by Rob Silliman, President
Welcome to the brand-new IGBO website!
I invite you to take some time to explore the entire site and truly appreciate all that it has to offer. This project has been a massive collaborative effort, and I am filled with gratitude for everyone involved. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Steve Ingram, Kelly Clark, Barry Wood, Donnie Fratello, Ed Clegg, Corey Lindabury, Josh Morgan, Chris Gallegos, Raffy Rodriguez, and Richard Perez.
We’ve had a fascinating 2025 so far, and there’s so much to celebrate! Let’s start with the fantastic news: every tournament up to this past weekend has been sold out! This is amazing news for IGBO and a testament to the incredible weekends of bowling and camaraderie we offer. IGBO member tournaments are truly the best in the country.
At IGBO, we embrace everyone, and we don’t just say it—we mean it.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: the USBC Trans Ban. We have been diligently reaching out to all Affinity partners in USBC, as well as our members and other LGBTQIA+ groups, for their support. A well-constructed and balanced reaction is crucial, and I promise we will keep everyone involved and informed with any and all news on this matter.
I urge all of you to contact your bowling centers, partners, and sponsors, and ask them for a letter of support, emphasizing that bowling should be for everyone. For our members, please draft a letter expressing our concern and disappointment with the decision, urging USBC to revisit the policy and engage with stakeholders before implementing such changes. I anticipate we will be discussing this for a while.
Looking ahead, we are thrilled to announce our 44th Conference and Bowling Tournament in sunny Las Vegas this June. We have some exciting new offerings this time around! On Thursday afternoon, we will host two seminars for our members. The first will be an event with Kegel, focusing on understanding oil patterns. The second will be a complete Matchmaker event hosted by our main sponsor, Storm, to help you choose the right ball for you. And guess what? We have one more surprise in store for you, but you’ll have to wait until the tournament to find out!
We are constantly striving to help IGBO do more and bring more to you, the bowler. I hope to see and meet you on the tournament circuit soon.
Warm regards,
Rob Silliman
IGBO President
