2026 Hall of Fame Inductee
JUNIOR AMATEUR TOUR (JAT)

The Junior Amateur Tour, or JAT, started in Southern California under the direction of Vince “Mickey” Colletti in 1973, to provide competitive, scratch bowling opportunities for youth bowlers. It was essentially a way to bridge the gap between local youth bowling and adult professional competition.

The JAT was designed by Colletti to mimic professional bowling, featuring qualifying rounds, followed by match-play competition and finally a stepladder finals. It became a “farm system” for the pros. 

David Yamauchi began as a bowler in the JAT and after graduating to the adult ranks he began helping Mary Smith with the youth tournaments.  Mary was involved in an automobile accident and could no longer continue her role as director, and that’s when David stepped in to lead the organization. That was 35 years ago.

Since that time the JAT has become the premiere all-scratch junior tournament club in the nation. Some of the standout bowlers that have advanced from the JAT to the pro  ranks include Missy Parkin, Scott Norton, Robert Smith and Wesley Low. Two other standouts from the JAT that have excelled in Team USA competition are Tennille Milligan and Devin Bidwell.

But the JAT is not limited to professional bowling, as Bugsy Kelly, director of marketing for Brunswick Bowling, can attest. “The JAT gave me the fundamental tools to be able to compete at any level. I have adapted those same lessons learned into the business of bowling,” stated Kelly.

Yamauchi is currently a resident of Cerritos, where he lives with his wife, Leanne, and their two children, Naomi and Joshua. David comes from a family of avid bowlers. His great uncle, Easy Fujimoto, was one of the early tournament directors of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), an annual event that was launched in 1947.

David’s father, Gary, was a professional bowler and competed in the Los Angeles All-Stars for many years. One of David’s favorite accomplishments is rolling a 300 game, the first as a junior bowler, at Gardena Bowl, where his father had become a legend.

“I have met so many amazing people through JAT, from my bowling teammates to the generations of bowlers, and their parents, in the intervening years. I hope every kid coming through the organization will enjoy it as much as me,” said David.

Please join us in welcoming David Yamauchi into the California USBC Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service.