-captain of the Penn State Berks Bowling Team, for three straight years.  Matt also enjoys all sports, including bowling, baseball, sotfball, golf, and auto racing.   Matt has been actively running tournaments since 1995.  His biggest experience in running tournaments was working the PSBA state tournament, held in Berks County in 1995.  However, this tournament series is his biggest project yet!! 

 

Matt has achieved many great awards, including one of youth bowling's most prestigious awards.  In July 2001, at the Junior Gold National Championships in Reno, Matt was elected by the Board of Directors from YABA Bowling Headquarters, and parental vote, the recipient of the DAVID DAHMS SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD.  Every year, the David Dahms Sportsmanship Award is given to the male and female athlete that the board and parents feel have shown the most sportsmanship for our sport, for our junior bowlers, and for our sport of bowling.  David Dahms was an individual who worked for YABA and passed away due to cancer, just prior to the first Junior Gold in 1998.  His love and support of bowling was always with the juniors, for he helped the junior level evolve.  This is why the award is given on his behalf.  The award presented Matt with a teardrop glass trophy and a $500 scholarship.

 

Matt would like to thank all the people who took part in recommending him for the award, and wants the parents and bowlers to know that he does lots of hard work to make the PJBT work.  However, without the love and support of the parents and bowlers, we would not be where the series is today.  Thanks to everyone!! 

 

Matt would like to thank Michele Woods-Killian, his boss and role model for most of his life, working as an employee and friend of Micki's since 1991.  Without Micki, Matt would not be as successful in the bowling industry as he is today.  Michele and her husband Glen Killian, are the former owners of Blue Ball Lanes.  Micki was honored with the PJBT Lifetime Achievement Award at the PJBT's 10th Anniversary Banquet in 2009.

 

Matt works full-time as a loan assistant for Mortgage America, and is based in Schuylkill Haven.  He is the President of the Greater Schuylkill USBC, and bowls in leagues in Pottsville and Berks County.

 

 The PJBT Support Staff  

   

At the 2005 Invitational Championship, Matt called Travis Sparks "his right arm."  Sparks came aboard in 2002, and became a full-time assistant in 2004.  Along with on-site duties, he edits this website and compiles all statistics.

 

Sparks is a native of Wilkes-Barre, and a graduate of GAR High School and King's College in Wilkes-Barre.  He spent six years working at Stanton Lanes and nearly 10 years helping with the YABA program at Stanton.  He competed in YABA leagues from 1985-1997, earning many accolades along the way.  Two marks that will never be taken away are the junior records at the old Chacko's West he holds, with a 780 three-game series and 1048 four-game series in 1995.  He is a past youth representative of the Wyoming Valley YABA, and 1993 recipient of the Wyoming Valley YABA Lore Davis Memorial Scholarship.

 

He ran his first tournament in 1993, and also coordinated the 1994 PBA Wyoming Valley Senior Open Pro-Am.  In 1995, he started the Northeastern Pennsylvania Junior Classic Series.  The series is held throughout Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, giving junior bowlers a chance to showcase their talents right in their own backyards.  In 2002-03, Travis and Matt joined forces for two combined events.  The number of combined events increased to three in 2003-04, and eight in 2004-05.  The joining of forces has yielded more scholarship money for both tours' bowlers.  In 2005, the series was renamed the Junior Classic Series of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic.  His largest project is the JuniorBowling.com Scholarship Shootout, which has awarded over $56,000 in five years. 

 

Currently, Sparks bowls in leagues in York and Red Lion.  He won the scratch team championship at the PSBA Mixed Tournament for three straight years, the scratch doubles championship in 2009, and overall doubles in 2011.  Away from the lanes, Sparks works full-time at Pennsylvania Payroll Corp. in Schuylkill Haven... just down the hall from Matt.  He is also an air personality at T-102 and WPPA radio in Pottsville.  He also works behind the scenes with Service Electric TV 2 Sports in Allentown, and volunteers as a special events host at WVIA-TV in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  In July 2010, he graduated Summa Cum Laude from McCann School of Business and Technology in Pottsville, with a degree in accounting.

 

While Matt and Travis handle most of the scheduling, financial and clerical work, they have plenty of additional help at each event.  Matt's parents, Don and Jane, are always busy gathering scores at each event.  Special thank yous to Brittany Updike, Jen Sparks, Pam Bofrone, Gail Burkhart, and everyone who has lent a helping hand.  The support system would not be complete without the help of the sponsors, bowlers and parents at each event.  A special thanks to anyone who has helped the PJBT in any way.