To develop and deliver programs and pathways which produce world class bowlers and coaches that enrich the Australian Bowling Community.
Tenpin Bowling Australia’s High-Performance Strategy outlines a vision to:
Provide opportunities for elite bowlers to excel and support them to optimize their talent.
TBA has one High-Performance program – the National Training Squad or NTS.
The National Training Squad (NTS) program aims to facilitate this vision, by focusing on our best elite athletes and investing in a robust high-performance pathway that provides support, clarity, direction, and optimal opportunities to develop athletes to a world standard.
Our NTS Squads:
From 2022, TBA will work towards achieving the following guidelines.
We will select athletes for the National Training Squad from six different pools, each up to a preferred maximum as listed below:
NTS 18 (Junior) – 16 Athletes: Up to 8 junior males & 8 junior females
- Those who have NOT reached the age of 18 on 1st January of the current year.
NTS 21 (Youth) – 16 Athletes: Up to 8 youth males & 8 youth females
- Those who have NOT reached the age of 21 on 1st January of the current year.
NTS OPEN (Adult) – 16 Athletes: Up to 8 adult males and 8 adult females
- Adult refers to those who are 18 years or older on 1st January of the current year.
NTS 50 (Senior) – 16 Athletes: Up to 8 males and 8 females
- Those who have attained or will attain the age of 50 years of age or above in the current year.
NTS 65 (Grand Senior) – 16 Athletes: Up to 8 males and 8 females
- Those who have attained or will attain the age of 65 years of age or above in the current year.
NTS INCLUSION – 32 Athletes: Up to 4 males & 4 females for each of the following classifications:
- Visual Impairment, Deaf / Hearing Impairment, Intellectually Disability, Physical Disability / Para.
The number of positions ultimately selected in some squads may vary from the maximum numbers nominated above. This will be at the discretion of TBA and the appointed Head Coaches, catering for unforeseen circumstances as they arise.
This should ensure that if an athlete is eligible and deserves to be in the NTS now (based on their performance), they are able to be selected now.
NTS Evolution
TBA constantly evaluates the current effectiveness and performance of its high-performance program, taking care to listen to feedback and recommendations from current athletes, coaches, State Associations, and the wider community. Based on this information, and emerging trends or areas of need, we need to evolve and make ongoing changes to strengthen the pathway to elite level competition, with the goal of developing world-class athletes.
Given many other countries have well-developed high-performance programs in the sport of Tenpin, maintaining a progressive and evolving NTS initiative is imperative for Australia to achieve TBA’s strategic objective of having world-class athletes, and the goal of being ranked in the top 10 countries in the world.
More information about the NTS can be found by clicking here
