Watertown’s ESD (Eastern South Dakota) Travel Team is a youth travel league consisting of two 4 person teams (4 girls and 4 boys) that bowl at participating bowling centers in eastern South Dakota during a 12 week season. It is open to all youth bowlers ages 10+.
Participating Bowling Centers
- Tommy’s Lanes & Lounge, Watertown, SD
- Village Bowl, Aberdeen, SD
- Fair City Lanes, Huron, SD
- Village Bowl, Mitchell, SD
- Lariat Lanes, Pierre, SD
- Cherry Lanes, Madison, SD
Joining ESD Youth Travel League
If your child is interested in joining the Watertown Youth Travel League, please contact either Josh Waltz or Scott Struss for more information. Email: watertownyouthbowling@gmail.com
Practice and Qualifying
Practice dates and times – Tuesdays at 8:00pm
Qualifying matches will be conducted the week before ESD match play to see who will travel and qualify for the 4 individual roster spots per week.
ESD Travel League Bowling Rules
League Fees
Annual Fee: $300
($150 for boys, $150 for girls)
Annual fees are to be used for scholarship money for the participants each year
Per Week Team Match Play: $160
($80 for boys, $80 for girls)
Each team will pay the host bowling center $160 total per town per week
Travel, meals, hotel etc. costs are the responsibility of the the teams and/or bowlers.
Sponsorships and Fundraising:
If you would like to sponsor the Watertown Youth Travel League, please contact Josh Waltz or Scott Struss. Email: watertownyouthbowling@gmail.com
ESD Travel Schedule
Saturdays starting in October and ending in February
All start times are 10:00 AM
October 25th, 2025 – Aberdeen (meeting @ 9:30am)
November 1st, 2025 – Pierre
December 6th, 2025 – Huron
December 13th, 2025 – Mitchell
January 3rd, 2026 – Watertown
January 24th, 2025 – Madison
February 21st, 2026 – Banquet in Chamberlain
Bowlers Eligibility
Team membership shall be restricted to boys and girls who have reached their 10th birthday during the travel team season to their high school graduation.
Youth younger than 10 years of age that want to participate is up to the coach’s discretion.
Bowlers turning 18 during the bowling season will need to complete the Safesport process.
Any individual under suspension by his/her school, adult supervisor or any USBC organization shall be ineligible to participate.
Team Rosters
A complete team for match play shall consist of 4 bowlers. At least 2 bowlers MUST be present for the team to have a legal lineup.
Teams may carry as many as 12 bowlers on their roster.
A bowler once removed from a team’s roster may not bowl in the league again without unanimous approval of the board of the league.
Bowler Conduct
Bowling members of the league will not be allowed to smoke or partake in alcoholic beverages or illegal chemicals during the time in which all the members are together in travel or competition on the days of match play.
Activities such as cards, studying, or anything that diverts attention from the sport will not be allowed in the bowling area during the match.
Food and drinks will not be permitted in the bowling area.
Bowlers are expected to remain in or near the bowling area to which their teams have been
assigned during practice and match play competition unless excused by a coach.
Unsportsman-like conduct, unusual loudness, use of vulgar language, abuse of equipment, or leaving the bowling center with bowling shoes will not be permitted. Violations may cause suspension from match play.
Absolutely no cell phones allowed in bowling area
League Dress Code
Watertown Youth Travel league will have team jerseys/bowling shirts for each child with their name to be worn at every match play.
All members shall wear proper dress for competition.
No tank tops, short shorts (walking shorts are permitted). Caps or hats will not be allowed.
Pants will be worn at or above the waist. No undergarments will be allowed to show above the pants. No yoga pants, leggings, or skinny jeans are allowed. Acceptable pants would include nice jeans or khakis with no holes. Girls may bowl in skirts that are of acceptable length.
No articles of clothes or equipment shall have advertising or printing referring to any tobacco, alcohol, drugs, or vulgar language.
The adult representatives of the teams will be the determinants of what is acceptable wear on the lanes during matches.
Traveling
Even if bowlers are of driving age and have a license, youth bowlers WILL NOT be driving themselves or other team members to out of town bowling centers. For the safety of the youth bowler, parents or guardians must drive their bowler to match play.
Match Play Format
A. The team with the highest standing in the league will set their lineup first
B. Practice time will be allowed prior to each match
C. Each match will consist of 3 games
D. Two matches will be bowled at each establishment on scheduled date
E. Each match will have 36 points possible.
- One point will be awarded for each bowler who defeats his/her opponent in match play.
(1/2 point awarded for each bowler in case of a tie) - One point will be awarded for individual series.
- 4 points will be awarded for each team game won. 2 points for each with a tie.
- 4 points will be awarded for the team with the highest pin fall for the three-game match
total. 2 points will be awarded to each team in case of a time. - A representative of each team (preferably the team captains) will figure the points and
scores after each match together. They will serve as a check on each other so that the final product is acceptable. They will then turn the white sheet into the person in charge of entering the scores into the computer.
Handicap
A. Boys: 90 percent basis 120-200. 72 pins maximum
B. Girls: 90 percent basis 110-200. 81 pins maximum
C. Teams: Shall be the total of the individual handicaps for the bowlers in the league. D. Handicaps will be figured at the completion of each 3 game series. Second shifts may or may not have actual handicaps available during competition.
Entering Averages
A. Each bowler will establish his/her average after the first 3 games series.
B. The bowler’s actual average will be used in all following match play unless the average is under the minimum average established by the league, in which case the minimum average will be used.
C. Position Round – Bowlers must have established averages before competing in position round.
Full ESD Bowling Rules
For more information on postponements, tardy players, forfeits, foul line, blind scores, championship and awards, click on the link below to the full ESD Bowling Rules.
Watertown USBC 