ARLINGTON, Texas - Training camp for Team USA men's and women's teams are being held this week at the International Training and Research Center as Team USA begins preparations to defend its world titles.

The World Tenpin Bowling Association World Championships will be a combined men's and women's event in 2013, and will take place in late August in Henderson, Nev. Team USA won the women's team title in 2011 in Hong Kong, its first since 1987, and the men won its third consecutive five-player team gold medal in 2010 in Munich, Germany.

"We usually have separate training camps but since we have a combined World Championships we bought in both teams," Team USA head coach Rod Ross said. "They are going to be interacting at the competition and the team will be stronger if we are all looking at the same thing."

For the World Championships, six players will be selected for each team.

"We're the defending world champions for both the men and women, and we are going to defend those titles on our home soil," Ross said. "There are going to be some tough decisions because we will have to cut the team on each side from 10 down to six."

This year's Team USA squads includes a first-time member and another who is making a return after a five-year absence.

Eddie VanDaniker was named to the men's team in January after a strong performance at the Team USA Trials, where he just missed making the stepladder finals and an automatic spot on the team. He first tried out for the team in 2004 before taking another shot this year.

"I definitely wanted to try to make the team, and so far it's been great," said VanDaniker. "We've been working on quite a bit. I had a couple of things in my game that needed to get better and that's what I have been spending most of my time on."

Though VanDaniker, who recently became a father for the first time and now has a six-month-old daughter, McKenzee, is new to the team, he is familiar with most of his teammates from competing on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour.

"When you are bowling on tour, you don't get to talk and learn; it's competition," he said. "Being here and learning some of the things guys do to bowl well on different patterns, the tricks that they have, is really valuable."

Missy Parkin is no stranger to Team USA, but the last time she was a team member was back in 2008.

"It has been a few years but I'm very happy to be back on the team again," said Parkin, who trained at the ITRC for the first time. "There is a lot of advanced technology that we get to utilize."

Parkin, the 2011 USBC Queens champion, recently just missed making the TV show during the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil. She said she is bowling well and now welcomes the opportunity to work in a team environment.

"Team bowling is so much fun," Parkin said. "If I get selected for an event this year, I'm definitely going to be looking forward to it."

Go to BOWL.com/TeamUSA for more information about the team and the Team USA program.