Roger Tarr was born and raised in the Washington metropolitan area, and he’s been involved with bowling for 42 of his 61 years as a league bowler, bowling center employee, pro shop owner, youth bowling coach, youth bowling program director, youth tournament director, and adult tournament director. He also has held numerous other bowling-related positions in both a professional capacity and as a volunteer.
For many years, he served as president of various leagues at Bowl America Falls Church and worked diligently to expand these leagues. In the 1970s, he was the director of a youth travel league that helped develop many of today’s adult stars.
Roger currently bowls in several area leagues and has achieved two 300 games and a 797 series—all since joining the “senior” bowler ranks. He is a member of the Sports Plus/Carmen Don Pro Shop professional staff and is the director of the Youth-Adult Tournament and the Friday Night No Tap Tournament at Bowl America Falls Church. He also serves as co-director of the Bowl America 40-and-Over Tournament.
Over the past several years, Roger has been actively involved in filling several voids in this area’s youth tournament schedule. Starting in 1996 with the Youth Singles Tournament and continuing with events such as the Youth Travel Tournament and a monthly Youth-Adult Tournament that exists to this day, he has helped develop and direct numerous youth-oriented events, all while sacrificing significant amounts of his personal time. Thanks to his labors, many of this area’s young bowlers, including Jay Gaskill, Nathan Bolden, Sven Carlson Jr., David Eisenberg, C.J. Batten, Joy Esterson, Michael Price, and Mark Spires, have earned financial assistance with their college educations.
Roger Tarr’s untiring efforts to promote bowling in this area—and in particular his special dedication to youth bowling that ultimately helps secure a strong future for the sport he dearly loves—make him an outstanding addition to the Nation’s Capital Area Bowling Association Hall of Fame.