Barry Clark started his career in 1969 as a 16-year-old porter at Lynwood Lanes in Woodbridge. After completion of four years of college at George Mason University, he was advanced to Assistant Manager. With his family influence in management and his degree in business, he quickly advanced through the ranks, and by the age of 30 became a bright and shining star in local bowling center management.
Over the past 10 years, his center, Bowl America Woodbridge, provided close to $200,000 in scholarship money to participating youth bowlers involved in the USBC SMART program and holds the rank of the “Number 1” college scholarship provider in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In 1983, Barry was given his first center to manage, Bowl America Burke, and in over a 5˝-year period, he raised the youth league bowler count from 270 to 591. One of the ways he did this was to help create the “Rolling Bowling” idea. At the time, Bowl America had a fully operational lane with an approach, ball return, and automatic pinsetter housed in a long trailer.
From 1985-1988, Barry assisted in the Braddock Road Youth Club, where he became Commissioner of Bowling and was successful in introducing bowling to a whole new group of youth bowlers.
From 1988-1998, while Barry was manager of Bowl America Manassas, he was involved with the school board, trying to get bowling recognized as a club sport. When the board decided to cancel the bowling programs, Barry created the Northern Virginia High School Boosters league, which was able to offer scholarships instead of trophies.
While at Bowl America Woodbridge, from which Barry on September 2, 2021 retired after more than 23 years as manager, every participating child was offered free reconditioned bowling balls and drilling, as long as he/she remained in the youth program. In addition, the center offered the following leagues: youth/adult, Saturday morning youth, high school, home school, and college.
In 1989, due to his experience and involvement in the sport of bowling, Barry was selected by the administration of Northern Virginia Community College to be the adjunct instructor for the Loudoun campus. In 2012, he was selected for the equivalent position at the Manassas campus. His positions ended in 2019 after 30 years of service.
For all of these reasons, Barry Clark's passion, dedication, and proven accomplishments for the sport of bowling make him a worthy candidate for the NCAUSBCA Hall of Fame.
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