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Capital District Youth Scholarship Tour

About the CDYST

The Capital District has a rich bowling history, especially at the youth and interscholastic levels. On May 15, 2010, the Capital District Youth Scholarship Tour kicked off a new arena of elite head-to-head competition for youth bowlers.  Certified by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), the CDYST is generously supported by our host bowling centers and our sponsors.

Our primary objectives are to provide a competitive atmosphere for our bowlers to showcase their talent, teach them about some of the advanced facets of the sport we all love, and provide assistance to further their education off the lanes. We provide our youth bowlers with challenging lane conditions and the opportunity to earn scholarship prizes and entries into the USBC Junior Gold Championships. The CDYST is led by USBC Bronze-Certified coaches Mark Taylor and Steve Fawcett.

Starting with the 2017 - 18 season, the CDYST introduced its first organizing committee consisting of the tournament directors, our first assistant director, and two youth representatives (one male and one female) who have been CDYST members for multiple seasons, competed in at least 15 CDYST events, and competed in a Junior Gold Under-20 division at least once. The organizing committee is instrumental for discussing matters related to the our organization, tournament structures, scheduling, our Code of Conduct, and any other matters that may arise. Youth representatives to the CDYST Organizing Committee have no involvement in lane condition selections or tournament operations. All matters related to those facets of our operations are handled solely by the tournament directors in consultation with our host bowling centers.

The input of the youth representatives is extremely valuable because in many cases, they are the eyes and ears of our organization through their extensive tournament experience both in and out of the CDYST, their direct interactions with their peers both on and off the lanes, and their overall perspectives. Ultimately, the CDYST belongs to our members, and we want to be certain that your voices are heard as the CDYST, and youth bowling as a whole, continues to evolve.

Feel free to contact any of us if you have any questions or would like additional information about our tournaments. We look forward to seeing you at our next event.

Please click here to view a video about the CDYST, courtesy of John Craig from the Troy Record.

2017-18 Organizing Committee (L to R): Kevin Hanson (Ass’t Director), Kenny Livengood (Youth Rep.), Mark Taylor (Operations Director), Lauren Piotrowski (Youth Rep.), Steve Fawcett (Administrative Director)

Member Bios

Mark Taylor (Operations Director): Mark’s primary responsibilities are to work with our outstanding proprietors to arrange the schedule, select lane conditions, lead the physical operation of all CDYST events, compile all statistics, and prepare all materials related to e-mail, our website, social media, and press releases.  Mark is also a USBC Bronze-certified coach.

Steve Fawcett (Administrative Director): Steve’s primary responsibilities are to act as the organization’s treasurer, process all scholarship awards with SMART, process all Junior Gold certifications and advancers, and address any other issues related to USBC. Steve is also a USBC Bronze-certified coach.

Kevin Hanson (Assistant Director): Kevin’s primary responsibilities are to support the directors with tournament operations at CDYST events by collecting and compiling scores, assisting bowlers when needed, and helping to ensure that all of our bowlers have a positive experience.  Prior to joining the CDYST staff, Kevin’s son, Christopher, was a CDYST member for our first five seasons and is a two-time Bowler of the Year.

Lauren Piotrowski (Youth Representative): Currently in her fourth season as a CDYST member, Lauren is a one-time CDYST All Star who has earned two CDYST titles, an NJCAA National Championship, and reached the Under-20 Girls Division finals of the 2017 USBC Junior Gold Championships in her third year competing. As a youth representative to the Organizing Committee, Lauren’s experience has provided valuable input into the operational enhancements made this season.

Kenny Livengood (Youth Representative): Currently in his fourth season as a CDYST member, Kenny is a two-time CDYST All Star who has earned one CDYST title and reached the second round of the 2017 USBC Junior Gold Championships in his second year competing. As a youth representative to the Organizing Committee, Kenny’s experience has provided valuable input into the operational enhancements made this season.

For more information, please email us at CDYSTinfo (at) aol (dot) com or visit our Facebook page.

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