Art Beasley named 2026 USBC Youth Volunteer of the Year
March 17, 2026
ARLINGTON, Texas – Art Beasley of Fort Worth, Texas, a dedicated youth coach, administrator and volunteer in the sport of bowling for 60 years, has been selected as the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Youth Volunteer of the Year.
Growing up in Colonial Heights, Virginia, Beasley started bowling at the age of 10, and by the time he turned 18, he was a Certified Coach Instructor (CCI) with the American Junior Bowling Congress (AJBC). Beasley is now 78 and has served bowling, youth bowling in particular, since becoming a CCI at that young age.
Beasley was influenced by good coaches at an early age, including Johnny Moore, whom he considers a mentor. Beasley said Moore “taught me how to help kids and help people improve their game,” but it was Beasley’s dad (Art Sr.) who was instrumental in getting him involved in the sport.
“I’d like to dedicate this award to my dad,” said Beasley. “He passed away in 2014, but he’s the one who got me started in bowling. He was secretary of our local association in Virginia for more than 20 years, and he’s a member of that hall of fame (Appomattox River USBC). He set a great example for me and taught me a lot.”
Beasley has always been a bowler. He still bowls twice a week and was recently recognized for 25 years of participation at the USBC Open Championships, but he noted that he’s not ultra-competitive about it.
“Competition is great, but I’m not that high of an average bowler, so I do it for the fun of the game,” Beasley said. “I’m mostly just a league guy. I enjoy meeting new people and just being around the bowlers.”
In 1966, Beasley was introduced to the administrative side of bowling when he took a position working as an assistant to the Young American Bowling Alliance Southeast Field representative (Johnny Watts).
In 1967, Beasley would join the Air Force, but his dedication to the sport remained. Beasley coached youth bowlers at several different military installations/bases and bowling centers during his 20-year Air Force career.
After retiring from the Air Force, Beasley eventually moved from San Antonio to the Fort Worth area to take a civilian job at NASJRB Fort Worth (Carswell Air Force Base) and accepting what was, originally, a part-time position at Cowtown Bowling Palace in Fort Worth as a youth coach.
By 2008, Beasley had become the Youth Director at Cowtown and remains in that position today. Beasley has built the youth program into something that is very successful on multiple levels, but he’s quick to point out that he hasn’t done it alone.
“It takes a village to have a successful youth program,” said Beasley. “I’m thankful to have such great parents supporting it and volunteering their time and effort to make my job easier. Additionally, I have an awesome crew working with me. Communication is key to running a successful youth program – communication with the parents, keeping them updated on different events and tournaments – and the team I work with is great at making sure we do that.”
Beasley also is involved with the sport on the high school level. In 2013, with the help of his son Adam, they established the Chisholm Trail High School bowling program where Beasley still serves as coach. The team won back-to-back district and regional championships in 2015 and 2016. Each year since 2014, Chisholm Trail High School has advanced its team and/or individual bowlers to the regional and/or state tournaments. Adam won the high school state singles championship in 2016.
In addition to his coaching role at Chisholm Trail, Beasley has served as district coordinator for the Ft. Worth South High School Bowling Club for the past five years.
Beasley also is proud to be involved with the creation of a pair of scholarships that were created to serve in the memory of a pair of youth bowlers.
In July 2021, Beasley established the Dylan Ashton Ellis Memorial Sportsmanship Award at Cowtown Bowling Palace. Dylan was a 5-year-old who participated in the youth bumper bowling program at Cowtown. Dylan suffered a sudden illness and never recovered. The award, in SMART money, is given to a bowler in each of the leagues, each season, as selected by coaches.
“Dylan just loved to be at the bowling center every Saturday morning, high-fiving everyone,” Beasley said. “You definitely knew the minute that Dylan walked through the doors. He was such a joy to be around, so it just felt appropriate to name a scholarship after him.”
Beasley is working to establish a scholarship program for the graduating seniors in his youth program in the name of Gabrielle Currid, who was a senior and bowler at Azle High School when she passed away this past January.
For Beasley, the decades he’s spent improving youth bowling has certainly had its rewarding moments.
“You always want to see kids that you coach excel, both in and out of bowling,” said Beasley. “It means a lot when they come back and thank you for everything you’ve done for the program they were in or for all the encouragement you gave them. It’s very humbling because sometimes you don’t expect people to come and say thank you, and it means a lot when they do.”
And for Beasley, being named the recipient of this award is something significant.
“This award means everything,” Beasley said. “There is a lot of work that goes into helping youth bowling prosper. I don’t think people realize the amount of work that is required and what goes on behind the scenes. I was surprised that I was even nominated, but I certainly appreciate it.”
Beasley adds this award to other accolades in the sport, including being honored with the 2018 “My Best Coach” Award, which was presented at the 2018 Youth State Tournament and his induction into the North Texas USBC Hall of Fame in 2022.
Beasley will be recognized as USBC’s Youth Volunteer of the Year in April during the 2026 USBC Convention at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada.
This year's award ceremony, which includes a variety of awards for youth and adult bowlers, will take place during the 2026 USBC Annual Meeting on April 29 and 30. The meeting will be broadcast live at BowlTV.com.
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 by clicking here.
Growing up in Colonial Heights, Virginia, Beasley started bowling at the age of 10, and by the time he turned 18, he was a Certified Coach Instructor (CCI) with the American Junior Bowling Congress (AJBC). Beasley is now 78 and has served bowling, youth bowling in particular, since becoming a CCI at that young age.
Beasley was influenced by good coaches at an early age, including Johnny Moore, whom he considers a mentor. Beasley said Moore “taught me how to help kids and help people improve their game,” but it was Beasley’s dad (Art Sr.) who was instrumental in getting him involved in the sport.
“I’d like to dedicate this award to my dad,” said Beasley. “He passed away in 2014, but he’s the one who got me started in bowling. He was secretary of our local association in Virginia for more than 20 years, and he’s a member of that hall of fame (Appomattox River USBC). He set a great example for me and taught me a lot.”
Beasley has always been a bowler. He still bowls twice a week and was recently recognized for 25 years of participation at the USBC Open Championships, but he noted that he’s not ultra-competitive about it.
“Competition is great, but I’m not that high of an average bowler, so I do it for the fun of the game,” Beasley said. “I’m mostly just a league guy. I enjoy meeting new people and just being around the bowlers.”
In 1966, Beasley was introduced to the administrative side of bowling when he took a position working as an assistant to the Young American Bowling Alliance Southeast Field representative (Johnny Watts).
In 1967, Beasley would join the Air Force, but his dedication to the sport remained. Beasley coached youth bowlers at several different military installations/bases and bowling centers during his 20-year Air Force career.
After retiring from the Air Force, Beasley eventually moved from San Antonio to the Fort Worth area to take a civilian job at NASJRB Fort Worth (Carswell Air Force Base) and accepting what was, originally, a part-time position at Cowtown Bowling Palace in Fort Worth as a youth coach.
By 2008, Beasley had become the Youth Director at Cowtown and remains in that position today. Beasley has built the youth program into something that is very successful on multiple levels, but he’s quick to point out that he hasn’t done it alone.
“It takes a village to have a successful youth program,” said Beasley. “I’m thankful to have such great parents supporting it and volunteering their time and effort to make my job easier. Additionally, I have an awesome crew working with me. Communication is key to running a successful youth program – communication with the parents, keeping them updated on different events and tournaments – and the team I work with is great at making sure we do that.”
Beasley also is involved with the sport on the high school level. In 2013, with the help of his son Adam, they established the Chisholm Trail High School bowling program where Beasley still serves as coach. The team won back-to-back district and regional championships in 2015 and 2016. Each year since 2014, Chisholm Trail High School has advanced its team and/or individual bowlers to the regional and/or state tournaments. Adam won the high school state singles championship in 2016.
In addition to his coaching role at Chisholm Trail, Beasley has served as district coordinator for the Ft. Worth South High School Bowling Club for the past five years.
Beasley also is proud to be involved with the creation of a pair of scholarships that were created to serve in the memory of a pair of youth bowlers.
In July 2021, Beasley established the Dylan Ashton Ellis Memorial Sportsmanship Award at Cowtown Bowling Palace. Dylan was a 5-year-old who participated in the youth bumper bowling program at Cowtown. Dylan suffered a sudden illness and never recovered. The award, in SMART money, is given to a bowler in each of the leagues, each season, as selected by coaches.
“Dylan just loved to be at the bowling center every Saturday morning, high-fiving everyone,” Beasley said. “You definitely knew the minute that Dylan walked through the doors. He was such a joy to be around, so it just felt appropriate to name a scholarship after him.”
Beasley is working to establish a scholarship program for the graduating seniors in his youth program in the name of Gabrielle Currid, who was a senior and bowler at Azle High School when she passed away this past January.
For Beasley, the decades he’s spent improving youth bowling has certainly had its rewarding moments.
“You always want to see kids that you coach excel, both in and out of bowling,” said Beasley. “It means a lot when they come back and thank you for everything you’ve done for the program they were in or for all the encouragement you gave them. It’s very humbling because sometimes you don’t expect people to come and say thank you, and it means a lot when they do.”
And for Beasley, being named the recipient of this award is something significant.
“This award means everything,” Beasley said. “There is a lot of work that goes into helping youth bowling prosper. I don’t think people realize the amount of work that is required and what goes on behind the scenes. I was surprised that I was even nominated, but I certainly appreciate it.”
Beasley adds this award to other accolades in the sport, including being honored with the 2018 “My Best Coach” Award, which was presented at the 2018 Youth State Tournament and his induction into the North Texas USBC Hall of Fame in 2022.
Beasley will be recognized as USBC’s Youth Volunteer of the Year in April during the 2026 USBC Convention at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada.
This year's award ceremony, which includes a variety of awards for youth and adult bowlers, will take place during the 2026 USBC Annual Meeting on April 29 and 30. The meeting will be broadcast live at BowlTV.com.
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 by clicking here.