Reading, Pa. (July 13, 2022) - Alvernia University Women's Bowling Head Coach Kerry Smith announced the hiring of Jeffrey Smith as Assistant Coach to her staff on Wednesday.
 
Smith, a Lebanon County native and 1996 graduate of Cedar Crest High School, has spent the last ten years coaching in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, as well as both regionally and nationally with professional, amateur, and youth bowlers of all ages and abilities.
 
Smith has been in the bowling industry for over 25 years. After high school, Smith joined the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)as a player at the age of 18. Smith bowled professionally on the PBA National and Regional tours - earning multiple Pennsylvania State and local titles -  before pivoting roles in 2015 to serve as a coach and ball rep for the Brands of Brunswick on the PWBA tour. He has in excess of ten wins as a coach and rep with the women of the PWBA, and is also a Regional PBA Competitor as well as a National Staff Member with Brunswick, Ultimate Bowling Products, and Coolwick Apparel.
 
Smith has also coached at the high school level, serving as Girls Head Coach for Lancaster Mennonite High School in 2013 and 2014, where he coached one of his athletes to Pennsylvania State Singles Tournament appearances.
 
"I'm beyond excited to add Jeff to my coaching staff," said Kerry Smith. "The experiences that Jeff brings to our program are top notch. Having worked with some of the best players in the world on the PWBA tour, Jeff is going to be able to help our Alvernia bowlers get their careers where they aspire them to go both on and off the lanes."
 
In addition to his work on the PWBA Tour with Brunswick Bowling, Jeff is currently the owner and operator of Pure It Bowling in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, a full service training and equipment facility where he trains athletes of all levels and ensures all clients are fit and equipped with the best possible options to take their respective games to unprecedented levels.
 
"The fact that Jeff is actually my rep on tour is helpful because I know his coaching style," added Kerry Smith. "We both coach with very similar approaches and philosophies, and I thought he'd be the perfect addition to our program., both from a technical expertise and a methodological standpoint."
 
Women's Bowling is an NCAA sanctioned sport, with 87 NCAA institutions sponsoring the sport across all three NCAA Divisions.
 
Of the 87 NCAA institutions that sponsor Women's Bowling, 47 compete in the Northeast region and 15 compete within two hours of Alvernia, including Kutztown University and Chestnut Hill College. Berks County is also a hotbed for Women's Bowling, with Berks Lanes in Sinking Spring and Jay Lanes in Douglasville annually hosting the two largest collegiate invitationals on the east coast. In addition, every high school in Berks County competes in Girl's Bowling.
 
Women's Bowling became an NCAA sport for the 2003-2004 season. When competition gets underway this fall at Alvernia, it will be Alvernia's 32nd varsity sport.