ARLINGTON, Texas – Bill Henson of Westerville, Ohio, who has been volunteering and coaching in the sport of bowling for more than 35 years, has been selected as the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Youth Volunteer of the Year by the USBC Youth Advisory Group.

Henson, 72, is a USBC Silver level coach who has spent many years volunteering his coaching services to programs such as Ohio State University’s men’s bowling program, the high school bowling program at Westerville South and as Director of Youth Bowling for 15 years at Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, where he led a youth instructional program that grew to more than 125 youth bowlers.

All of those were volunteer positions, making Henson a worthy recipient of this award. Even so, Henson was more than a little surprised when he learned he’d been selected.

“When I got the call, my very first reaction was that I had tears in my eyes,” Henson said. “I just couldn’t believe it. Of all the thousands of people who volunteer their time for bowling and youth bowling, I’m just amazed that I was chosen. I appreciate it so much, and I’m so thankful. I’m truly humbled to receive this award.”

Henson’s volunteer work in bowling started innocently enough.

“Back in the 80s and 90s, both of my daughters were in youth programs at Sequoia (Pro Bowl),” Henson said. “I stepped up and volunteered to coach youth programs, and I was a league coach there for about 10 years. That’s kind of how it all got started.”

In 2005, Henson teamed with Sequoia Pro Bowl owner Tim Voss to help restore the bowling program at Ohio State University after a nine-year hiatus. Henson ended up serving as men’s head coach for eight seasons.

“I wasn’t exactly sure what I would be doing when I got into college coaching,” Henson admitted. “I ended up being the men’s head coach, which is a volunteer position because it’s a club sport there and there is no salary. It was twice-a-week practices and 13-14 weekends on the road with the team. I did that for eight years and really enjoyed it.”

No sooner than two weeks after he stepped away from the OSU program, his high school alma mater – Westerville South High School – contacted him about helping with their bowling program.

“My grandson (Adam Henson) was coming into his sophomore year there and was on the bowling team,” Henson said. “Next thing I knew, I was on the coaching staff. I did that for seven years even after Adam graduated. That also was a volunteer position, so, 15 years with those two programs coaching as a volunteer – Ohio State and Westerville South.”

In addition to his time spent at Ohio State and Westerville South, he also served as the Director of Youth Bowling at Sequoia Pro Bowl from 2007-2022, running a program that grew to be in the top 10% of the largest USBC Youth programs in the country.

“That was a great experience, and we produced a lot of good youth bowlers, some of whom went on to bowl collegiately,” Henson said. “I have to give thanks to the 20-plus volunteer coaches I worked with over the 15 years I was at Sequoia. They all did it because they just wanted to share their knowledge with the younger players. I quickly became a coach of coaches with that program.”

To the parents of youth bowlers, Henson, who served in the U.S. Air Force, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State University, an MBA from Ohio University and spent 34 years in the IT industry before retiring from IBM in 2007, has been a highly respected mentor.

All that volunteer experience led to another “career” after he retired from his IT job.

In 2017, Henson founded the Henson Bowling Academy. The program was unique in its structure, employing directors in five different departments – finance and accounting, marketing, admissions, physical fitness and nutrition, and instruction and academics (of which Henson was director, along with being CEO). The business has evolved into running camps and private instruction for youth and adults.

“I tell people I’m in my second retirement,” Henson said. “I’m 18 years into my quote/unquote retirement, and I’m just having the time of my life.”

Henson, who started bowling at the age of 10, is an accomplished bowler in his own right, having earned three regional Professional Bowlers Association titles and one national PBA60 title – the 2015 PBA60 Dick Weber Super Senior Open.

Having been in the sport for as long he has, Henson knows that being adaptable is a key component of successful coaching.

“I’ve coached people from age 6 to 83, and it’s always gratifying to be part of their improvement,” Henson said. “From when I started in 2007 until now, the two-handed style has become prominent, especially with youth bowlers, so I did a lot of research, did a lot of studying and watching YouTube videos and talked to other coaches. I got to the point where I feel comfortable coaching that style as well as the one-handed style. I’m always staying as current as I can.”

Henson was asked why volunteering and coaching is so attractive to him.

“I just love teaching people the sport that I’ve been in for 60 years of my life,” Henson said. “I just enjoy it so much, and I’m as busy as I want to be. That’s what volunteerism is about. You don’t do it for the acknowledgment and the recognition; you do it because you want to help.”

In addition to this award, Henson was chosen as “Volunteer of the Year” for the Central Ohio USBC (2017) and also received the Ohio State USBC Volunteer of the Year award (2023). In 2011, Henson was inducted into the Central Ohio USBC Hall of Fame, and in 2019 he was inducted into the Ohio State USBC Hall of Fame.

Henson will be recognized as USBC’s Youth Volunteer of the Year in May during the 2025 USBC Convention at South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

This year's award ceremony, which includes a variety of awards for youth and adult bowlers, will take place during the 2025 USBC Annual Meeting on May 7 and 8. The meeting will be broadcast live on BowlTV.

For a list of USBC Youth Volunteer of the Year past winners, click here.

Learn more about awards for adult youth leaders and scholarship opportunities for youth bowlers at BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards.